STORING CELERY IO9 



should be constructed of concrete or brick and the 

 roof made very tight to keep out frost. The roof 

 portion should also be ceiled to form a double con- 

 struction with air space between. Large doors 

 should be provided at both ends, and if so arranged 

 that a team of horses can be driven through the 

 work of unloading the celery will be greatly facili- 

 tated. The earth floor of the storage house should 

 have a covering consisting of 4 or 5 inches of loose 

 soil in which to pack the roots of the celery. It is 

 desirable to have the storehouse divided lengthwise 

 into beds 6 or 8 feet in width by means of six-inch 

 boards on edge, raised 3 or 4 inches from the soil 

 and fastened to stakes. These lines of raised boards 

 assist in holding the celery in an upright position 

 and increase the circulation of air through it. 



Methods of Handling Celery for Storing.— Where 

 any considerable quantity of celery is to be stored, 

 everything should be in readiness beforehand so 

 that the crop may be brought in quickly. In the 

 field the plants should be loosened as required so 

 that it "may be easily pulled up by hand; for any 

 quantity less than 4 or 5 acres of celery this work 

 can be done with spades, but on a larger scale a 

 machine for digging should be used. The digger 

 most commonly employed consists of a steel blade 

 5 or 6 inches in width, Yi inch thick, and sharpened 

 on one edge. The cutting blade should be turned 

 up at the ends, the width between the upturned ends 

 being about 18 or 20 inches. The blade is mounted 

 by means of an axle and two wheels, and must be 

 so arranged that its depth in the soil may be regu- 



