A B C OF FLORIDA TRUCKING 65 



the tops of the celer}'. It will require about ten days or 

 two weeks to blanch it perfectly. 



PACKING AND SHIPPING. 



In cutting the celery leave some roots on the stalk, as 

 this will make it keep better. Remove all the brown or 

 spotted leaves. Ship in celery crates, packing in layers, put- 

 ting all the butts at one end. Grade the celery very closely. 

 Four to six dozen stalks to the crate is considered fancy, 

 and will bring the highest price; six to eight dozen is classed 

 as choice. When celery is not bringing extra good prices, 

 ship only the choice and fancy sizes ; but if it is scarce and 

 wanted badly, also ship the smaller sizes. Always mark on 

 the crate the number of dozen stalks it contains. There are 

 two styles of crates on the market. They are known as the 

 Sanford and the Manatee. I prefer the Manatee, as it only 

 contains a few more stalks than the Sanford crate, but has 

 the appearance of holding several dozen more. It seems 

 to be more popular with both commission merchant and the 

 retailer. 



DISEASES. 



The greatest enemy of the celery crop is blight ; therefore 

 you should use every possible means to try and prevent it. 

 Spray the crop with Bordeaux mixture from the time the 

 plants are pricked out, until it is ready to board. If you 

 fmd the young plants damping off badly in the seed bed 

 dust them with powdered sulphur. If black heart or, as it is 

 sometimes called, black rot, attacks the celery, the only rem- 

 cdv is to try and get the crop shipped before it can spread ; 

 but do not ship any diseased stock, for it will rot before 

 reaching the market. 



