322 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



Home gardeners often protect the crop in the winter 

 where it was grown by ridging the soil until the tops are 

 nearly covered. Corn stalks or other coarse litter is then 

 placed over the row and held in place with boards or 

 earth. As the weather gets colder, coarse manure is 

 added to the depth of 4 or 5 inches, covering the entire 

 ridge. By this method the celery is kept fresh and crisp, 

 but taking it out during the winter is rather inconvenient. 



Other home gardeners store in cellars. The plan is 

 successful in the absence of furnaces and heating pipes, 

 for the room must be kept cool and moist. The plants 

 are simply. set close together with some soil about the 

 roots and watered if necessary. Boards may be set up 

 along the sides of the bedded plants to hold them in 

 place and to protect them from light. Under favorable 

 conditions there will be some growth and the plants will 

 continue to blanch. 



In certain sections market gardeners ridge as high as 

 possible, place a line of hay or straw over the tops, cover 

 with a strip of oiled paper made for the purpose and then 

 cover the paper with more hay. This plan is particularly 

 desirable in sections where the weather is not very severe. 



Hotbeds and cold frames are very satisfactory. They 

 may be dug to a greater depth if necessary, or an addi- 

 tional frame may be placed on the permanent frame to 

 secure the required depth. The plants are set nearly as 

 close together as possible, and the frame covered with 

 boards lapped to shed rain. In severe climates, sash 

 should be used, when straw or rye-straw mats may be 

 placed on the sash and covered with lapped boards. The 

 sash can be blocked up on warm days to secure the 

 needed ventilation. This is a highly satisfactory method 

 for all sections. 



Trenching has long been a popular method for storing 

 this crop. A trench 10 or 12 inches deep is dug in the 

 garden or the field where the crop is grown. It should 



