It is in the late days of fall that one begins to realize substantially on the summer's investment of seed, time and labor in the garden. Previous to this one has watched the maturing of the summer vegetables with an eye to their immediate use; now one sees before one rich stores of food that shall tide one safely through many lean days when the price of food goes soaring and the visible supply temporarily disappears. If one is putting into cellar storage an abundance of such sugar producing vegetables as beets, squashes, carrots, parsnips and the like one need not fear any injury to the health of the family from a lack of sugar if these are used freely, for they will convert themselves into the needed sweet and although they may not be quite so palatable as cake and candy will supply their place in the economy of the physical system.

221

Most winter vegetables need to be kept in cold storage, not in a warm, dry place; for this reason a furnace-heated cellar is not satisfactory, but an adjoining room that is connected by a door that can be opened to admit warm air in a severe spell of winter weather is desirable. For certain roots that are not injured by a low temperature, or even slight freezing, an earth cellar is satisfactory. A cellar of this sort usually admits of piling vegetables on the floor or in pens on the floor and throwing dirt over them to exclude the air and prevent evaporation, and as the vegetables are used the surplus earth can be thrown out on the floor and the labor of storing is much lessened, for it is no small task to carry heavy baskets of earth into the vegetable cellar and to remove it again in the spring. If a small room can be arranged adjoining the cellar proper and bins divided off around the sides and the earth allowed to remain from year to year the task of winter storage will be slight. Beets, carrots, turnips, cabbage, parsnips, salsify, celery, all these things belong in the earth cellar and apples,222 too, may be stored in baskets, barrels or boxes here and will not be injured by light freezing, as it is heat and dry atmosphere that most militate against the successful keeping of winter apples.

A few other vegetables call for dry, rather warm quarters, like the winter squash, onion, sweet and Irish potato, but good ventilation is indispensable for all. The chief merit of the root-cellar lies in the fact that it can be well ventilated, the windows being opened at times when it would be untenable to open them in rooms devoted to the storage of canned fruit and like perishable things. The windows in the vegetable cellar should not be permanently closed until severe winter weather, though they may be closed during storms and sharp falls of temperature. I have found that the losses from frost were less in direct proportion to the amount of fresh air admitted and in some mild winters the windows have remained open the entire time, the covering of earth being sufficient to preserve the vegetables in excellent shape until spring. Even when such things as are usually stored in the223 earth cellar are frozen stiff, they will be quite usable if thawed out in cold water. The water will draw the ice to the surface and it should be allowed to thaw, when the vegetables will be found entirely usable, but any vegetable that thaws out soft is beyond redemption and should at once be discarded. Also any vegetables found decaying in the cellar should at once be removed and the cause also removed. Usually it will be found that too much heat and too little fresh air are the trouble; opening a window will rectify both troubles.

POTATOES

Being our most important winter vegetables should be stored with great care. Practically their storage begins in the field when they are dug; they should be dug on a bright, dry day, preferably in the morning that the tubers should have time to dry off if at all damp, before being picked up and carried in. It will pay to sort in the field as they are gathered, throwing the culls—small potatoes and any that have been injured224 in digging—by themselves. These will be of value for feeding poultry, rabbits, goats and any stock on the place; they are excellent for horses, keeping the skin and coat in fine shape. Potatoes may lie on the ground in the sun long enough to dry off thoroughly, but not longer; left exposed to the light they will turn green and this discoloration is poisonous. They should be turned over once so that the under side of the potatoes may dry equally.
Garden
The advantage of having your garden near the home is clearly shown here

The best equipment for storing potatoes in the cellar consists of long bins divided into compartments that will hold from one to two bushels; these bins should have holes bored in the bottom for ventilation and they should be raised somewhat from the floor. Never store potatoes directly on the floor as this is the coldest part of the cellar and also the dampest; heat rises and cold falls so what heat there may be in the cellar will circulate beneath the bins and if, for any reason, it is necessary to supply artificial heat in the way of oil-stoves or lamps during a spell of zero225 weather the heat can get under the potatoes and raise the temperature in the bottom of the bins as well as on the top.

When the potatoes are in the bins they must be covered to exclude light and prevent their turning green. The potatoes should be examined occasionally during winter to be sure that none are decaying or being affected by frost. As a general thing potatoes are not frosted if the skin crackles when the finger nail is pressed into it, but slight touches of frost sometimes do not affect the crispness of the skin but is shown by the potatoes becoming wet after lying for a while in a warm room, or by a sweetish taste when cooked. At that stage they are not injured for food but are less palatable and are liable to develop a queer fungus blight in the center. As spring approaches the potatoes wi............