126 A HOME VEGETABLE-GARDEN 



turity, use water sparingly. Use none at all for 

 several days before blanching. 



If the plants are kept growing vigorously, lit- 

 tle attention will be needed to protect garden cel- 

 ery from insects or disease. When large fields are 

 grown for the market, fighting disease is often 

 serious; and sometimes insect pests make havoc 

 with the crop. In the home garden, however, a 

 little attention at the proper time will be all that 

 is necessary. 



When celery plants are full grown, they must 

 be blanched before they are ready for the table. 

 Blanching is simply depriving them of their color 

 and preventing any further color formation, al- 

 lowing growth to proceed in the dark. There are 

 several methods suited to the season and the con- 

 venience of the gardener. To get early celery 

 ready for the table, only ten to twenty days 

 are required in warm growing weather. Do not 

 blanch too much at once, because the process it- 

 self injures the keeping quality. Be sure the 

 plants are dry before they are touched, lest the 

 hearts should rot. Choose a cool clear bright day. 

 At first, a few plants may be tied up in paper to 

 shut out the light. To carry out this simple plan, 

 only ordinary wrapping paper and some twine 

 are needed. Get the gardener's handy paper twine. 

 Run the end through a crochet bag or a little pail 

 hung over the arm. Begin the wrapping of the 

 first plants when they are nearly a foot high. 



