CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 
317 
until fall when the weather is cool. When the crop is 
to he stored in temperatures high enough to encourage 
some growth, the crop will blanch in storage and will 
keep better if not blanched at all in the held. 
Ridging may begin with the cooler fall weather. For- 
merly all late celery was first “handled” before the 
ground was plowed up to the rows. Many growers con- 
tinue the practice, while others do all of the ridging with 
special celery billers. By “handling” is meant the press- 
ing by hand of loose, moist soil about the base of each 
plant to make the stalks stand erect. Tillage precedes 
this operation, to provide plenty of fine soil. The hiller 
is used immediately after “handling” itnd subsequently 
as the plants attain greater height. All of the work of 
ridging in some of the muck plantations is done with 
the hiller. Some of the successful growers on muck 
soils bank or ridge the earth high alongside the rows 
rather than against them. This practice results in shad- 
ing, and yet avoids getting much soil next to the bases 
of the plants, as the latter encourages rust. Earthing 
is the most effective means of protecting the crop from 
severe fall frosts. 
The early crop is nearly always blanched by means 
of boards. It pays to secure sound lumber for this pur- 
pose. Hemlock is in common use. “Pecky” cypress is 
popular for blanching in the Florida fields. The boards 
should be 12 inches wide, 1 inch thick and 12, 14 or 16 
feet long. Ten-inch boards are preferable early in the 
season before the plants have attained their full size. 
Half-inch strips nailed across the ends and the middles 
of the boards will help to prevent warping -and splitting. 
The early crop should be ready to blanch in the 
North early in July. Boards are placed on edge close 
to the row on both sides and fastened together with 
two or three 8 r inch double hooks made from heavy 
g'alvanized wire. By placing these hooks over the 
