376 The Principles of Vegetable -Gardening 



Late winter celery is ordinarily blanched in storage. 

 If it is thoroughly blanched before putting in storage, it 

 will not keep well. It is usually advisable, however, to 

 handle the crop at least once in the field in order to 

 induce a straight, upright growth and to begin the 

 blanching process. Thereafter the plants are set in 

 pits or sheds so close together that the blanching pro- 

 ceeds. 



Still a fourth system of blanching has been advocated 

 in the last few years in the system known as the "new 

 celery culture." This consists in growing the plants so 

 close that the light is excluded and the plants blanch 

 themselves. Plants are usually grown as close as 6 or 

 8 inches apart either way. It will be seen that this 

 system can be used only when the soil is very rich and 

 when there is a large supply of moisture. Under ordi- 

 nary conditions, it is not successful. Whenever the 

 water-table is close to the surface or when one can 

 practice irrigation, it may be considered. It is usually 

 successful in small home gardens where one can use a 

 hose. 



There are two or three methods of storing celery. 

 Storing in outside cellars or pits has already been 

 described on pages 229, 232. The early winter and mid- 

 winter celery, however, is usually stored in special celery 

 houses, which are permanent sheds with windows at 

 intervals along the roof, in order to supply light enough 

 for the workmen. Wooden chimneys are provided to 

 afford ventilation. These houses are sometimes provided 

 with heat by means of stoves, so that the temperature 

 does not fall much, if any, below the freezing point. 



