The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-07-20
EXCESS GARDEN PRODUCTS NEED
 GOOD STORAGE
Government E:les Aid in Whitening Garden
 Stuff G.

der that householders may utilize spare time during the summer to put
 their cellars in shape for the winter
 storage of the surplus vegetables
 which will be grown on the home
 gardens that have been planted this year, or that they may make plans for other methods of natural storage,
 the United States Department of Agri-
 culture has prepared the following
 discussion on the storing of vegetables Home Storage of Vegetables
 To those persons fortunate enough
 to possess land for the growing of
 vegetables sufficient in quantity for the needs of the family. storage is an
 economic necessity. Likewise 1t is an
 economic necessity to grow vegetables
 to store. A half acre garden should produce far more vegetables than the average family can consume during the maturing period of the crops. Only small portion of the garden should be planted to those vegetables which must be used as soon as they reach
 maturity. The remainder should be devoted to crops that are to be canned. dried or stored. It Is comparatively easy to keep by storing such vege- tables as potatoes, beets, carrots, pars- nips, salsify, turnips, cabbage, celery, onions, sweet potatoes, dry beans, and dry lima beans. Some of the crops may be stored in the cellar under the dwelling, in pits or banks, or in caves or outdoor cellars. Others can be kept in any dry place such as the pantry or attic.
 The Storage Room in the Basement
 Many houses are heated by fur
 mace in the cellar. The pipes are as a rule carried under the joist, thus warming the cellar to some extent. For this reason 1t Is best to partition off a small room in one corner of the cellar to serve as storage room for potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips salsi- fy and turnips If possible, this room should have at least one window for the purpose of regulating the temper ature The floor should not be con- creted as the natural earth makes bet ter conditions for the keeping of vege-s tables Bins may be- constructed for the various products, or they may be stored in boxes, baskets or barrels.
 This room will also serve as a storage place for fresh fruits and canned goods The vegetables to be stored should be harvested when the ground is dry, allowed to lie on the surface long enough for the ,moisture to dry off before placing them in storage. The tops should be removed from beets, turnips,e carrots, and salslfy be- fore placing them in storage.
 Outdoor Pits or Banks
 Outdoor pits or banks are very gen. orally used for keeping potatoes, beets,
 ,-o%e, tvrr ma
 and salsify. Select a we'll drained lo- cation and make a shallow excavation, some six or eight inches deep, and of suitable size This is lined with straw
 leaves, or similar material, and the vegetables are then covered with straw or similar material. and finally with earth :. to depth of several inches. The depth of the earth cover | ing is determined by the severity of the winters in the particular locality. It is well to cover the pits with straw. corn fodder, or manure during the se- were weather. Such pits keep the above vegetables very we'll, but have the objection that it is hard to get the material out in cold weather, and where the pit is once opened it. is de- sirab1e to remove the entire contents For this reason several small pits rath-
 CT than one large one should be con structed so that the entire contents
 may be removed at one time. Instead Of storing each crop in pit by it. self, it Is better to place several vege- tables of similar keeping quality and requirements in the same pit, so that | it will noly be necessary to open one | pit to get a supply of all of them. In storing several crops in the same pit | it is good plan to separate them with straw, leaves, or other material. The vegetables from the small pit may be placed in the basement storage room where they can be easily secured as needed for the table.
 l Cabbage may be stored in a special i kind of bank or pit. The excavation 1 is made long and morrow and about /, the same depth as for the other vege- tables. The cabbages are pulled and | placed in rows in the pit with the 1 heads down and roots up. The whole 1 is covered with dirt, no straw or lit | ter need be used. These pits are made 1 as long as desired, as it is possible to remove portions of the stored product without disturbing the remainder. Cabbage need not be covered as deep Fly as potatoes, as slight freezing does
 not injure the cabbage The heads of cabbage are sometimes stored in
 banks or pits in a manner similar to potatoes, turnips, etc. This method is 1 open to the same objection as when it l is used for potatoes; it is hard to get 1 at the material when it is needed. An
 other method of storing cabbage con- sists in setting the whole plant in 1 trenches side by side with the roots down and as close together as they l can be placed. Dirt is thrown over l the roots and against the stalks to the depth of several inches. A low
 fence is built around the storage place and rails, scantling, or other supports l laid across the top About two feet 1 of straw or other material is then E piled. on top of the storage pit.
 Celery may be stored in a modified type of outside pit, or in the row l where it is grown. When stored in a pit or trench the plants are taken up
 and set side by side in a shallow pit
 as close together as it is feasible to pack them, and wide boards set up | along the outside of the pit. Dirt is
 banked against these boards, and the top covered over with corn fodder or similar materal. When celery is kept l in the row where it is grown the earth