CELERY 245 



necessary for the self-blanching kinds. The land should 

 be thoroughly cultivated and a furrow turned towards the 

 plants on each side of the row before the handling process 

 is begun, so there may be plenty of loose earth to work with. 

 Blanching with Earth, or * 'Banking." If the celery is 

 intended for marketing previous to the first of December, it 

 should be banked up or otherwise blanched in the field. 

 Banking up is done immediately after "handling." It con- 

 sists in plowing earth against the celery to begin with and 

 then finishing it off with a shovel or wide hoe until the earth 



Fig. 104. Celery banked up for blanching. 



is banked up to the full height of the celery. This had 

 better be done in several operations as the plants grow and 

 need it. 



Blanching with Boards. Celery that is to be marketed 

 early should be blanched with boards, because if "banked" 

 with earth it is more liable to become diseased. Boards 

 ten inches wide are the best, but narrower boards may be 

 used nearly as well, providing the earth is first drawn 

 towards the plants for them to rest on. The plants are 

 generally handled before the boards are put on, but this is 

 not absolutely necessary, although desirable. A board 

 should be put upon each side of the row quite close to the 



