Celery Growing in Colorado. i i 
way as the other; but has, however, the advantage of being cleaner 
and is already partly blanched. 
Storing. —Since the California and Florida crops get onto the 
market during the winter and spring, it has not been found profit¬ 
able to store celery for any great length of time. In some states 
large celery storehouses have been used for keeping celery during 
the winter. In Colorado, there are few weeks during the winter 
but what it is possible to dig celery from the trenches and get it 
onto the market. However, considerable is lost in the trenches by 
freezing and occasionally the weather stays so severe that it is im¬ 
possible to get the celery out to supply the demand. It is quite 
probable, therefore, that storehouses will be used to a considerable 
extent in the near future. 
Harvesting and Marketing. —Where only a small area is 
devoted to celery, the plants are usually loosened from the ground 
by means of a spade. The roots are cut off and the plant is laid 
to one side. Where the acreage is larger, especially where soil is 
used entirely for blanching, a celery digger is used. Different styles 
of home-made machines are being used for this purpose, but the 
principle of them all is to run an edged tool just under the plant, 
thus cutting off the root so it can be taken up by hand. One 
of these machines for use in loosening a double row is shown in 
an illustration. 
Golden Self-blanching celery is usually “shipped in the rough.” 
A few of the outside leaves are removed and the celery is packed 
directly into crates, as shown in an illustration. The number of 
dozen plants in the crate is marked on the outside, the side of the 
crate is nailed, and the crate is ready for the car. These crates 
are usually 20x22 inches by 24 inches deep. As can be seen in the 
illustration, the top is entirely open, except for a strip along each 
edge. When celery is to be packed for “shipment in the rough/’ 
one of the other sides is left open so that the plants may be packed 
in from the side. The remaining side is then nailed on and the 
celery is thus held securely in place A crate will hold from four to 
seven dozen of celery, according to its size at the time of marketing. 
Most of the Pascal celery and some of the Self-blanching is carefully 
trimmed, washed, and tied in bunches of twelve before marketing. In this 
case the crates are lined with paper before the celery is laid in them. All 
celery must be washed, bunched, and trimmed before it gets to the retailer, 
and if this is not done by the grower it must be done by the commission 
merchant. Some dump the celery into a washing tank and scrub the dirt 
off by means of hand brushes. Others place the celery in a rack with sides 
of woven wire, the rack being so pivoted that it can be turned over. A hose 
is turned on and the dirt washed off. The rack is then turned over and the 
celery is washed on the other side. Of course, all of the soft outer leaves 
are pulled off of each plant before washing and the root is trimmed down 
to a pointed shape. For convenience in bunching, pegs are stuck into holes 
