Blanching Celery 375 



dressed on both sides. In the boarding system the 

 rows may be put simply far enough apart to allow of 

 good horse tillage, say from 2 to 3 feet. 



Blanching by earth usually gives a somewhat better 

 quality of celery; but this method of blanching is 

 expensive and it cannot be employed so well in mid- 

 summer, since the plants are more likely to rot at the 

 heart. Usually two or three "handlings" or bankings 

 are given. When the plants have spread so much as to 

 make a crown or head a foot or eighteen inches across, 

 the celery is " handled " by gathering the leaves in the 



Fig, 114. Celery hiller. Planet Jr. 



hand and holding them whilst earth is shoveled against 

 the plant so as to cover it two -thirds or more of its 

 height. In ten days or two weeks the "handling" is 

 repeated. In late years the banking of celery, particu- 

 larly in large areas, is done almost entirely by means 

 of celery plows, which are implements with very high 

 moldboards that throw a great quantity of earth against 

 the plant. Fig. 114. If celery is to be blanched by the 

 banking process, the rows are rarely less than 3% feet 

 apart, and if the tall -growing varieties are used, the 

 rows are often put at 4 feet. 



