EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 337 



BLANCHING BY THE USE OP SOIL. 



The blanching of fall and winter celery is generally accomplished by 

 the use of soil. This method produces crops of the highest flavor and 

 for the extensive grower, is the most economical. The banking of celery 

 is generally done by the use of a plow" or celery ''hiller" which throws 

 the soil up in ridges against the plants. To prevent the soil from cover 

 ing the hearts of the plants, the rows are first cultivated and then a 

 small amount of soil is banked against the base of the plants by hand 

 to straighten up the stalks and hold them together. This practice, 

 which is called "handling," leaves the plants ready to be banked by the 



Fig. 11. — Plants almost ready for cutting. Note interplanted crop. 



plow or "hiller" and as the crop continues its growth, the ''hiller" is 

 used to keep the soil thrown up about the plants. 



MARKETING. 



The marketing of the celery crop starts in this state about the first 

 of July and continues more or less steadily until mid-winter. The 

 harvesting season of the various celery districts in Michigan come at 

 such times that one district does not enter into serious competition 

 with another in the general markets. The Kalamazoo, Muskegon and 

 Grand Haven districts, for example, grow early celery, starting their 

 marketing about the first of July and continue until some time in Oc- 

 tober. Even these sections hardly compete with each other as the Grand 

 Haven and Muskegon crops are shipped across the lake to Chicago or 

 Milwaukee, while the Kalamazoo crop is sold largely in other cities, 

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