208 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



Marketing. Celery is shipped in crates, 22x24 in. base, which 

 holds six to eight dozen of celery, according to size. An average 

 crate will weigh about 145 pounds, and 160 crates make an average 

 carload. Some eastern dealers prefer the celery shipped in bulk 

 or on decks built in the car. This is a much cheaper way to ship, 

 and is claimed by some to be just as safe. In shipping in this way, 

 three decks are built in the car, and the celery is tied in bunches 

 of one dozen each and stood upright with roots resting on the decks. 

 By this method three or four hundred dozen more celery can be 

 packed in a car. Celery is shipped to all the principal cities of the 

 United States and Canada, and carries successfully. The marketing 

 of the crop is largely done by associations of growers. 



The Yield. The estimated product in Orange county in 1911 

 was a value of $500,000 from 2,000 acres, or $250 per acre gross. 

 An estimated yield per acre is about 1,200 dozen bunches. In 1912 

 in Orange county, 1,230,830 dozen bunches filled 155,439 crates, 

 which were shipped in 910 carloads. The average cost of growing 

 the crop is placed at $60 per acre. 



Varieties. Formerly the White Plume was the chief variety 

 grown for shipment, but it is now chiefly used where an early crop 

 is particularly desired. The Golden Self-blanching is now chiefly 

 grown, especially in the Orange county district. It will be well for 

 home growers to try also some of the higher quality varieties offered 

 by the seedsmen when they are ready to take particular pains to 

 grow them well. 



Celery Blight. Occasionally atmospheric conditions favor the 

 growth of a leaf fungus known as celery blight, and great losses 

 have resulted in some years. Recent experience shows that the 

 blight is subject to control by spraying the plants with the Bordeaux 

 mixture as soon as signs of the incroachment of the disease appear, 

 or when weather conditions indicate the danger to be imminent. 

 Special publications on this subject can be had from the University 

 Experiment Station at Berkeley. 



CELERIAC. 



The turnip-rooted celery is very desirable for cooking and 

 salad purposes. It -is grown in nearly the same way as ordinary 

 celery except that it is allowed to make free top growth without 

 blanching, as the root is the edible part. The Large or Giant Smooth 

 Prague is the variety chiefly grown. 



