Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-07-17
WINTER STORAGE OF
VEGETABLES FOR
HOME CONSUMPTION.


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 nat
ural storage, the United States depart
ment of agriculture has prepared the
following discussion on the storing or
vegetables. ...
To those persons fortunate enough to
possess land for the growing OF ve%et-
ables sufficient in quantity for the
needs Of the family, storage is an eco
n omic necessity. Likewise it is an eco
nomic necessity to grow vegetables to
store. A half acre garden should pro-
duce far more vegetables than the ave-
rage 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 Il"
crops that are to be canned, dried, or
stored 1t is comparatively easy to keep
by storing such vegetables as potatoes,
beets. carrots, parsnips. satisfy, 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.
Many houses are heated by a 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 it is best to partition off
small room in one corner of the cellar
to serve as a storage room for pota-
toes, beets, carrots, parsnips, satisfy,
and turnips. If possible, this room
should have at least one window for
the purpose of regulating the tempera-
ture. The floor should not be con-
erected, as the natural earth makes bet
ter storage conditions for the keeping
of vegetables. Bins may be construct
ed for the various products or Trey
nav be stored in boxes, baskets az
barrels This room will also serve as
a storage place for fresh fruits anc
canned goods The vegetables TO be
stored should be harvested when the
ground is dry. allowed to lie on me
surface long enough for the moisture
to dry off before placing them in Stor-
age The tops should be removed 'rom
bects, turnips. carrots, and satisfy be-
fore placing them in storage.
Outdoor pits or banks are Very gem
orally used for keeping potatoes, heets'
carrots IurnipS. .parSnipS, cabbage. ana
satisfy. Select a wei! drained loca-
ton 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 che
vegetables placed in conical pile on
the material. The vegetables are then
covered with straw or similar material.
and finally with earth to depth or
several inches The depth Of the earth
covering is determined by the severity
of the winters in the particular locality.
II is well to cover the pits with straw,
corn fodder, or manure during severe
weather. Such pits keep the above veg
etables very WELL but have the obJec-
ton that it is hard to get the material
on. in cold weather, and where the pit
is once opened it is desirable to remove
the entire contents. For this reason
several small pits rather than one
large one should be constructed so that
the cnllTG CblllSitS iltN ne ICiiipNSN Nv
one time Instead OF storing each crop
in a pit by itself, it is better to place
several vegetables of similar keeping
quality and requirements in the same
nit. so that it will only be neces Sary
to open one pit to get a supply Of al!
o. them. In storing several crops IN
The, same pit it is 4 good plan to Sepa-
rate them with straw, leaves, or other
material The vegetables from tho
small pit may be placed in the base
mcnt storage room where they can De
easily secured as needed for the table
cabbage may be stored in a special
kind of bank or pit. The excavation IS
made long and narrow and about the
same depth as for the other vegetables.
The cabbages are pulled and placed in
rows in the pit with the heads down
and roots up. The whole is covered
with dirt no straw or litter need be
used. These pits arc made as long as
desired. as 1t is possible to remove por-
lions Of the stored product without dis
turbins the remainder Cabbage need
not be covered as deeply as potatoes,
as slight freezing does not injlre the
ca hbage. The heads Of cabbage are
sometimes stored in banks or pits in
manner similar to potatoes, turnips.
etc. This method is open to the same
objection as when it Is used for pota-
toes: it is hard to get at the material
when it is needed Another method or
storing cabbage consists in setting the
whole plant in trenches side by side
with the roots down and as close to-
gether as they can be placed. Dirt is
thrown over tho 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 sup
ports laid across the top. About two
feet Of straw or other material Is then
piled on top of the storage pit.
Celery may be stored in a modified
type of outside pit, or In the row 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 out-
side Of the pit. Dirt Is banked against
these boards, and tho top covered over
with corn fodder or similar material.
When celery is kept In the row where
II is grown the earth Ia banked up
arounds the plants as the weather gets
cold. When freezing weather occurs the
durt should be brought to the tops
OF the plans and the ridge covered with
coarse manure, straw, or fodder, held in
place by means of stakes or boards.
Outdoor caves or cellars are superior
to banks or pits in many respects. They
no more labor to store sas
Vegetables than an indoor cellar, yet
give uniform and low temperature