706 



CELERY 



CELERY 



used, every fifth row to be planted in celery and later- 

 maturing varieties of radishes in the four rows between. 

 Frequent tillage is necessary for the best results 

 with celery. As it is a shallow-rooted plant, tools that 

 run at considerable depth should be avoided. For 

 horse tillage, there is nothing superior to the spike- 

 tooth cultivator in general use. If the plants are small, 

 great care should be exercised to avoid throwing dirt 

 on top of the hearts. If the ground contains many 



862. Water-holding celery crate. 



weeds, more or less hand work will be required between 

 the plants in the rows. 



The mulching of soils with horse-manure has been 

 a very popular and profitable practice in recent years. 

 It has been shown in the laboratory as well as in field 

 practice that a fine mulch of 3 or 4 inches of horse- 

 manure conserves moisture more perfectly than the 

 most thorough tillage. The mulching of celery in the 

 field not only conserves moisture but it reduces the 

 labor of tillage and also furnishes nourishment to the 

 plants. The rains carry liquid food to the roots and a 

 more rapid growth invariably follows. Considerable 

 hand labor is required, of course, to place the manure 

 between the rows, but this is probably no greater than 

 the labor needed to till the crop when a mulch is not 

 used. It is customary to use fresh horse-manure, 

 which has been aerated in thin layers for a few days 

 before making application. The ground is completely 

 covered, although the manure is not allowed to touch 

 the plants. The mulch may be applied immediately 

 after planting or, as some prefer, the plants may be 

 tilled for ten days or two weeks and the mulch then 

 applied. Very few weeds will appear if 3 or 4 inches 

 of horse-manure is used. 



Irrigation makes the crop more certain, and it is also 

 a means of securing larger and more vigorous growth 

 and consequently better quality. Most of the inten- 

 sive growers of the East are prepared to irrigate. Va- 

 rious methods are employed. Some who cultivate very 

 small areas use the hose or other sprinkling device. 

 The method that is now in most common use is the 

 overhead system of irrigation, providing for parallel 

 pipe lines about 50 feet apart (see Irrigation). These 

 are turned at will by means of levers at the ends and 

 the water is thrown out at any desired angle through 

 small nipples placed about 4 feet apart on the lines. 

 It is important to do the watering if possible in the 

 evening or at night so that the foliage may be as dry 

 as possible during the day. It is also important to 

 make thorough applications, as it is not advisable to 

 water more frequently than absolutely necessary. 



Blanching. 



All American markets demand celery with creamy 

 white stalks. This light color is secured by causing the 

 plants to grow with the stalks in the dark, or nearly 

 so, which prevents the development of chlorophyl. 

 When boards, earth, paper, tile or other means are 

 used, most of the leaves are not covered, and growth 

 is not hindered in the least. 



Green varieties are blanched almost exclusively 

 by the use of earth. There should be no ridging until 

 the weather is cool and, therefore, this operation is 



not usually undertaken until early in September at 

 the North. At first the ridging should be only a few 

 inches high, but later should extend to the full height 

 of the stems. Finally, the rows are ridged so that only 

 the tops protrude above the ridges, as shown in Fig. 

 861. Special tools are available for this operation and 

 the work may be done very rapidly. 



The early crop is blanched mostly by means of boards, 

 although paper (Fig. 860) and other devices are some- 

 times used. Hemlock, pine and cypress lumber are 

 used for this purpose in various parts of the country. 

 The boards need not be more than 10 inches wide, 

 although 12-inch boards are commonly used. They 

 may be of any convenient length, say 14 to 16 feet long. 

 To prevent warping and splitting, cleats about 3 

 inches wide and J^inch thick should be nailed at each 

 end and in the middle of the boards. The boards are 

 placed on edge, one on each side of the row and brought 

 as close together as convenient at the upper edge and 

 secured by means of wire hooks. Sometimes stakes are 

 driven at the sides, although wire hooks are more 

 convenient. The hooks should be 6 or 7 inches long 

 and may be made of heavy fence wire. From ten days 

 to two weeks is required for proper blanching with 

 boards. As the crop is sold, the boards are shifted from 

 place to place so that they may be used several times 

 during the season. When not in use, the boards should 

 be stored under cover or stacked in piles with strips 

 between them. With good care, boards that are sound 

 when purchased will last fifteen years. 



Harvesting and marketing. 



The harvesting of the celery crop when grown in 

 coldframes usually occurs in the month, of July. 

 If the climate is not too severe, it is possible to have 

 celery ready for market the latter part of June. The 

 late crop, which is produced without the use of boards, 

 is not usually ready for market until August. It is 

 lifted with forks or perhaps cut with a sharp knife just 

 beneath the surface and conveyed to the packing- 

 house where it is prepared for market. In some sec- 

 tions the roots are not trimmed at all, the plants being 

 tied in bunches of a dozen and packed in a standard 

 crate such as is shown in Fig. 862. These crates are 

 24 by 24 inches at the base, and contain six to sixteen 

 dozen plants, depending on the size of the celery. The 

 height of the crate may be varied to suit the height of 

 the celery. Another form of celery crate is shown in 

 Fig. 863. In some regions, the roots are trimmed into 

 tapering cubes as shown in 

 Fig. 864. A very convenient 

 method of bunching is to 

 place three plants side by 

 side, tapering the roots as 

 indicated, tying the taper- ... 

 ing roots tightly and then 

 securing the tops. Formerly 

 twine was used almost en- 

 tirely for bunching, while 

 in recent years many grow- 

 ers have found it desirable 

 to use either blue or red 

 tape, which gives the celery 

 a more attractive appear- 

 ance on the market. Michi- 

 gan growers and other pro- 

 iucers of celery in the Great 



863. Celery crate. 



Lake district use small crates of very thin lumber. 

 These vary in size and range about as follows: 6 by 12 

 by 24 inches; 6 by 16 by 24 inches; 2 by 20 by 24 

 inches; 6 by 26 by 24 inches and 6 by 30 by 24 

 inches. The number of bunches in the crates depends 

 on the size of the celery and of the crate, but varies 

 from four to twenty-four dozen. For local markets, the 

 plants may be tied in bunches of the most popular size 

 and packed in any crate of convenient form and size. 



