134 THE BOOK OF USEFUL PLANTS 



stalk, for the sap is poisonous and bitter. But out 

 of that unpromising weed has come by cultiva- 

 tion a vegetable that is as wholesome as it is 

 delicate in flavor and handsome in appearance. 

 It is universally popular with all classes of 

 people. 



Improvement in celery culture has produced 

 self-blanching varieties, and developed from a 

 winter vegetable varieties for all seasons. The old 

 method of growing celery in trenches has been 

 replaced by the easy method of growing it on the 

 garden level, and hilling up the rows, when the 

 time comes, to blanch the stems. From a special 

 crop, that only market gardeners could raise 

 successfully, celery has become a common crop, 

 in anybody's and everybody's garden, great or 

 small. 



Nearest to the wild celery, that grows in wet 

 ground near the sea, is the soup celery of European 

 cottage gardens, a many-stemmed, green plant 

 whose mild leaves lack the poisonous qualities 

 of the wild celery, and have the nutty flavor of 

 the blanched varieties. The leaves are cut as 

 needed, and minced like parsley to flavor soups and 

 salads. New leaves come on, so the plant is 

 productive for months. 



In England a red-stemmed celery is very popu- 



