The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-08-22
Save Time and Labor by Keeping
Root Crops in Storage
@ Cellars and Pits. q
OUTDOOR CAVES ARE USEFUL
Particularly Dssirabis on Farm as
They Afford Convenient and In
expensive Facilities for Sur
plus Vegetables

Before canning or drying root vege-
tables the housewife should carefully
consider the possibility Of saving time.
strength, and expense by the use of
storage pits or root cellars.
A half-acre garden will produce far
more vegetables than the average fam
lily can consume during the summer.
Only q small portion Of the garden
turity. Beets, late cabbage, carrots.
celery. onions. parsnips, potatoes,
sweet potatoes, satisfy. and turnips
may all be stored for winter use.
The successful storage of vegetables
Is not at all dindcult; In fact, good
storage facilities already exist in
most homes, 1t being only necessary
to make use Of the cellar, che attic.
large closet, or other parts of the
dwelling. depending upon the charac-
ter Of the product to be stored. Many
cellars are not we'll suited for this
because Of poor Insulation or lack Of
ventilation. Cellars containing n fur
mace for heating the dwelling usually
are toe warm and too dry for the stor-
age Of root crops. 1t is often possi-
BILE, however. to partition of room
either in one corner or at one END of
the cellar where the temperature may
be controlled by means of outside win
dows.
outdoor Storage Cellars.
outdoor storage cellars or caves are
excellent for the storage Of many veg
etables. They are particularly desirn-
BILE on the farm. rs they AFFORD conven-
lent and inexpensive storage facilities
for surplus vegetable crops that other
wise might be lost. They possess all
the advantages of the storage room
in the basement and are superior in
many respects. The outdoor storage
cellar can be maintained ut a uniform
temperature over n long period. 1t Is
possible to keep the cellar cool and
quickly to reduce the temperature of
the stored products to the desired
point for safe storage by opening the
door during the night and closing 1t In
the morning before the air becomes
warm. All ventilators should likewise
he kept tightly closed until the out
side air is again cooler than that with
in the cellar. when they should be
opened, unless the outside temperature
Is so low as to be dangerous. This
safeguards the product and adds to the
efficiency of the storage chamber.
Vegetables can be more conveniently
plaed in such cellar than in the stor-
aseloom in the basement of a dwell
ing.
When the chief use Of the outdoor
storage cellar is for storing turnips,
beets, carrots. ard other root crops
commonly used as stock food 1t should
be located near the stable, where the
material will be convenient for winter
feeding When N Is to be used for
vegetables for the table the cellar
should be accessible from the kitchen
at all times. If apples or other fruits
are to be stored in an outdoor storage
cellar it is desirable to have a two
compartment cellar. one for vegetables
and one for apples, with ventilating
apparatus in each compartment.
Small Pits Best.
Outdoor banks or pits are used very
generally for keeping vegetables. The
conical pit is used commonly for such
turnips, satisfy, parsnips, and hends Of
cabbage.
Vegetables keep very well in such