The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-01
bleaching and Keeping Celery.

For bleaching celery, buy heavy
wrapping paper Of a grocery man.
lay a wide board on the ground each
side of celery, lay paper on boards.
double the paper three inches under
the boards next to celery, turn boards
up to celery. and bank up, pressing
down the dirt: lift out boards. This
keeps out the dirt and the celery does
not rust. 1t saves extra help. The
contributor says he has tried all ways
of bleaching and this is the best.
When cold weather comes celery
should be removed to the cellar In
case there is not room in the cellar let
a space be cleared and leveled in the
garden and boards set up about it.
The space between the boards should
be sub-diyided by other boards set
two feet apart. The lunches should
then be taken up with a spade, roots
and all, and all the dirt allowed to
remain that will cling to the roots.
Set the plants close together in the
space until they fill it compactly and
snugly, then cover with boards occa-
sionally, but not by sprinkling over
the tops of the celery, as this will
cause it to rot. Use a thin spout or
iron pipe an inch in diameter. Set
the lower end of the pipe among the
roots. place a funnel into the other end
and then pour the water into 1t. This
gives abundant moisture to the roots
and the tops are kept dry. When
boxes of celery are exposed in the
market for sale, 1t may be kept fresh
and moist by laying a wet gunny sack
on the box. The plants absorb the
water from the wet cloth and yet do
not become wet enough to cause II
to rot. 1t seems that very few deal
ers and grocers know of this simple
plan to keep their celery attractive
and crisp.
If the celery is taken into the cellar,
build an Enclosure as described for
outdoors, deposit a layer of rich dirt
within, set the plants out just as If
they were outdoors and water occa-
sionally, as described above. Celery
put away in this manner will last all
winter, and grow continually. 1t will
be white and tender until late in
spring. and even until early summer,
and the last will be found to be sweet
and crisp. A good plan in using Gel
cry for home consumption is to break
off a single stalk at a time. Thus
the heart remains alive and new
shoots will constantly appear through
the winter. A space two yards square
will be sufficient to supply a family
with celery all winter IL this plan is
followed and care is used to prepare
the plants for continued growth. These
outshoots are the daintiest and crisp
est sort imaginable, and they will
grow with remarkable rapidity.
In growing celery ! have found it
profitable to mulch between the rows
with coarse barnyard manure This is
not so much for the purpose OF secur-
ing thick covering over the soil be-
tween the rows as to prevent the es-
cape of moisture. Thy this method Of
mulching your celery rows, and do not
be afraid of getting the manure too
thick. Do not let II come in contact
with the celery, but pack it in COM
pactly all over the space between the
rows.
Celery set out as late as the middle
of August will grow to maturity before
freezing weather. Frost does not in
jure celery; indeed, 1T seems to enliven
it and cause ii to grow faster than be-
fore. 1t is suggested that unless the
plants are usually stocky when they
are set out they should be pinched off
just above the heart. The leaves only
should be taken off the young plants.
This serves to concentrate the vigor
of the plant to the roots and heart as
well as causing the bunch to grow
broader and thicker. Scores of gar
deners have made fortunes cultivating
celery for city markets, but methods
involved in producing 1t on so large a
scale have to do with special machin-
cry and appliances provided for the
urpose.-Exchange.