CELERY 249 



where it is to be stored may be thoroughly cooled off before 

 it is put in. 



The time required for blanching celery in the field will 

 depend upon whether it is growing rapidly or not. During 

 the first part of September, when it is making a rapid growth, 

 it will probably be fit to use in three weeks from the time 

 it is banked up; while later on, when the weather is cool and 

 the celery is growing slowly, four weeks will be found neces- 

 sary. The same conditions affect the blanching process 

 after storing. In an ordinary frost-proof cellar, it may 

 easily be blanched in three weeks by watering it and then 

 raising the temperature to fifty degrees. 



Celery seed is raised by wintering the roots and planting 

 them out in the spring, in much the same way that seed of 

 the carrot and other biennial plants is grown. Much of our 

 seed comes from France, especially the self-blanching varie- 

 ties. Th^ variety Boston Market is grown near Boston, 

 and some of the other kinds come from California. Fresh 

 seed is best to plant, but it may be kept for several years in 

 glass jars carefully sealed. Good seed is essential for success 

 in celery growing. 



Diseases. There are two diseases, rust and leaf blight, 

 that sometimes seriously injure celery, but they are not 

 commonly very troublesome. As a rule, celery growers do 

 not attempt to fight them, but select the healthiest varie- 

 ties and trust to good cultivation to enable the plants to 

 resist them. The diseases referred to are described as 

 follows : 



Leaf Blight (Septoria petroselini var. apii.). All parts 

 of the celery plant except the roots are liable to the attacks 

 of this fungous disease. Watery spots appear on the stems 

 and leaves, which soon show small black dots. This dis- 



