A YEAR'S CYCLE IN THE GARDEN 197 



follows the hilling-up process. Boards are easy 

 to put in place and are cheaper than hilling with 

 dirt because they can be used continuously and 

 shifted from one part of the row to another. Take 

 two 12-inch boards, place them against the celery 

 and as close together as possible without cracking 

 the stalks, and drive a few stakes down into the 

 ground on the outside to keep the boards in position. 

 This will give a well-blanched heart. If you wish 

 to blanch the entire plant, have the side boards 

 come up high enough to support another board 

 across the top to exclude the light. When I do 

 this, however, I find that the outer stalks are invari- 

 ably tough and stringy, caused by the plants grow- 

 ing during warm weather. 



The Hilling Method. With late celery it is quite 

 different; the entire plant can be blanched and all 

 be of good quality. Hilling-up must be attended 

 to with regularity; moreover, it must be done 

 often and well, for more celery is ruined by poor, 

 indifferent hilling than by any other cause. The 

 idea in hilling celery is that the soil should be 

 kept drawn up to the plant as it grows, but none 

 must fall into the heart or between the stalks of 

 the celery. The first step is to take a digging 

 fork and loosen up the soil on each side of the row. 

 Then remove any suckers or shoots that appear 

 between the stalks, grasp the plant with one hand 

 and hold it tightly to keep the stalks close together. 

 This will prevent soil from getting in the heart 

 or between the stalks. Draw some soil up to the 

 plant and press it firmly against the stalks, using 



