CELERY. 



185 



late autumn use it is probably best to bleach the plants with 

 earth, as it also protects from frost and is much cheaper than 

 bleaching with boards when the first cost of the boards and 

 the handling of them is considered. In fact, almost all growers 

 use earth to bleach their late celer:^. 



Planting in Beds. — Some growers prefer to plant celery in 

 beds four feet wide and to have the plants set ten inches apart 

 each way in the beds; in which case a four foot path is left 



^ Fig-ure 94 — Celery grown in beds and earthed up to bleach. 



between the beds for convenience in cultivation and weeding. 

 In this way a very large amount of celery can be grown on a 

 very small piece of land. By putting boards up on both sides of 

 the paths, the plants will take on the upright form, so that 

 handling will be unnecessary. For late use the plants may be 

 taken directly from the bed to the cellar without banking, but it 

 vfill generally be found a good plan late in the fall to pack the 

 spaces between the plants with hay or fill them with earth from 

 the paths, as they will then be protected from frosts. If the 

 celery is to be blanched in the bed, this, of course, would be 

 necessary. To grow plants so close together successfully requires 

 the utmost care in the preparation of the land. It should be 

 covered with fine rich manure, preferably in the spring; the 

 plants also require tc be frequently and heavily watered, since 

 the land will be free of roots. 



