Cultural Directions. — 221 



guarded from freezing; and in cold weather the boxes in which 

 the crop is taken to market, must be provided or lined with 

 matting, coarse cloth, etc. 



When speaking of cold frame management, I have already 

 alluded to celery as a crop grown for early marketing as " soup 

 celery," in same way as parsley is handled. During fall and 

 winter, the better outer leaves of the regular crop, and the plants 

 too small for market otherwise, are bunched and sold for soup 

 celery in the same manner. The thinnings from the seed-bed, 

 as well as tops shorn off to induce stockiness, are often similarly 

 utilized during summer. 



Storing for Market. — Celery intended for winter use or 

 winter market only requires handling, but no earthing up, since 

 it blanches perfectly, and with no extra labor, in winter store. 

 Necessary precautions that must be observed are to lift the plant 



Celery Bleachers. 



on dry days only, and never touch a frozen plant. If these rules 

 are violated, speedy decay will usually follow. The method of 

 winter storage in general use in the market gardens of New 

 Jersey and vicinity is as follows : 



On a well-drained spot a trench is dug as narrow as possible, 

 and deep enough that the tops of the plants standing in it will just 

 about reach to the level of the surface. The crop is then taken up, 

 the soil shaken off, and the plants placed perpendicularly, and 

 as closely crowded together as possible in the bottom of the 

 trench. Here they are left until there is danger of severe freez- 

 ing. Light frosts will do no hurt. The plants thus trenched in 

 early (middle or end of October) may be used directly from the 

 trenches, as wanted, during December. Except at the extreme 

 north, no covering will be needed for them until this time. Roots 

 trenched in during November, which will not be ready for use 



