CELERY CULTURE 



39 



HARVESTING AND MARKETING 



The celery is dug with a spade, the dirt shaken from the roots, and 

 the outside leaves stripped off, leaving nothing but the blanched 

 stalks. The roots are then trimmed off with a knife, four-sided, and 

 to a blunt point. The celery is hauled to the bunching shanty, 

 where it is tied in flat bunches of three or four stalks, washed and 

 packed in crates. 



LATE PLANTS 



The seed for the second early and late varieties is sowed in the 

 ^eld as early in the spring as the ground can be worked. 



The soil is put in the best possible condition. The seed is then 

 sowed rather thickly in drills fourteen inches apart. Set the drill to 

 cover the seed very lightly. After the rough leaves appear, the plants 

 should be thinned out to stand one-quarter to one-half inch apart. 

 They are kept well cultivated and no weeds are allowed to grow. 

 When the plants are about half a foot high, they should be cut back a 

 couple of inches with a scythe in order to keep them stocky. 



THE LAST CROP AND ITS CARE 



Set in the field as soon as large enough, or as soon as the land is 

 available. The late celery usually follows an early crop, such as 

 spinach, peas, early beets, cabbage, etc. As much care is exercised in 

 preparing the soil for the late as for the early varieties. 



The plants are set six inches apart in the rows, and the rows are 

 three and one-half feet apart to allow room for banking up. 



The late varieties are worked in the same manner as the early 

 crop, until the latter part of September, when the handling process 

 begins. Before handling, a cultivator is run between the rows to 

 make the ground fine and loose. Another cultivator immediately 

 follows with the side shovels on, set to throw the dirt towards the 

 rows. The men then get on their knees between the rows, and, 

 holding up the leaves with one hand, with the other shove up a hand- 

 ful of dirt around the bottom of the plants to hold the leaves in an 

 upright position. 



Immediately after the handling, a Planet Jr. celery hiller is run 

 between the rows, and the dirt thrown up at least six inches high 

 around the plant. Later on we go through again with the hiller, 

 when the dirt is thrown up as high as possible. Nothing more is done 

 to the celery until trenching time. 



