The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1925-11-12
Outdoor Storage
Cellars Favored
Superior to Rooms in Base
ments of Dwellings for
Vegetables.
prepared by the United States Department
of Agricultural

! fPrepared by the United States Department
of Agriculture9
Outdoor cellars may be used to ad-
vantage for the storage of surplus
vegetable crops that otherwise might
be lost, according to the United States
Department of Agriculture. Such
cellars are on the whole superior to
storage rooms in easements of DWELL
ings. Vegetables can more convenient
ly be placed in such cellars than in
basement storage rooms By opening
the door during the night and closing
1t in the morning before the air be-
comes warm, it Is possible to keep
the cellar cool and quickly reduce the
temperature of the stored products to
the desired point for safe storage.
All ventilators should likewise be kept
tightly closed until the outside air IS
again cooler than that within the Gel
lar, unless the outside temperature is
low enough to be dangerous.
Best Location.
If the outdoor storage cellar is to
be used principally for storing crops
such as turnips, beets, and carrots
for feeding livestock. it should be To-
Gated near the stable. When 1t is de-
signed for keeping vegetables for the
table, the storage cellar should be
accessible from the kitchen at all
times. If both fruit and vegetables
are to be stored, there should be two
compartments to the cellar, with a
ventilating apparatus in EACH
The type of the outdoor storage cel-
lar varies with geographical location.
Except in sections where the climate
is very mild, the storage cellar should
be constructed so that it can be kept
free from undue moisture and frost.
In northern sections outdoor storage
cellars are made almost entirely be-
low ground and covered with foot
or two of earth. In winter the dirt
covering may be supplemented by a
layer of manure, straw, corn fodder
or similar material.
A storage house adapted to condi-
lions in southern sections OF the Unit
ed States may be constructed on
weIl-drained site by setting row of
posts five or six feet apart, extending
seven or eight feet above the surface of
the ground. with ridgepole placed
on top of them. Against each side of
she ridgepole row of planks or
puncheons is placed, with their OPP
posite ends resting in a shallow trench
four or five feet from the line Of posts.
The ends are boarded up, door be-
ing provided in one end of the struc-
ture, and the roof covered with sod
to depth of five or six inches The
floors Of outdoor storage houses are
usually dirt.
Storage House in North.
An above-ground type of storage
house used in many sections of the
North is a frame structure with walls
ten to twelve inches thick filled with
insulating material. such as sawdust or
shavings. Both inside and outside walls
are sheathed with matched lumber
so as to make them air tight. The
ALTERS are ceiled on the underside
With the same material and the space
between them filed with dry insulat-
ing substance. The use of building
paper in the roof and walls of the
storage house is of great value in
insulating the structure An air duct
or pipe of sufficient size should be
aseds to bring air from the outside.
This duct should be placed just be-
Meath the level of the floor running
from point just outside the building
to an inlet in the floor. The outside
end of the duct should be covered
with woven wire to prevent the en-
trance of small animals. A ventilating
due in the roof Is necessary for the
escape of warm air. Both ventilator
and air inlet should be closed during
very cold weather If the storage room
is longer than II feet, an additional
ventilator will be needed. Unless the
vegetables are placed in receptacles
and set on shelves on the walls of the
storage house. a slat floor on which to
put the stored products should be
used to provide better circulation Of
air.