322 
VEGETABLE GARDENING 
Home gardeners often protect the crop in the winter 
where it was grown by ridging the soil until the tops are 
nearly covered. Corn stalks or other coarse litter is then 
placed over the row and held in place with boards or 
earth. As the weather gets colder, coarse manure is 
added to the depth of 4 or 5 inches, covering the entire 
ridge. By this method the celery is kept fresh and crisp, 
but taking it out during the winter is rather inconvenient. 
Other home gardeners store in cellars. The plan is 
successful in the absence of furnaces and heating pipes, 
for the room must be kept cool and moist. The plants 
are simply set close together with some soil about the 
roots and watered if necessary. Boards may be set up 
along the sides of the bedded plants to hold them in 
place and to protect them from light. Under favorable 
conditions there will be some growth and the plants will 
continue to blanch. Boxes are also used for small amounts. 
In certain sections market gardeners ridge as high as 
possible, place a line of hay or straw over the tops, cover 
with a strip of oiled paper made for the purpose and then 
cover the paper with more hay. This plan is particularly 
desirable in sections where the weather is not very severe. 
Hotbeds and cold frames are very satisfactory. They 
may be dug to a greater depth if necessary, or an addi- 
tional frame may be placed on the permanent frame to 
secure the required depth. The plants are set nearly as 
close together as possible, and the frame covered with 
boards lapped to shed rain. In severe climates, sash 
should be used, when straw or rve-straw mats may be 
placed on the sash and covered with lapped boards. The 
coverings can be blocked up on warm days to secure 
ventilation. This is a satisfactory method, especially 
when celery is to be sold before zero weather arrives. 
Trenching has long been a popular method for storing 
this crop. A trench 10 or 12 inches deep is dug in the 
garden or the field where the crop is grown. It should 
