CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 317 



until fall when the weather is cool. When the crop 

 is to be stored in temperatures high enough to encour- 

 age some growth, the crop will blanch in storage and 

 will keep better if not blanched at all in the field. 



Ridging may begin with the cooler fall weather. For- 

 merly all late celery was first "handled" before the 

 ground was plowed up to the rows. Many growers con- 

 tinue the practice, while others do all of the ridging with 

 special celery hillers. By "handling" is meant the press- 

 ing by hand of loose, moist soil about the base of each 

 plant to make the stalks stand erect. Tillage precedes 

 this operation, to provide plenty of fine soil. The hiller 

 (Figure 77) is used immediately after "handling" and 

 subsequently as the plants attain greater height. All of 

 the work of ridging in some of the muck plantations is 

 done with the hiller. Some of the successful growers in 

 muck soils bank, so as to avoid getting much soil next to 

 the bases of the plants, as the latter encourages rust. 

 This is largely a process of shading by banking the 

 earth as high as possible on both sides of the row. 

 Earthing is the most effective means of protecting the 

 crop from severe fall frosts. 



The early crop is nearly always blanched by means 

 of boards. It pays to secure sound lumber for this pur- 

 pose. Hemlock is in common use. "Pecky" cypress is 

 popular for blanching in the Florida fields. The boards 

 should be 12 inches wide, I inch thick and 12, 14 or 16 

 feet long. Ten-inch boards are preferable early in the 

 season before the plants have attained their full size. 

 Half-inch strips nailed across the ends and the middles 

 of the boards will help to prevent warping and splitting. 



The early crop should be ready to begin blanching 

 about the midcfle of July. Boards are placed on edge 

 close to the row on both sides and fastened together 

 with two or three 8-inch double hooks made from heavy 

 galvanized wire. By placing these hooks over the 



