THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 183 



unwashed celery. The tub should be about 30 

 inches wide, 42 to 48 inches long (big enough for 

 two washes), and 15 to 18 inches deep. It is neces- 

 sary to have 12 to 15 inches of water in the tub 

 so the sand and other dirt may settle to the bottom, 

 else your water is very quickly too dirty to use. 



" The water should be 90 to 100 degrees, or about 

 blood heat, to get best results. Dump a box of 

 celery in the tub with the butts toward you. Hold 

 the head to be washed in left hand about half out 

 of the water, and brush it down with a soft scrub 

 brush (one with bristles similar to a common shoe 

 brush is best), running the brush down to the 

 leaves each stroke. This keeps the brush fresh 

 and clean, and saves the necessity of dipping it ; 

 also brushes off the rotten particles which may be 

 clinging to the leaves. Turn head as in first dress- 

 ing, from right to left, so washed surface comes 

 up. Sometimes it is necessary to push out a stalk 

 from the head a little to get the dirt out from the 

 inside. Have a quarter or third-inch mesh, square 

 wire sieve at hand to dip out the leaves and float- 

 ing particles from tub after each box is washed. 



" Now comes the tying. The tyer must be care- 

 ful or everyone will not get equal value. I have 

 found three heads to the bunch the best method 

 for our trade. The reasons are, the retailer does 

 not have to cut bunches, and so sells three stalks 

 many times where one or two would go if sold 

 loose. Then, too, one can, by tying three in a bunch, 

 make bunches so nearly even in size that there is 

 little occasion to sort it over to get the biggest, 

 and so saves much breakage and loss to the 

 retailer," 



