138 



CELERY 



They are laid flat on the ground on either side of a row of celery, 

 with one edge close to the base of the celery plants, then raised 

 up and the top edges drawTi as close together as the presence of 

 the foliage will permit (Fig. 82). The boards on either side of 

 the row are held together at the top by a clasp of wire or a block 

 of wood tacked to the edges of the two boards. Ordinarily the 

 boards are not put in place until the celery is twelve or fourteen 

 inches high. Rows of celery to be blanched with boards may be 

 planted as close together as two and a half feet. 



The late crop is almost invariably banked with earth if it is 

 to be blanched in the field. In the case of the trench-grown celery 



Fig. S3. — Late celery banked with earth for blanching. 



the earthing-up process really begins with the filling of the trench 

 by cultivation. Subsequently the earth is banked up about the 

 plants the same as if they were planted on the level, the main 

 difference being that less earth is required to complete the process. 

 In either case, care must be taken to avoid getting dirt into the 

 " hearts " of the plants. For this reason the plants are usually 

 " handled " before being banked. The " handling " consists in 

 gathering the leaf stalks together in one hand, and drawing up 

 the earth and packing it about the plant with the other hand 

 until there is sufficient earth to hold the stalks in place. Earth 

 is then drawn up with a hoe until only the tops of the leaves are 



