From FETEIR MEHBEIRSOM 



CO.. 



17 



The Ball Celery Bleaching Tubes* 



JUST THE THING FOR QUICKLY AND EASILY 

 BLANCHING EARLY CELERY. 

 ELIMINATES THE LABOR OF "BANKING UP" OR BUY- 

 ING, HUNTING UP AND PLACING BOARDS, JUST SLIP 

 ON A "BIEACHING TUBE" AND IN 10 TO 15 DAYS HAVE 

 WHITE CRISP LUCIOUS CELERY. 



The Ball Celery Bleaching Tubes are of specially manu- 

 factured heavy paper, waterproofed and with care may be 

 used over and over again for several years. The celery plant 

 is simply drawn together and 

 the tube slipped over it (if the 

 Spring Brass Celery Handler 

 is also used it facilitates the 

 operation) all light is then ex- 

 cluded and the celery blanches 

 beautifully in from 10 to 15 

 days time. If there are any 

 openings beneath the tube, an 

 inch or two of soil drawn 

 around the tubes will shut 

 out the light. _ Celery 

 blanched with tubes is sweeter 

 and cleaner than that blanched 

 by banking, for there is no 

 earthy flavor as with the 

 latter, and no soil with the 

 frequent accompaniment of 

 worms gets down into the 

 heart stems, and besides 



celery may be had for the table very much earlier in the fall, because by using 

 tubes they may be placed over the plants at any time after the celery is large 

 enough, even in hot moist weather which would cause banked celery to rot. 

 The free circulation of air around the plant inside the tube allows it to dry 

 out quickly after a rain. Customers who use these tubes place a few for first 

 early, say — 12 or 25 tubes over as many plants and in a week or 10 days later 

 tube another lot of plants, then as the tubes are removed from the first lot 

 they are placed over other celery plants in this way a continuous supply of 

 fresh crisp sweet and delicious celery is always ready for the table until 

 freezing weather. For the benefit of those who have used only the soil method 

 of bleaching we mention that celery should be nearly full-grown before putting 

 on our bleaching tubes. At this time, with plenty of moisture, heart growth is 

 very rapid. Under these conditions celery will often be in prime condition in 

 from 8 to 14 days after putting on the tubes. 



These bleaching tubes are generally used on early celery in the Northern 

 and Middle States, also in the South where the temperatures are too high for 

 soil bleaching. For best results they should not be used for bleaching when 

 freezing temperatures occur at night. They bleach best when outside tem- 

 perature is from 50 to 75 or more degrees. If you desire to bleach the green 

 or late varieties of celery it is best to put on the bleachers a week or more earlier 

 so as to give a longer period for the growing of the heart, as the outside stalks 

 don't bleach very well. All plants should, of course, be large enough to 

 reach above the top of bleaching tubes at the time that you put them on. 



Green celery treated in this manner makes a superior product. For the late 

 or winter crops where a clean and superior celery is desired these bleachers 

 can be put on just before banking with soil; they will prevent dirt from enter- 

 ing the heart of the plant. When used in this manner the bleachers can be 

 only used once, but the superior results — sanitary cleanliness and freedom 

 from dirt, more than compensate the cost, especially for private use. 



The 6 X 12 size is usually used on medium or average size celery. The 6i 

 X 13 for large stalks. The 7 x 14 is best for very big celery, especially the 

 green varieties, which usually grow much larger than the self-blanching kinds. 



The bleachers should hug the celery close, but not tight. If an unusually 

 large plant is encountered trim off a few leaves. 



PRICE OF THE BALL CELERY BLEACHING TUBES. 



6 X 12 inch 30c. doz; J1.75 per 100, 116.00 per 1000 

 6i X 13 " 35c. " 2.00 " 18.00 " 



7 X 14 " 40c. " 2.50 " 20.00 " " 



(mail weight about 2 lbs. per doz.) 



THE BALL CELERY BLANCHING TUBES 



THE BALL LIGHTNING CELERY HANDLER. 



When putting on the paper bleaching tubes, it facilitates the operation 

 by using the Ball Lightning Celery Handler. This is a spring brass imple- 

 ment which gathers up the foliage so that the bleaching tubes can be placed 

 without damage to the plant. This operation is demonstrated in picture. 

 With a little practice a boy can place 3000 to 4000 tubes a day. Price, #3.50, 

 (mail weight 3 lbs.) 



gJJ^£) NEXTIISTG TO PROTECT FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC. 



What is more exasperating than to anticipate a liberal picking of some fruit 

 to find when you reach the garden that your bird neighbors have been there 

 before you and consumed or destroyed the ripest and choicest berries, grapes or 

 cherries of which some birds are voraciously fond. Lettuce and peas are often 

 ravaged by birds, even flowers are not immune from their attacks and they revel 

 among sorne plants ripening seeds. All this may be obviated by shutting the 

 birds out with laird netting. This is good quality cotton netting of 1 inch mesh 

 and comes in 20 foot and 30 foot widths and of any reasonable length. Price, 

 Sl.lO per 100 square feet P.P. 1 lb. 



THE BALL PLANT PROTECTORS. 



These protectors are well made, a wood frame work covered with good 

 white muslin which is drawn to a knob at the top to be used as a handle. 

 The uprights project below the bottom bow and thrust in to the ground act- 

 ing as an anchor to prevent the protectors from being displaced by the wind. 

 These projecting legs also permit the protectors to be raised and held slightly 

 above the ground when greater ventilation is desirable. The protectors are 

 so shaped that they nest one in to another like flower pots for storage and 

 shipment. They will last for years with good care and may be used over and 

 over again for advancing the growth of tender plants and protecting them 

 from frosts. Tomatoes, melons, cucumbers egg plants, peppers and many 

 other garden vegetables and flowering plants, may be safely set out much 

 earlier than usual by using the Ball Plant Protectors which will also be found 

 useful for shading lettuce and spinach during hot weather — which without 

 some shade are apt to quickly bolt to seed. These protectors are also valuable 

 placed over newly set out plants, preventing them from wilting as they give 

 just the right shade. 



Price, No. 1— 9 in. diam. x 12 in. high S2.S0 doz.; $18.00 per 100 



M„ Q io " " vis " " ?.X)n " 5>2.on " 



No. 2—12 



X 15 



