Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-01-15
Storing Celery for Winter.

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 subdivided by other boards
set two feet apart The punches
should then be taken up with 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 completely and
snugly, then cover with boards and
over thu, throw a pile of straw. Water
occasionally, but not by sprinkling
over the tops of the celery, as this
will cause it to rot. Use tin spout
or iron pipe an inch in diameter. Set
the lower end of the pipe among the
roots, place q funnel into the other
end and then pour the water into it.
This gives abundant moisture to the
roots and the tops are kept dry. When
boxes of celery are exposed in the mar
ket for sale it may be kept fresh and
moist by laying wet gunny sack on the
box. The plants absorb the water
from the wet cloth and yet do not be-
come wet enough to cause it to rot.
1t, seems that very few dealers and
grocers know of this simple plan to
keep their celery attractive and crisp.
II the celery is taken into the Gel
lar, build an inclosure as described
for outdoors, deposit layer Of rich
dirt within, set the plants out just
as il they were outdoors and water oc-
casionally 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 cell
cry for home consumption is to break
off 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 10 supply family
with celery all winter if this plan is
followed and care is used to prepare
the plant 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 Sc
curing the fertilizing material as TO
between the rows to prevent the es-
cape Of moisture. Try this method
of mulching your celery rows, and do
not be afraid of getting the manure
too thick. Do not let it come in con-
tact with the celery, but pack it in
compactly all over the space between
the rows.
Celery set cut as late as the middle
of August will grow to maturity be-
fore freezing weather. Frost does
not injure celery, indeed it seems to
enliven it and cause it to grow faster
than before. 1t is suggested that un-
less the plants are unusually stoclSy
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 concen-
trate the vigor Of the plant to tie
roots and heart as we'll as causing the
banc- to grow broader and thicker
Scores of gardeners have made for
tunes cultivating celery for city mar
kets, but melnous involved in produc-
ing 1t on so large a scale have to do
with special machinery and appliances
provided for the purpose-Thomas AL
phram, in American Agriculturist.