Storage of vegetables.*

Storage requirements for different vegetables vary widely. Some vegetables are easily kept. If the parsnip is merely left in the ground, oncoming spring will find it not only well preserved but actually improved in quality. On the other hand, the sweet potato and the squash are kept successfully only when the temperature is high and uniform and the humidity is low.

Certain fundamental principles apply to the storage of all sorts of vegetables under all conditions. The important factors to consider are temperature, moisture, and ventilation. A temperature that is too high favors decomposition; a temperature that is too low causes freezing, with the subsequent breaking down of vegetable tissue. A dry atmosphere causes fruits and vegetables to dry out and shrivel; while undue moisture, especially when combined with high temperature, favors the growth of destructive fungous and mold organisms. Ventilation is not only a means of regulating these conditions, but it is also important in itself in removing gaseous products that may be more or less injurious.

* Paul Work. Cornell Reading-Course for the Farm Home, Bull. 21.

Proper condition of the produce is essential for successful storage. Vegetables should be nearly mature when stored, but over-ripeness is to be avoided, as it favors early decay. Ripening processes continue, though slowly, after storage, and due allowances must be made for these in determining the maturity of the vegetable to be stored. Only the very finest specimens should be selected-those that are firm and of good size and shape. It is at injured spots that decay begins, and even bruises that can be found only by careful examination are serious; hence the necessity for the greatest care.

There are wide differences among varieties of vegetables in their adaptability to storage. In general, the late-maturing sorts are the most suitable.

Many methods of providing the conditions necessary for successful storage have been devised. The first place to suggest itself is the basement of house, barn, or outbuilding. The house cellar however, is likely to be too warm and dry, particularly if there is a furnace in it. It is likewise undesirable to have a large amount of vegetable matter beneath the dwelling. However, these objections may be overcome partly. Small quantities of fruits or vegetables may be stored in a corner of the cellar away from the furnace, and may be protected from drying out by moss or by soil, preferably of sandy type. If a large quantity is to be kept, a separate compartment may be boarded off by a double partition filled with some nonconductor of heat, such as dry sawdust. This compartment should be ceiled, and should be provided with ventilating openings or flues so that it may be quite independent of the remainder of the house. Vents should be arranged at both ceiling and floor. Since warm air rises and cold air falls, it is possible to control the temperature by means of these vents. While the weather remains warm in the fall, the flues are closed during the day and opened at night. When the weather becomes more severe, the plan is reversed, and the warmer air of midday is admitted.

Special cellars and pits for storage of vegetables may be constructed at small cost and are very satisfactory. A simple type is shown in Fig. 122. A pit 1 or 2 feet deep is dug in a well-drained spot, and a foundation wall of stakes and boards, or, better, of concrete, is built around it. On this wall, rafters are erected for the support of roof boards. The roof is covered with soil and sod, or with straw and a light covering of earth, or with manure. Such a pit will last several years, especially if a rot-resistant wood, as the so-called "pecky " cypress, is used. With the specific directions that are furnished by cement manufacturers, concrete work is within the range of any handy man, and a permanent concrete cave or pit may be built with little expense and trouble. No matter what the form of construction, one or two small ventilators should be provided at the top of the cave, and one at the bottom of the door. These should be arranged to open and close.

Fig. 122. - The storage trench.

Burying vegetables is one of the easiest, as well as one of the most successful, methods of storing them. It keeps them in good condition and involves no expense. One objection to this method is that it is often difficult or impossible to get at the vegetables at certain times during the winter. However, a considerable quantity may be taken out at one time and kept in the house cellar for a week or two. A site, preferably on sandy soil, well drained and well protected from surface wash, should be chosen. An oblong pit of the required size and about a foot deep should be made. The bottom of the pit should be lined with straw, and the vegetables carefully heaped on it. They should then be covered with a layer of leaves and straw for protection and to make their removal easier. Lastly, soil should be added to a depth from 4 to 8 inches. Wisps of straw may be set at intervals in the peak for ventilation. Great care must be taken early in the season not to cover the vegetables too closely, as speedy decay will result from heating and sweating. As the weather becomes severe, manure may be piled on to give additional protection.

When several vegetables are to be stored, or when they are to be removed at different times during the winter, it is well to make the pit very long and narrow. Earth partitions may then be built in as the work progresses. The different compartments may be marked with stakes. One compartment can be opened without disturbing the others.

The root crops require very simple treatment for storage. The tops should be removed, and the roots may be kept by any of the general methods described.

Cabbage also may be stored in any of the ways given. Heads should not be over-mature and should remain in the garden as long as there is no danger of severe freezing. They should be cut near the ground, with most of the leaves about them. When a quantity is to be stored, the trench may be made by throwing furrows on both sides and finishing with the shovel. The heads are then laid in order, perhaps two or three wide and two deep. The plow may be used to begin the covering, but the work should be completed by hand. If the heads are not mature at storing time, they should be lifted with the roots and placed in a trench, roots down, as close as they will stand. A little sand should be packed about the roots as the work goes on. In this way the heads will continue growth and become thoroughly solid. Danish Ball Head is best for winter storage under most New York conditions.

Celery should be lifted entire and set erect in trenches or pits with loose soil about the roots. In storing this crop, great care must be taken to avoid covering too heavily at first. Giant Pascal and Winter Queen are good sorts for winter use.

Squash requires a warm place for storage. A temperature of 50° F. or more is good. Shelves or bins in a house or a dry cellar are preferable to burying.