2 BULLETIN 579, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
clising value of the crop is much greater than the farm value given in 
the above figures. With better methods of storage the value would be 
still further increased. 
To hold celery in cold-storage warehouses is a comparatively new 
undertaking, and for this reason very little definite information is 
available on the subject. Storing celery in pits in the field and in 
common storages of the cellar type has been practiced for a long time, 
but these methods are not satisfactory because the temperature and 
moisture conditions can not be controlled. 
During some seasons celery banked in the field keeps in good con- 
dition for several months, while during other seasons the crop decays 
in a short time. When the weather is warm and moist during the 
storage period, celery in banks or pits usually decays. Sometimes the 
crop is considerably injured by freezing. Even if celery could be 
stored in pits in the field with very little loss, the method would not 
be entirely satisfactory, because conditions are not always favorable 
for its removal when wanted for market. The greatest market de- 
mand often occurs during a rainy period or during very cold weather 
when it is difficult to remove celery from banks or pits. 
As celery is quite perishable, often decaying in a very short time, 
most storage-house managers prefer to handle other products. For 
this reason it is becoming very difficult for celery growers and dealers 
to secure storage space for their product. If it could be shown that 
celery which reaches the storage house in good condition can be 
held in a satisfactory condition under refrigeration for a period of 
three months or more, there would be less difficulty in securing storage 
space for celery. It is believed that the data presented in this bul- 
letin prove that celery can be held in good condition for that length 
of time. In every instance where the celery showed considerable 
decay under three months the conditions in the storage room were 
not good. In most cases, however, the experimental lots of celery 
kept in good- condition until the room was nearly empty, when the 
room temperature for a few days was not properly regulated. It 
should be added, however, that celery which reaches the storage house 
very badly diseased or in a heated condition will not keep as long as 
that which reaches the house in good condition. The management 
should not be held responsible for loss due to poor methods of han- 
dling before the celery reaches the storage house. 
A clear knowledge of the factors which cause or hasten the decay 
of celery in storage and the methods that can be employed to lessen 
this loss is essential to successful celery storage. As has been 
stated, if storage-house managers know that celery which reaches 
the storage house in good condition can be held for a period of 
three months with very little loss, they will more readily accept 
