136 MUCK CROPS 



Blanching. Early celery may be blanched 

 in several ways. Three will be given. The 

 most common method seems to be blanching 

 with boards. Boards 12 inches high are 

 generally used. The boards are placed along 

 each side of the row, the outside leaves of 

 the plants being lifted so that they are raised 

 towards the sunlight. The tops of the 

 boards are generally 3 or 4 inches apart, the 

 bottoms of the boards being slightly further 

 separated. The boards are held together 

 with stakes on the outside or with clamps 

 of wire across the top. They may be en- 

 tirely held by the stakes outside. 



If the rows are 18 inches apart, the plants 

 4 inches apart in the row, it will require 

 58,000 square feet of lumber to blanch an 

 acre. If the rows are 2 feet apart, plants 4 

 inches apart in the row, the lumber required 

 is 43,500 square feet; rows 3 feet apart, 

 plants 4 inches apart in the row, lumber re- 

 quired, 29,000; and 4 feet apart, 4 inches 

 apart in the row, 21,750 square feet. 



Paper is sometimes substituted for boards. 

 A very good sort of paper is now being made 

 for this particular work. It is somewhat 

 similar to the ordinary roofing paper. The 

 sizes range from 6 inches to 12 inches in 



