270 



CELERY 



self-blanching ana beautiful, and it has been claimed 

 that this variety surpasses all others as a table decora- 

 tion. Leaf-stalk below the lower pair of leaflets 8 to 10 

 inches long, 1 to 2 inches in circumference, light green, 

 becoming pure white when blanched, ridges 9, fibrovas- 

 cular bundles 13 imbedded in green cells, leaflets large, 

 borne on slender divisions of the mam stalk, turning 

 light colored and sometimes nearlj' pure white when the 



399. Celery plant trimmed 



plants approach maturity. This variety often requires 

 artificial ripening to reduce the strong flavor, in addition 

 to what is necessary to whiten the stalks. 



The Pink Plume is a nearly related variety, having 

 reddish stalks but is hardly equal to the preceding kind. 



Boston Marlu't. — An old variety, that has been grown 

 in the vicinity of Boston since about 1850. Plants low and 

 spreading, very dark green and glossy, forming numer- 

 ous secondary crowns, leaf-stalks short and stout, ridges 

 9 or 11 , with shallow furrows between them , flbrovascular 

 bundles 13 or 15, imbedded in green cells; leaHets thick, 

 rounded in outline, deeply i-l'ti . n i h nm -IimIIow, each 



terminating in a whitish pni 11 1 ii i i nstriction 



where the lower pair of lealji ! i. ! ii'' stalk, and 



the stalk is lighter colored lirn i hm . I i ,\ here; above 

 this puiiit the eeiitral stalk tupers i-a|iiilly to the end. 



Tlie Iviily Arlington celery is a sub-variety of the 



JI, 



tioii of the self-blanching va 

 the background with the (;<■!. l.n 

 .Solid, Schumacher, Perle le ImmihI 

 iJose.— A tall, red variety, b.-inr 

 kind of this class. It was intr."li 

 Henderson, but it never has been < 



-A popular kind before the introduc- 



liaii any other 

 is.si; by Peter 

 ely grown for 



market. Leaf-stalk red or purplish, 10 to 15 inches 

 long, 1% to 2 inches in circumference, ridges 9, flbro- 

 vascular bundles VA; leaflets dull green, thin, and the 

 edges inclined to imn ui. ,:im1; ihe whole plant tall, 

 slender and rather 1 1 ' li. The young stalks 

 retain the red C"1mi ■• : . : .i. and are exception- 

 ally attractive in .■i|i|" m; (.r,i p.aiid have the nutty 



flavor that is so hi^,'hl.^ |M]/A-a m elioice celery. It was 

 formerly supposed that the red varieties of celery kept 

 better than the others, but the supposition does not seem 

 to be well founded. 



Other varieties of this class are the Crimson Bouquet, 

 Pink Aromatic, and Convent Garden Rose. 



(Jl'i,<! r ..', Tliis variety is peculiarly adapted to 



thepr.i! , ,, .! , ! I v^e amount of edible matter. The 

 stalks ;. I i. : :.~t size, tender, and never pungent, 



even In i..i. II i'lanched ; grown both in private 



gardens aii.i i.a iii.uket. Leaf-Stalks very large, long 

 and thick, geiierully with 12 flattened ridges and 16 

 flbrovascular bundles; leaflets dark green, thick, deeply 

 cleft and coarsely serrate. Plants with full centers and 

 usually without secondary crowns. 



Although the variety is much, the value and appear- 

 ance of the plant depend much upon the growing. There 

 are different ideals in different parts of the country. 

 In the west, a plant of the type of Fig. 402 is wanted. 

 About Boston, a broad-based and thick-set plant (ob- 

 tained by much transplanting and less crowding) is 

 demanded (Fig. 403). 



Fertilizers.— Celery rarely makes satisfactory growth 

 on land of ordinary fertility; it is a crop that must have 

 liberal treatment to yield good returns. Organic ferti- 

 lizers rich in nitrogen are mainly used, although gener- 

 ally in market-gardens these are supplemented with pot- 

 ash and other salts. It is customary to apply the organic 

 fertilizers in a decomposed condition and plow them in 

 before the plants are set. Later, when the plants are 

 about half grown, some commercial fertilizer is scattered 

 along the rows before each hoeing. It is important that 

 the fertilizers used should not make the land too porous. 

 They should increase its capacity for holding moisture, 

 and not hasten evaporation. When coarse, light manures 

 must be used for this crop, it is better to place them on 

 the surface as a mulch than to plow thera in. 



Diseases. -Of diseases, there are two or three serious 

 blights or rusts, but there are no widespread and serious 

 insect depredators. (See Duggar, Bull. 132, Cornell 

 Exp. Sta., and reports from stations in Conn., N. Y. 

 (state), N. J., Dept. Agric, etc.) The best general 

 treatment is to start with healthy seed on land which 

 has not bred the disease, and then spray early and fre- 

 quently with Bordeaux mixture, or other fungicide. 

 The treatment should all be done early in the life of 

 the crop. 



Stoking. -If celery is to be kept for winter use, it 

 must be cool and moist. It is usually set out again, so 

 that the roots take sufiicient hold upon the eaith to pre 

 vent the plant from wilting Foi home use the plants 

 may be set in an old shoe case, in which there aie a few 

 inches of earth in the bottom the top tf the b \ being 

 left uncovered. If the box is a It tl 1 ight of 

 the Celery, holes should be m i 1 ii tl il t the box 

 to admit of ventilation The 1 \ i t I k 1 1 in a 

 cool cellar. Taking simil' 

 stored in barrels in 

 the cellar. For mar- 

 ket. Celery may be 

 set in trenches, as 

 shown in Fig. 397. 

 Two boards are then 

 leaned over the 

 plants, to form a ga 

 ble roof; and as cold 

 weather approaches, 

 straw is thrown on 

 top. In large celery 

 areas, however, the 

 crop is now stored in 

 sheds or cellars made 

 for the purpose. In 

 these sheds, the cel- 

 ery is planted out, 

 and the temperature 

 is kept above hard 

 frost. Full discussion of thii 

 under Storing. , ^, , . 



For further information, see Greiner s "Celery for 

 Profit"; Vaughan's "Celery Manual"; Van Bochove's 

 "Kalamazoo Celery"; HoUister's "Livingston's Celery 

 Book." L. F. Kinney. 



CoMMEBPiAL Celery Culture. -The increasing de- 

 mand for this delicious vegetable has interested both the 

 gardener and farmer in studying its needs. They have 



400. Celery c 



be found 



