

To grow the best flavored and most attractive looking celery banK it up with earth, but the earth must not get down into the heart of the plant or it will rot it 



clcselv together in a stiff, erect position. 

 Then advance your position slightly along 

 the row and treat the next plant in the same 

 way. 



In about a week or ten days, they wih 

 be ready for the next step. Run the culti- 

 vator or wheel-hoe along the row several 

 times as closely as possible without disturbing 

 the first banking, until there is a good supply 

 of fine, loose soil, which can be thrown 

 toward the row with the plow. As the 

 plants are held erect by the first banking, 

 the loose earth can be drawn up around the 

 stalks with a hoe until only the leaves show 

 above the earth. This banking must be 

 repeated at intervals as the plants increase 

 in height, and only when the earth is dry 

 enough to crumble easily under the hand 

 or rake, for if wet, sticky soil is used for 

 earthing, it will discolor or rot the stalks. 



When banking the celery, it is important 

 to see that the stalks in each bunch are 

 gathered closely together and that the loose 

 earth does not fall in between the stalks, 

 and consequently some little hand work 

 is required in gathering the stalks together 

 before drawing the earth to them; but if 

 the banking is done at frequent intervals 

 as the plants increase in growth, this may be 

 reduced to a minimum after the first 

 "handling." 



In October, when the plants have reached 



their full height, it is time for the final bank- 

 ing, and for this it is best to have a man or 

 boy stand astride the row, holding in his hands 

 two plants closely at the tops while you 

 shovel up the loose earth, leaving only the 

 tops of the leaves exposed. The operation 

 is most quickly performed by three workers, 

 one to gather the tops together and hold 

 them, moving backward along the row, and 

 one on each side of the row to shovel up the 

 loose earth and pack it in place with the 

 back of the shovel. The banking must be 

 made as high as the stalks and from four to 

 six inches wide at the top on each side of 

 the row, so as to retain its place during 

 heavy rains and to protect the stalks from 

 the first hard frosts. 



INSECTS AND DISEASES 



The only insect enemy of celery is a very 

 large green worm with gold or white spots 

 on his back, which feeds on the young stalks 

 and leaves. These are few in number and 

 can easily be dislodged with a small stick 

 and crushed with the foot. Do not handle 

 these worms, as the)- have the reputation, 

 possibly undeserved, of being poisonous to 

 handle, but at any rate they do emit a very 

 offensive odor. 



The chief difficulty to contend with is the 

 so-called blight, which attacks the foliage 

 when cool showers are succeeded by hot 



sunshine. Spraying frequently with a weak 

 solution of Bordeaux mixture is a preven- 

 tive (see the April, 1907, Garden Maga- 

 zine, pages 143, 146), but in my own work I 

 encourage the plants to make as strong a 

 growth as possible, put off earthing up, or 

 banking until young healthy growth starts 

 vigorously in the fall and pull off the affected 

 leaves and stalks. Some years ago, when 

 the celery blight was exceptionally bad, I had 

 under observation a European variety called 

 the Arrezio, which seemed to be practically 

 blight-proof, a quick grower and of good 

 quality for an early variety, but have not 

 since seen or heard anything of it. The 

 blight is most prevalent on, and does the 

 most damage to, the early, self-blanching 

 sorts. 



Another drawback in growing celery is 

 the trouble commonly known as hollow 

 stalks. From long observation I think this 

 is due to a checked or slow growth during 

 the hot summer months, for if you take up 

 a large plant of celery late in the fall and 

 cut through the stalks just above the roots, 

 it frequently happens that while the outer 

 stalks are hollow and thin-walled, the centre 

 stalks, which have grown more quickly 

 during cool weather, are crisp and solid. 

 My own idea is that the stalks which grow 

 during the summer have a comparatively 

 small amount of tissue, and when growth 



Early celery may be blanched easily by boards, stand them on edge close to Celery keeps best when stored in the ground outdoors. Protect the tops by a 

 the stalks and hold in position by a cleat of wood A- shaped roof and bank the whole with earth, leaves or strawy manure 



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