STORING CELERY FOR WINTER. 



;HEN cold weather comes celery 

 |\; should be removed to the cellar. 

 In case there is not room in the 

 cellar let a space be cleared and 

 levelled in the garden and boards set up 

 about it. The space between the boards 

 should be subdivided by other boards set 

 two feet apart. The bunches should then be 

 taken up with a spade, roots and all, and 

 all the dirt allowed to remain that will cling- 

 to the roots. Set the plants close together 

 in the space until they fill it compactly and 

 snugly, then cover with boards and over 

 that throw a pile of straw. Water occasion- 

 ally, but not by sprinkling over the tops of 

 the celery, as this will cause it to rot. Use 

 a tin spout or iron pipe an inch in diameter. 

 Set the lower end of the pipe among the 

 roots, place a funnel into the other end ana 

 then pour the water into it. This gives 

 abundant moisture to the roots and the tops 

 are kept dry. When boxes of celery are ex- 

 posed in the market for sale, it may be kept 

 fresh and moist by laying wet gunny sack on 

 the box. The plants absorb the water from 

 the wet cloth and yet do not become wet 

 enough to cause them to rot. It seems that 

 very few dealers and grocers know of this 

 simple plan, to keep their celery attractive 

 and crisp. 



If the celery is taken into the cellar, build 

 an inclosure as described for outdoors, de- 

 posit a layer of rich dirt within, set the 

 plants out just as if they were outdoors and 

 water occasionally as described above. 

 Celery put away in this manner will last all 

 winter and grow continually. It will be 

 white and tender until late in spring, and 

 even until early summer, and the last will be 

 found to be sweet and crisp. A good plan in 

 using celery for home consumption is to 



break off a single stalk at a time. Thus the 

 heart remains alive and new shoots will con- 

 stantly appear through the winter. A space 

 two yards square will be sufficient to supply 

 a family with celery all winter if this plan is 

 followed and care is used to prepare the 

 plants for continued growth. These out- 

 shoots are the daintiest and crispest sort 

 imaginable, and they will grow with remark- 

 able rapidity. 



In growing celery it is profitable to mulch 

 between the rows with course barnyard 

 manure. This is not so much for the pur- 

 pose of securing the fertilizing material, as 

 to secure a thick covering over the soil be- 

 tween the rows to prevent the escape of 

 moisture. Try this method of mulching 

 your celery rows, and do not be afraid of 

 getting the manure too thick. Do not let it 

 come in contact with the celery, but pack it 

 in compactly all over the space between the 

 rows. 



Celery set out as late as the middle of 

 August will grow to maturity before freezing 

 weather. Frost does not injure celery, in- 

 deed it seems to enliven it and cause it to 

 grow faster than before. It is suggested 

 that unless the plants are unusually stocky 

 when they are set out, they should be pinch- 

 ed off just above the heart. The leaves only 

 should be taken off the young plants. This 

 serves to concentrate the vigor of the plant 

 to the roots and heart as well as causing the 

 bunch to grow broader and thicker. Scores 

 of gardeners have made fortunes cultivating 

 celery for city markets, but methods involved 

 in producing it on so large a scale have to 

 do with special machinery and appliances 

 provided for the purpose. — Ajtieiicaii Agri- 

 culturist. 



