BLANCHING 99 



liable to become pithy or be attacked l^y diseases. 

 This is especially true during the earlier part of the 

 season while the weather is warm. At the close 

 of the season the boards should be promptly hauled 

 to some well-drained location and piled flat, in large 

 piles that are raised from the ground, with strips 

 inserted at every fourth or fifth course for ventila- 

 tion. The top courses should be laid roof fashion to 

 shed off all rain, and if cared for in this manner they 

 will last from lo to 15 years. In Florida, what is 

 known as "pecky" cypress, or cypress which has 

 the appearance of having been worm-eaten, is used 

 for blanching purposes. This class of lumber is 

 practically unfit for other purposes, but is as good 

 for blanching celery as sound lumber, and as it 

 comes from the heart of old trees it is very durable 

 when exposed to the weather. The prices of 

 ''pecky" cypress are very low as compared with 

 those of other lumber such as can be used for 

 blanching celery. 



Banking with Earth.— Banking with earth is the 

 only practical means of blanching celery on a large 

 scale in localities where lumber is too expensive, 

 and as a rule this method will give the best results 

 in home garden culture. (See frontispiece.) In the 

 North, banking with earth is especially desirable for 

 the handling of that portion of the crop wdiich can- 

 not be marketed before the first severe frosts. In 

 case of a freeze the boards offer but slight protec- 

 tion, while the celery that has the earth welf drawn 

 up to its tops will not be injured by a temperature 

 3° or 4° below freezing, if only for a short 



