St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-11-22
FARM AND GARDEN.
CELERY CULTURE.

Dowo Practical Hlnts - % 0nnk1nes
GATHERING Sse 1askst ana Pittia9.
A soon q tho early crops have been
cleared from between tho celery rows.
furrow should be plowed away from
each side Of the row with one-horse
plow; the fuyrows should not 80 nearer
than fifteen inches to each row. After
plowing away. turn about and plcw back
thus filling the furrow up again and con-
sinue TO plow back until . dead furrow
II made in the blank space between the
rows This operation will loosen tho
soil that the roots may expand. thus
making larger growth Of top.
The banking Of celery II ono OF the
laborioas operations Of the gardener.
To render the soil for banking moro
easily handled, tho one-horsc plow -
run between tho rows Two separate
bankings will be required to complete
the job BY the first the plants should
be covered shout half way up. and an
interval Of six days should pass before
the second banking. The object OF the
first banking will be to run the hearts
of the stocks up. which it does. - they
try to get to the light and air. Very
late in the fall. II the celery Is to re-
'main, in the ground until Thanksgiving.
. third banking will be required to i'm
sure that the tops shall not be injured
By hard frosts. Banking can be best
performed by employing three men at
II. One straddles the row. walking
backwards - he gathers together the
branches or stocks Of each individual
plant thus putting 1t in IN upright .po-
sision. The other two men. one ON each
side Of tho row, shovel the earth around
the plants. care being taken that itdoes
not get in to the center Of the hearts.
Gathering and preparing celery for
market arc rather slow operations The
first move is to p]ow down the bankings
with . one-horse plow. This having
been done. the plow Is rum under the
row Of plants. lifting them from the
ground. Most Of tho green leaves arc
then pulled Oh tho plants. the blanched
stocks only being left Tho hbrous
roots are next trimmed OF with . long
pointed shoe-knife; great care should
be exercised in. trimming lest the
sprouts should be cut. Two large wash
tubs, such IS iron-bound hogsheads
sawed in two. are used for washing the
celery. As the plants are trimmed. all
the adhering dirt is washed on with the
hands and corn brooms in tub No. !.
after which the plants are rinsed in tub
No. 2; then they are laid upon table
to drain. In boxing, the demands Of
the market are that three dozen punches
should I'LL barrel box even full; but
- many plants will not count for one.
several smallerones are pinned together
by driving an .etxht-penny board nail
through the lower stock or base Of the
root
The pitting d celery Is rarely com
menced until sN1vember l, and - nm
ished byth middle Of the month. II
the operate IL performed much earlier.
there is danger that the mild weather
will rot it Previous to that
date 1t keeps much better In
tho -bankings. but these should be
we'll built TO prevent possible hard
freeze from destroying tho topA 1t II
common to leave in the bankings all
that can be conveniently taken caro- Of
and sold at Thanksgiving-time; but
there is some risk in leaving IL ont 90
late. Tho ground sometimes closes In
Just previous to that date. % that the
celery can not Be got out
For late keeping in tho winter celery
should not be banked long previous to
pitting-the greener 1t IL the longer It
can be kept II, therefore, one COM
mences banking about the middle Of
October he will be about right The
ground ct that time Il quito cool and
the celery bleaches slowly, therefore. It
will be quite green at pittins-time.
Much depends upon it, keeping we'll In
the pit It should DO kept at - low ,
temperature - possible without risk Of
freezing, but should we want to market
It early in the winter the heat can b
increased BY putting on the root Of
the pit . considerable thickness Of
litter or covering; otherwise only .
very light covering should b used
until ChristmaA After that tho covering
should be increased to about ono foot
in thickness Celery when green Will
stand light freeze. but the same freess
would destroy bleached celery.-RurAl