Full text of "Celery culture; a practical treatise on the principles involved in the production of celery for home use and for market, including the selection of soil, production of plants, cultivation, control of insects and diseases, marketing and uses"

See other formats

GIFT OF
Pro i"; £ . j . « i ckso n

DEPT

CELERY CULTURE

A PRACTICAL TREATISE OF THE PRINCIPLES IN-
VOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION OF CELERY FOR
HOME USE AND FOR MARKET, INCLUDING THE
SELECTION OF SOIL, PRODUCTION OF PLANTS,
CULTIVATION, CONTROL OF INSECTS AND DIS-
EASES, MARKETING AND USES

By
W. R. BEATTIE

Assistant Horticulturist, Bureau of Plant Industry
United States Department of Agriculture

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK

ORANGE JUDD COMPANY
1907

ORANGE JUDD COMPANY

MAIB

PREFACE

CELERY growing on a commercial basis in America
practically began with the introduction in 1884-5 °f
early varieties having decided self-blanching qualities.
Previous to this time, most of the celery was stored
for winter use, but with the introduction by Peter Hen-
derson in 1884 of the variety known as White Plume
the crop began to be produced on a large scale for
early marketing. During the following year the Pasis
Golden or Golden Self-blanching was introduced from
France and soon became a favorite variety among
growers. Since the introduction of the self -blanching
varieties, the celery industry has grown by leaps and
bounds until the crop is now planted in almost every
part of the North American Continent.

During recent years the agricultural and horticul-
tural journals of this country have published numer-
ous articles upon celery culture, and two or three small
books have been written upon the subject. The avail-
able literature upon the subject of celery culture is lim-
ited, but as a rule is based upon actual, commercial
experience. Our first recollection of celery is of a few
half-starved plants set deep down in a trench where
their source of nourishment was the heavy subsoil that
surrounded their roots. Contrast with this the broad,
fertile, level-cultivated celery field of to-day, with its
vigorous growth and luxuriant foliage.

In most respects the transportation and marketing

526615

VI PREFACE

of the celery crop have kept pace with the improve-
ment in production. Formerly the entire crop was
washed and bunched before shipment, but it has been
learned that celery will bear transportation much better
if a part of the roots and outer stems are allowed to
remain upon it until after shipment. There are yet
a number of vexing problems connected with the
commercial production of celery, prominent among
which are the control of diseases and the securing of
competent labor.

In this book an endeavor has been made to give plain
directions both for the production of a home supply of
celery and its culture on an extensive commercial basis.
The information has been obtained from practical ex-
perience and from observation of the methods em-
ployed by the most successful growers. Many of the
illustrations are from photographs taken upon a num-
ber of the most extensive celery plantations in the coun-
try. The author is indebted to the United States
Department of Agriculture for the loan of several il-
lustrations; to Prof. W. G. Johnson for several pho-
tographs; to B. F. Williamson for many of the ex-
cellent drawings ; and, finally, to a number of seedsmen
and tool manufacturers for courtesies extended.

With the exception of those for which credit is given,
all the illustrations are original.

W. R. BEATTIE.

Washington, D. C., April, 1907.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . 1

History and botany of the celery plant, 1 ; importance of
celery as a food plant, 2.

AREAS ADAPTED TO CELERY CULTURE . . 3

Climatic requirements of the celery plant, 3; soils adapted
to celery culture, 4; marketing considerations, 5; labor
requirements, 6.

PREPARATION OF LAND . . . ..... 7

Drainage, 7; treatment of new land, 8; breaking and pul-
verizing land, 9; fitting southern land for celery, 11; prep-
aration for planting, 13.

FERTILIZERS '.,.-. . . .16

Natural fertility of soils, 16; chemical elements required
in fertilizers, 17; sources of nitrogen, 17; sources of phos-
phorus, 18; sources of potassium, 18; sources of calcium,
19; common salt as a fertilizer, 19; barnyard or stable
manure, 20; manure from fowls, 22; fish refuse, fish scrap,
fish guano, 22; Peruvian guanos, 23; night soil and sew-
age as fertilizers, 23; the application of fertilizers, 23; cost
of fertilizers for an acre, 25 ; time for applying fertilizers,
26; home mixing of fertilizers, 28; suggestive mixtures for
use on peat or muck soils, 29; mixtures for use on clay
and sandy soils, 29-31; table of fertilizer values, 32.

THE PRODUCTION OF PLANTS . 35

Necessity of having good seed, 35; methods of sowing seed
for early plants, 36; starting plants in a window box, 36;
starting plants in a greenhouse or hotbed, 37; construction
and care of hotbeds, 38; temporary hotbeds, 38; permanent
hotbeds, 39; coverings for hotbeds, 40; ventilating and wa-
tering the hotbed, 41; construction, care, and uses of cold-
frames, 41; sterilization of soil for seed-bed, 42; starting
plants in the open ground, 43 ; care of the outdoor seed-
bed, 45; protection of plant beds, 45; transplanting, 47;
substitutes for transplanting, 49; proper time to plant
seed, 50.

PLANTING IN FIELD AND GARDEN ( . .52

Lifting the plants, 52; packing celery plants for shipment,
53; setting in the open ground, 54; distances to plant, 56;
table of planting distances, 58; overcoming unfavorable con-
ditions at planting time, 59; mulching, 59.

CULTIVATION . .61

Frequency of cultivation, 61 ; tools adapted to celery cul-
tivation, 61.

vii

CONTENTS

IRRIGATION ... 65

Sources of water for irrigation, 65; quantity of water re-
quired, 66; irrigation on muck soils, 67; methods of irriga-
ting, 67; wooden flumes and open ditches, 68; overhead
sprinkler systems, 69; subirrigation as applied to celery
growing, 72; temperature of water for celery irrigation, 76.

DISEASES OF CELERY . . ..... 77

Damping, 77; blight, 78; leaf spot, 80; celery rust, 81;
blanch-rot or heart-rot, 81; root-knot, 82; prevention and

contro o ceery seases, ; preparaton o spray
tures, 83-85; pithiness of celery, 87; general suggestions,

89.

INSECTS AND ANIMALS INJURIOUS TO CELERY . 90

Grasshoppers, 91; the celery leaf-tyer, 91; the celery cater-

Eillar, 92; the zebra caterpillar, 92; the tarnished plant
ug, 92; the carrot rust fly, 93; the celery looper, 93; mice
and rats, 93; poultry, 94.

BLANCHING ..... .95

Blanching by means of boards, 96; time required for blanch-
ing process, 98; banking with earth, 99; blanching with tile,
102; various methods of blanching celery, 103; blanching
for winter use, 103.

STORING CELERY ...... .104

Storing where grown, 104; storing in temporary pit or va-
cant hotbed, 105; storage in cellars, 107; trenching for late
autumn marketing, 107; storing for late marketing, 108;
methods of handling celery for storing, 109; cold-storage,
111.

MARKETING ... .112

Methods of preparing celery for market, 112; sizes and
styles for shipping crates, 114; washing and bunching be-
fore shipment, 116; the celery packing house, 117; con-
struction of washing machines, 119; bunching and packing,
120; sanitary considerations in marketing celery, 122; keep-
ing celery fresh while exposed for sale, 124.

VARIETIES OF CELERY . .125

Self-blanching varieties, 125; late keeping varieties, 126;
varieties for home use, 128; celeriac or turnip-rooted celery,
129; varieties for marketing, 129.

PROFITS DERIVED FROM CELERY CULTURE . .130

Cost of growing, 130; proceeds from one acre, 131.

THE PRODUCTION OF CELERY SEED 132

Localities where grown, 132; method of growing, 132; local
production of seed, 132-133.

CELERY GROWING FOR HEALTH, PLEASURE AND PROFIT . 134

ILLUSTRATIONS

Field of celery banked with earth for blanching

Frontispiece

1. Heavy plow for breaking bog or marsh land . 8

2. Heavy subsoil plow for loosening clay subsoils . 9

3. Improved sectional clod crusher and leveler . 10

4. Acme harrow for fitting land after plowing . 10

5. Breaking Florida hammock for celery . . 11

6. Home-made float or drag for leveling soil . 12

7. Meeker harrow for smoothing surface for planting 13

8. Horse -boots for soft or boggy land . . .14

9. Machine for marking distances to plant . . 14
10 Tray for seed sowing or transplanting . . 36

11. Cross-section of temporary hotbed . * .39

12. Cross-section of permanent hotbed . . .40

13. Cross-section of cold-frame with muslin shade . 42

14. Cloth-protected celery plant bed for home garden 46

15. Celery plant bed under slat shade . .46

16. Effect of transplanting upon the roots . . 47

17. Device for cutting roots in seed-bed ... 48

18. Transplanting celery plants in Florida . . 49

19. Crate of celery plants packed for shipment . 54

20. Setting celery plants in field , . . .55

21. Dibbles for use in setting celery plants . . 56

22. Setting celery plants in the home garden . 57

23. One-horse cultivator . .... 62

24. The wheel hoe .62

25. Hand-weeding tools for working around celery

plants ........ 63

26. Deluge sprinkler system of irrigating . . 70

27. Skinner system of overhead watering . . 71

28. Arrangement of tiles for subirrigation . . 73

X ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURE . PACK

29. Subirrigation adapted to back-yard garden . 74

30. Subirrigation system as employed in Florida . 75

31. Leaf affected with celery^ blight

32. Celery leaf affected with a blight . . 80

33. Celery leaf affected with leaf-spot . 81

34. Celery leaf affected with rust

35. The proper way to make Bordeaux 85

36. Home-made spraying machine . 86

37. Celery leaf-tyer . . 91

38. Blanching celery by means of boards

39. Planet Jr. Double celery hiller

40. Blanching celery with earth 100

41. Blanching celery by means of drain tiles . . 102

42. Temporary storage-pit for celery 106

43. Celery storage house .

44. Machine for loosening celery from the soil . 110

45. Washing and bunching celery in commission

merchant's room

46. Row of blanched celery ready for cutting

47. Packing celery in crates in California field

48. Crates of celery shipped in the rough 116

49. Crate of Florida celery shipped in the rough 117

50. Celery trimmed for market .

51. Floor plan of celery packing-house

52. Bunch of celery containing one dozen plants

53. Device for bunching celery

54. Michigan crate

55. Device for displaying celery on retail market . 124

56. Typical plant of Golden Self-blanching 126

57. Florida celery land

58. Celery prepared for table use . 136

59. Packing celery in Florida ....

CELERY CULTURE

CHAPTER I

Introduction

VERY little is known regarding the early history
of celery, and its use as food is confined to compara-
tively recent years. The present product, so highly
esteemed as a table delicacy, is the result of selec-
tion and cultivation of the wild celery which is a
native of the marshes of southern England and
many places in Continental Europe. The Latin or
scientific name of celery is Apium graveolens, and
it belongs to the Apiaceae, a family of plants form-
erly classed under Umbelliferae. In its natural state
celery is a biennial, producing its seed the second
season, but as commonly grown for food it is an
annual. If started too early, or allowed to remain
in the ground too long after it reaches a marketable
stage, it will produce seed the first season. The
parts of the celery plant used for food are the thick-
ened leaf-stems and the fleshy root, the true stem
being that upon which the flowers and seed are
borne. The seeds of the celery are very small, an
ounce containing from 60,000 to 70,000, and are
borne in great numbers in umbels or clusters. In
the wild state celery has an acrid, pungent flavor,

2 CELERY CULTURE

and was used only for seasoning, while the im-
proved form is more fleshy and has a pleasant odor
and flavor. Celery growing on a commercial scale
in America made its greatest progress after the
opening and draining of the peat marshes in the
region of the Great Lakes. During recent years
celery growing has been introduced in Florida and
California, and its season of production thereby
greatly extended.

While celery may not possess much actual food
value, it is both attractive and wholesome; coming
as it does at the time of year when large quanti-
ties of meats and game are consumed, and green
foods are not plentiful, the use of celery makes
other foods more palatable and greatly aids diges-
tion. While cranberry sauce may seem essential
to the serving of the Christmas turkey, it is now
deemed just as important to have a generous sup-
ply of fresh, crisp celery on the table. Several
thousand car-loads of celery are now consumed
each year by the people of our larger cities, besides
the many smaller lots marketed locally by the
growers. In many home gardens there is now
planted a small area to celery and we have no
record of the vast amount of this delicious salad
vegetable thus produced. It should be borne in mind
that the taste of celery is at first unpleasant to some
persons, but they usually acquire a liking for it
after eating it a few times.

CHAPTER II

Areas Adapted to Celery Culture

WHILE a sufficient supply of celery for family
use may be grown in almost any locality in Amer-
ica, there are only certain regions particularly
adapted to its commercial culture. Where 100 to
500 plants are grown for home use, such agencies
as sheltering, shading, special preparation of soil,
and frequent watering may be permissible, although
such methods would prove impracticable for com-
mercial celery growing.

Climatic Requirements of the Celery Plant. —
The production of celery on a large scale for ship-
ping is only practical where the climatic conditions
are reasonably favorable. For its best development
the celery plant requires a comparatively dry atmos-
phere and cool nights. Warm, sultry weather is
conducive to a soft growth, and conditions favor-
able to the attack of diseases. Bright sunshine and
warmth during the day are essential, but the cool-
ing during the night makes the stems crisp and
firm.

In America there are two zones or belts within
which celery can be grown with profit commer-
cially: (i) the northern belt throughout which the
crop may be grown during the summer months,
and (2) the southern belt within which it may be
grown during the late autumn and early winter.
In the northern belt the area is limited by the short-

4 CELERY CULTURE

ness of the season on the north and the high tem-
perature and humidity on the south. In the southern
belt the area is limited by that wherein severe
frosts do not occur during the winter months. This
leaves a zone through the Central Southern states
wherein the winters are too severe and the sum-
mers too warm and humid for the commercial pro-
duction of celery. There are no doubt a number
of areas within these boundaries, which, owing to
altitude or some other influence, may prove excep-
tional.

Soils Adapted to Celery Culture. — For domestic
use, a deep, rich, sandy loam will produce the best
celery, but a small supply may be grown on almost
any good soil. In the regions where peat bogs or
muck soils abound the crop can be very easily
grown upon these, and the greater portion of the
commercial crop is produced upon this type of soil.
The first crops of celery of commercial importance
in this country were grown on the muck beds ad-
jacent to Kalamazoo, Michigan. There are now
many thousands of acres of muck soil situated in
the states bordering on the Great Lakes that are
devoted almost entirely to celery production. In
Florida the similar soils, often spoken of as "Ham-
mock soils" and "Sawgrass marshes," are used for
celery production, and the soils of the great celery
fields of southern California are similar in charac-
ter. For the production of celery on a small scale
it is practical to render any good garden soil suit-
able by manuring heavily and providing proper
drainage.

AREAS ADAPTED TO CELERY CULTURE 5

Marketing Considerations.— Marketing facilities
should be carefully considered when contemplating
the culture of celery on a large scale. Markets are
of two classes — namely, home markets where the
entire product may be hauled by wagon and dis-
posed of direct to the retail dealers or the consum-
ers, and distant or shipping markets. Some locali-
ties offer the opportunity of disposing of a part of
the product on the home market and the remainder
on some distant market. The home market gener-
ally reduces the cost of packing and shipping, and
as a rule affords a higher price for the product.
Owing to the bulk of celery it is desirable that the
field where it is produced should not be located at
a greater distance than 5 miles from the home
market. The shipping market will provide for
a larger acreage and permit the crop to be removed
more rapidly than if the local market were de-
pended upon. For satisfactory shipping facilities, the
railroad sidings should not be more than 2 miles
from the more distant parts of the celery fields, and
it is preferable to have a loading track running
directly through the fields, and the cars distributed
as nearly as possible to the points where the celery
is being packed. It is often possible to dispose
of one grade of celery on the home market and an-
other grade by shipping, but where large quantities
are grown the local markets cannot be relied upon.
The possibility of securing cars, direct rail connec-
tions to the larger cities, and satisfactory freight
rates, are matters that should receive careful atten-
tion before undertaking a large celery growing
enterprise.

6 CELERY CULTURE

Labor Requirements. — The production of celery
on a commercial scale requires a large amount of
labor at certain times of the year, and it is nec-
essary to determine where this labor is to be
secured at the times when needed. In parts of the
country where lumber is scarce, the cost of the
boards for blanching may be prohibitive, in which
case it will be necessary to blanch with earth,
greatly increasing the amount of labor required. In
spite of the fact that there have been a large num-
ber of very satisfactory tools devised for handling
the celery crop, there remains considerable labor
that must be performed by hand. No satisfactory
machinery has been devised for setting the plants,
hoeing between the plants, putting on the finishing
touches in banking, cutting and trimming, or
bunching and packing in crates. It is true that there
are a number of devices intended to assist in the
different operations, but they cannot do the work
themselves. The character of the available labor
must also be taken into consideration, as many of
the operations connected with the handling of a
celery crop require care and skill. For the general
operations, such as hoeing, banking, boarding up,
and lifting, almost any class of labor may be em-
ployed, provided the helpers are arranged in gangs
under the direction of competent foremen. A num-
ber of the large growers provide that the foremen
shall share in the profits derived from their portion
of the crop, and are thus enabled to secure more
careful supervision.

CHAPTER III

Preparation of Land

As a rule, comparatively new land is selected for
celery growing, and it is necessary to first remove
all trees, stumps, and other obstructions to plowing
and cultivation.

Drainage. — While celery requires a large amount
of moisture for its growth, there is no crop that
will be injured more quickly by excessive water
and sour soil ; for this reason it is necessary to
secure good drainage. The drainage may be ac-
complished by means of open ditches or by tile
drains, provided the character of the soil is such
that the tiles will not become filled with silt within
a short time.

In some cases the drainage and irrigation systems
may be combined in one. Where the open ditch
system of drainage is employed, the laterals should
not be at greater intervals than 300 feet,
and much closer in most soils. The lateral ditches
should drain into a main ditch having a greater
depth and capacity in order to carry off the sur-
plus water during heavy rains. Tile drains should
be placed at a distance not greater than 6 rods
apart ; 3 rods will give the better results. All open
ditches should be constructed with gently sloping
sides, and the earth worked well back from the
sides of the ditch, in order that the surface water

8 CELERY CULTURE

may drain off easily. The soil may be worked back
from the sides of the ditches by plowing toward
the center of the beds.

Treatment of New Land. — Newly cleared land
that is broken up in the spring should not be
planted to celery, but should be devoted to some
such crop as corn or cowpeas for one season to
reduce the soil to a proper condition for intensive
cultivation. If the land is first broken during the
later part of the summer it should be allowed to
lie fallow until autumn and then plowed a second

FIG. I — HEAVY THREE-HORSE BREAKING PLOW

time. The first plowing should be performed with
a heavy three-horse breaking plow, such as is illus-
trated in Fig. i, in order that the soil may be turned
deeply and well broken up. This is especially im-
portant when handling muck, peat, or marsh lands
that are being broken for the first time. In pre-
paring a sandy loam for celery growing, the break-
ing should be done with an ordinary two-horse
turning plow. As a rule the sandy soils have a
deeply and well broken up. This is especially im-

PREPARATION OF LAND

proved by loosening the subsoil, none of which,
however, should be brought to the surface. As a
rule, subsoiling should be done during the autumn,
and it is accomplished by following in the furrow

FIG. 2 — HEAVY SUBSOIL PLOW FOR LOOSENING CLAY SUBSOILS

behind the turning plow with a regular subsoiler
of the type shown in Fig. 2. Subsoiling should be
repeated every three or four years but each time
in a different direction.

Breaking and Pulverizing Land. — If marsh land
breaks up lumpy or in turf, it will be necessary to
cut it thoroughly, in at least two directions, by
means of a disk or cutting harrow. After cutting
the land a spring tooth harrow will be found ser-
viceable for working over the soil and collecting
any roots or other trash that may have been loos-
ened by the disk. Where the land remains lumpy
after cutting with the disk harrow a sectional
roller of the type shown in Fig. 3 will prove effi-
cient. This tool has the advantage over the old

CELERY CULTURE

type of land roller in that it breaks the clods by a
grinding process, and when used alternately with
the disk harrow it is much more effective. The

FIG. 3— IMPROVED SECTIONAL CLOD CRUSHER AND LEVELER

acme harrow, which is shown in Fig. 4, is a desir-
able tool for use on muck and sandy soils, as it
turns, smooths, and slightly compacts the soil at
one operation.

In the North the work of preparing the land
should be done during the autumn, in order that the

FIG. 4 — ACME HARROW FOR FITTING LAND AFTER PLOWING

PREPARATION OF LAND

surface soil may be exposed to the weather during
the winter months. A crop of early peas or snap
beans can frequently be grown upon the land in-
tended for planting to celery, and afterward pre-
pared for celery by plowing lightly or by disking
deeply. It is doubtful if the planting of an early
crop upon the celery land will be found profitable

FIG. 5 — BREAKING NEW LAND FOR CELERY ON A FLORIDA HAM-
MOCK— ORIGINALLY COVERED WITH PALMETTOS '
(Photo by courtesy American Agriculturist)

in northern localities, as it is; desirable to; have
the land available at any time for applying fertili-
zers and preparing the soil to receive the celery
plants at the proper time for setting them.

Fitting Southern Land for Celery. — In the prep-
aration of Southern lands for celery culture the
process is essentially the same, except that the
plants are set late in the summer or during the

CELERY CULTURE

autumn, and the land should be prepared during the
summer months. Where freezing does not occur,
there would be a loss of fertility by allowing the
land to lie idle; if the land is cleared some time
before wanted for celery it should be planted to some

FIG. 6 — HOME-MADE FLOAT OR DRAG FOR LEVELING SOIL

cover crop — such as cowpeas or velvet beans — and
these removed or turned under before planting to
celery. Land that has been in celery during the
winter months is generally devoted to tomatoes,
cucumbers, or beans during the early spring
months, and these may be followed by the cover
crop during the summer.

Preparation for Planting. — Several days before
setting the plants, the land should receive the final
harrowing, and the day before planting the sur-
face should be smoothed by means of a float or

PREPARATION OF LAND 13

drag, constructed by nailing together three pieces
of square scantling, as shown in Fig. 6. The
Meeker harrow, as illustrated by Fig. 7, is a splen-
did tool for imparting a smoothness to the surface
of the soil, as it performs practically the same
work as a steel rake and is rapid in its operation.
Just ahead of the transplanters the land is marked
off in rows, either with a flat-soled, three-shoe

FIG. 7 — MEEKER HARROW FOR SMOOTHING SURFACE FOR PLOWING

marker, or by means of one of the various types of
special marking machine, which can be home manu-
factured. Some of these marking devices merely
indicate the row and compact the soil slightly,
leaving the transplanters to gauge the distance
between the plants.

A satisfactory marking device consists of
two wheels, or rollers, each having a face 6 to 8
inches wide and equipped at regular intervals
with round-pointed pegs which form the holes for
setting the plants. This form of machine can be
constructed to be drawn by a horse or by hand.
If a horse is employed to draw the marker, the
horse should be provided with boots as illustrated
in Fig. 8, to prevent sinking into .the soft soil.

14 CELERY CULTURE

The construction of the roller marker should be
such that the rollers can be set any distance apart

FIG. 8(a)— LEATHER FIG. 8(&)— HOME-MADE

HORSE-BOOT HORSE-BOOT

to provide for marking rows of various widths, and
it should also be equipped with .a device to indicate

FIG. 9 — MACHINE FOR MARKING DISTANCES TO PLANT

PREPARATION OF LAND 1$

where the next row is to be run. A general idea of
this machine is shown in Fig. 9. The wheelbarrow
marker is a modification of the above, in which
the roller replaces the wheel of an ordinary wheel-
barrow, and the marking is accomplished by simply
pushing the machine across the field. The horse-
drawn machine has the advantage that it can be
weighted in order to thoroughly compact the soil
where the plants are to be set, this being especially
desirable at times when the soil is loose and dry.

CHAPTER IV

Fertilizers

BY no method known to chemical science is it
possible to determine the crop-producing capacity
of a soil or to ascertain what should be applied in
order to increase the yield. Analysis will show
the total amounts of each of the elements neces-
sary to plant growth present in a soil, but the
plant alone can discriminate between the available
and the non-available. Those that are available as
plant foods are generally spoken of as soluble in
water and those not available as insoluble. The
insoluble ingredients act as a reserve and are slowly
made available for the use of plants by the action
of carbonic acid. The determination of what is
lacking in any soil must be made by the applica-
tion of various kinds and quantities of fertilizers,
and the results recorded by the growth of plants.

Natural Fertility of Soils. — The natural fertility
of most soils is sufficient for the production of from
20 to 200 crops if it be rendered available. Fertili-
zers are used on soils of this character to insure the
production of a crop and also to aid in the trans-
formation of the latent soil fertility. The libera-
tion of the plant food locked up in the soil can
generally be greatly promoted by drainage, the
addition of humus, special tillage, or the applica-
tion of some disintegrating material such as lime.

FERTILIZERS I/

In the culture of field crops where the net returns
to the acre are small, heavy applications of fertil-
izers would not prove profitable. Where intensive
cultivation is practiced, it is found profitable, owing
to the greater returns to the acre, to supply large
quantities of fertilizing materials. The celery plant
is a gross feeder, and there is perhaps no other crop
that will give so large a return for the liberal use
of fertilizers.

Chemical Elements Required in Fertilizers. —
Many of the chemical elements of the soil required
by plants are abundantly supplied by nature, but
nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium are
often deficient or if present in sufficient quantities
are not in an available form. The character and
composition of soils are so variable it would be
impossible to give a formula for a celery fertilizer
that would meet all requirements. Such being
the case, all that can be given in a work of this kind
is to describe the mixtures used by successful grow-
ers, and show wherein lies the fertilizing values of
the ingredients of these mixtures.

Sources of Nitrogen. — The celery plant, from its
nature of growth, requires an abundance of nitro-
gen. The principal sources of nitrogen for use as
fertilizers are barnyard or stable manure, nitrate
of soda, sulphate of ammonia, dried blood, meat
scrap or meat meal, tankage, dried fish, fish scrap,
cottonseed meal, bone meal, and nitrogenous
guanos. Nitrogen from different sources does not
give equal results ; for instance, that contained in
nitrate of soda, fish scrap, and the nitrogenous

1 8 CELERY CULTURE

guanos is in a very soluble state and is quickly
available. The nitrogen in sulphate of ammonia,
bone meal, and fresh stable manure acts more
slowly and its influence extends over a longer period.

Sources of Phosphorus. — This element is not
found in nature except in combination ; calcium
phosphate is the usual form. The principal sources
of this phosphate are the phosphate rocks of South
Carolina, Florida and Tennessee, bones, guano, and
stable manure. If bones are ground very finely
they become soluble to a limited degree. Phos-
phate rock, however, as mined is very slowly avail-
able. It is therefore treated with sulphuric acid,
which converts part of the phosphate into a more
soluble form which for the most part is immedi-
ately available to plants. The untreated calcium
phosphate when ground very finely is sold under the
name of floats, in which form its application to the
soil gives a slow but lasting effect. For celery pure
raw bone is perhaps the best form of calcium phos-
phate, but its availability depends largely upon how
finely it is ground.

Sources of Potassium. — This element is com-
monly found in the potash salts known as sulphate
of potash, muriate of potash, and kainit. Large
quantities of potash are also secured in the form
of wood-ashes. Stable manure contains a consider-
able amount. Most of the heavier soils contain
plenty of potash, but in a form that is slowly avail-
able for plants to feed upon, Humic, and light soils
generally, are deficient in potash owing to their
leaching qualities. Potash is one of the cheapest

FERTILIZERS IQ

of fertilizing materials and is always safe to apply
liberally. Care should be exercised, however, to
have it well worked into the soil or injury to the
plants may result.

Sources of Calcium. — The principal sources of
this element as employed for fertilizers are lime-
stone, oyster shells, marl, and phosphate rock.
Limestone and oyster shells are sometimes ground
and applied as a fertilizer, but the usual method is
to convert the calcium carbonate of the limestone
or shells into calcium oxide or quicklime by burn-
ing. In the form of quicklime the calcium is more
active in correcting the acidity of soils than in any
other form. Lime has both a chemical and a physi-
cal effect upon soils. Heavy clay soils are loosened
and made tillable by the application of lime, but
light soils are rendered more adhesive and retentive
of moisture by its addition. The chemical effect of
lime upon any soil is to assist in the solution of
potash and other plant foods, and prepare them for
absorption by the roots. Lime also aids the bac-
teria to change the nitrogen in the soil from the
nitrite or insoluble form to the nitrate or soluble
form.

Common Salt as a Fertilizer. — Many growers in-
sist upon using salt on their celery land, but its
value as a fertilizer is doubtful, though it is a fact
that celery will assimilate a small amount of salt
from the soil, thus gaining a decidedly saline flavor,
quite pleasant to the taste. The salt, owing to its
chemical composition, has a hygienic influence upon
the soil and may assist in the prevention of con-

2O CELERY CULTURE

ditions favorable to the development of plant dis-
eases. Salt has an affinity for water and its pres-
ence in a soil has a tendency to maintain the proper
moisture content, which will be very beneficial
during a dry season. A few hundred pounds of
salt applied to each acre will not add greatly to the
expense for fertilizers, and will at least assist in the
control of any acid that may form in the soil. The
salt should be applied at least a month before plant-
ing or injury to the plants may result.

Barnyard or Stable Manure. — Barnyard manure
may include that from all farm animals. Stable
manure as a rule consists of the waste from work
animals only, or at most that from work animals
and cows. Manure from grain-fed animals is
always to be preferred, but extreme care is neces-
sary to avoid the introduction of weed seeds with
the manure. Street sweepings and manure contain-
ing sawdust or shavings as bedding should never
be used on land intended for planting to celery.
The ultimate value of stable manure depends very
much upon the handling; .unless properly cared for
and applied it will be almost worthless as a fertil-
izer. The fertilizing ingredients of a ton of stable
manure are worth about $2.50 when calculated at
the rate charged for them in the chemical form,
but as they are not readily available in the manure
their value is only about one-half as much, or $1.25
a ton.

Aside from its chemical value, stable manure
has a physical effect upon most soils which is very
beneficial to crop production. When applied to

FERTILIZERS 21

sandy or open soils, stable manure serves to bind
them together and assists in the retention of mois-
ture. On being applied to heavy clay soils the
manure lightens the soil and improves cultural
conditions. There are very few soils not greatly
improved by liberal applications of stable manures,
especially if the manure is first composted and ap-
plied to the land in a partially decomposed state.
In this way its real value may be as high as $2.50
or $3 a ton.

The claim has been made by some celery growers
that heavy applications of manure to peat or muck
lands has a tendency to produce blight. Where
these cases have come under observation the
trouble has proved to be a firing of the foliage,
probably caused by the decomposition of the fresh
manure which has been applied in large quantities
shortly before planting the crop. The manure
should be plowed under in the autumn, or com-
posted under shelter during the winter and spread
upon the land early in the spring. If an early crop
of peas or beans is grown on the celery land, the
manure may be first turned under and again
brought to the surface when the soil is re-plowed
for planting the celery crop. If the manure is
thoroughly composted before spreading it may be
applied after the final plowing and harrowed into
the soil.

£br the production of a home supply of celery
there is no fertilizer so efficient as well rotted barn-
yard manure. The objections to the extensive use
of manure in commercial celery growing are the

22 CELERY CULTURE

labor required to haul and apply it and the slowness
of its action.

Manure from Fowls. — The manure from fowls is
valuable as fertilizer, often worth $7.50 a ton when
its fertilizing ingredients are reckoned at market
value. Since the elements contained in the manure
from fowls are in an available form, this kind of
fertilizer should be applied but a short time before
planting, or as a top dressing, and worked into the
soil between the rows.

Fish Refuse. — Dried fish and fish scrap are
among the more valuable sources of available nitro-
gen and phosphoric acid. Fish guano is made either
from unmarketable fish or the refuse from fish-
cleaning establishments and fish oil factories.
When dried and pulverized this guano contains
from 6 to 10 per cent, nitrogen and from 5 to 8 per
cent, available phosphoric acid, but practically no
potash. By the addition of 100 pounds of high
grade muriate of potash for every 400 pounds of
fish guano there will be produced a high grade
fertilizer and one that will act quickly. The crude
refuse from fish factories or oil mills may be ap-
plied directly to the land in the same manner as
barnyard manure, but should always be accom-
panied or followed by an application of potash in
some form. For every 1,200 pounds of fish scrap
add 800 pounds of unleached wood-ashes to form a
complete celery fertilizer; the fish scrap should be
applied at the rate of from 3 to 5 tons, and 2 to 3
tons of wood-ashes to the acre. The scrap from the
fish factories will require some time for decomposi-

FERTILIZERS 23

tion and the wood-ashes or other form of potash
should not be applied until later.

Peruvian Guanos. — The Peruvian guanos are
especially desirable as fertilizers for celery land,
owing to their availability. The better grades of
the guanos, however, have become almost ex-
hausted and many of those now upon the market
are comparatively low in fertilizing values.

Night Soil and Sewage as Fertilizers. — These
waste products have considerable value as fertil-
izers while fresh, but their use in this form is too
offensive to be permissible, especially on land
devoted to a salad crop like celery. When decom-
posed, night soil has very little fertilizing value,
unless it has been thoroughly composted with peat
or muck. At present a vigorous campaign is being
carried on in opposition to the use of objectionable
fertilizers in growing garden crops, as there is a
possibility of diseases being transmitted thereby.
It is reasonably safe to assume that the composi-
tion and flavor of such plants as celery may be
easily influenced by the character of the fertilizers.
All organic manures should be well decomposed
before applying and thoroughly incorporated with
the soil before planting time. The only safe course
is to abstain from the employment of night soil, sew-
age, and similar offensive fertilizers on celery land.

The Application of Fertilizers. — As a rule the
higher grades of fertilizers are more economical to
use than the cheaper kinds, owing chiefly to the
saving in freight and subsequent handling. None
of the materials used in the preparation of fertil-

24 CELERY CULTURE

izers are pure, and as a rule those containing the
higher percentages of the essential ingredients will
give the best results with a minimum amount of
labor and cost. In order to provide the required
weight without increasing the percentages of low
grade fertilizers it is often necessary to add a filler
consisting of ground rock, ground shells, or dry
earth. The filler itself has very little fertilizing
value, and its use entails considerable additional
cost for freight and handling. It has been shown
that celery requires an abundance of all forms of
plant food, and for this reason a high grade, com-
plete fertilizer should be employed. A "complete"
fertilizer contains all three elements, potash, phos-
phoric acid, and nitrogen. To determine the value
of a ready-mixed fertilizer from the guaranteed
analysis printed upon the bags, multiply the per-
centages given by 20 to determine the number of
pounds of each in a ton, and multiply the product by
the current price of the element a pound. For
instance, if we have the following:

Nitrogen . . . 4 per cent, x 20 =: 80 pounds in a ton at 15 cents = $12
Phosphoric acid 6 per cent, x 20 = 120 pounds in a ton at 5 cents — 6
Potash ... 5 per cent, x 20 =. 100 pounds in a ton at 5 cents = 5

Total actual value „ . . . $23

The price usually charged by dealers for this class
of fertilizer is about $28, and freight charges must
be added in any case. As a rule the higher the grade
of fertilizer the lower will be the difference of ratio

FERTILIZERS 25

between the actual value of fertilizing ingredients
and the cost of the ready-mixed article.

Cost of Fertilizers for an Acre. — The amount of
fertilizer applied an acre varies greatly in different
localities. It is difficult to state the quantities ap-
plied in so many pounds, and such statement would
mean little owing to the great variation in the
composition of different brands of similar formulas.
The grower is inclined to figure closely upon the
cost of producing a crop and prospective growers
will appreciate the quantity of fertilizers necessary
if expressed in dollars rather than in pounds to the
acre. The celery growers in Florida apply as much
as $150 or $160 worth of fertilizing materials to
each acre under cultivation every year the land is
planted. This is applied in the form of 20 to 40
cart-loads of barnyard manure, preferably rotted
cow manure, plowed under; two tons of high grade
complete fertilizer, one ton broadcast and worked
into the soil and one ton drilled under the rows;
1,000 pounds of nitrate of soda applied in three or
four top dressings during the growing period.
Occasionally wood-ashes are substituted for a por-
tion of the high grade fertilizer. During the time
the land is not occupied with the celery it is often
planted to cowpeas and the crop turned under for
green manure. The soil is given a dressing of lime
every three years, except when wood-ashes are
extensively used. The ashes take the place of the
liming to a great extent.

In the northern and western celery fields it is
unusual to find the growers applying so large

26 CELERY CULTURE

quantities of fertilizers. Many do not apply more
than $30 worth an acre each year, but this is a seri-
ous mistake and a heavier application would prove
profitable. Twenty tons of barnyard manure an
acre every two or three years, and I to 2 tons
of high-grade fertilizers every year will produce
good results. The land should be planted to some
renovating crop once in four years, and if this crop
is turned under to serve as green manure the ap-
plication of 30 to 40 bushels of quicklime to the
acre should follow in order to sweeten the soil. If
barnyard manure is not available for use in growing
the home supply of celery, it will be well to secure
a good grade of commercial fertilizer that contains
about 8 per cent, nitrogen, 6 per cent, phosphoric
acid, and 8 per cent, potash, and apply a little more
than two quarts to each rod (i6l/2 feet) of row to
be planted, working the fertilizer into a strip of soil
12 to 18 inches in width. The fertilizer should be
applied to the soil several days before setting out
the plants.

Time for Applying Fertilizers. — The time for ap-
plying fertilizers depends entirely upon the charac-
ter of the soil and the solubility of the fertilizer.
On porous soils it wrould not be advisable to apply
high-grade fertilizers very much in advance of
planting, but on retentive soils an early applica-
tion may be made with safety. It is always best to
apply barnyard or stable manure some time in ad-
vance of planting, a whole year not being too long
in many cases. As a rule bone meal, untreated
phosphate rock, and all slowly available ingredients

FERTILIZERS 27

should be applied three to six months before plant-
ing time. A desirable fertilizer and crop rotation
scheme for celery land in the northern states
would be to begin by applying 20 to 30 tons of
barnyard manure an acre in the spring, plant to
corn during the summer, as soon as the corn is
harvested sow the land with rye, without plowing,
at the same time applying 2,000 pounds fresh lime
or 1,000 pounds ground bone to the acre. The rye
is intended merely to serve as a cover crop during
the winter and should be plowed under before it
makes any appreciable growth in the spring. While
fitting the land in the spring, apply 1,000 pounds of
high-grade fertilizer broadcast or by means of a
fertilizer distributer or grain drill, and later an
additional 1,000 pounds can be worked into the
celery rows before the plants are set. Also apply
300 to 600 pounds of nitrate of soda in two or three
top dressings during the growing season, the first
being applied four or five weeks after planting.
The following three years the celery will occupy
the land until quite late in the autumn and the
plowing can not be done until early spring. As soon
as the land is in shape to work, plow and then
apply i ,000 pounds of finely ground bone, and later
apply the high-grade fertilizers as before. Repeat
every fourth year with corn preceded by a heavy
dressing of manure to maintain the humus in the
soil. On muck lands the manuring will not be nec-
essary oftener than every six or eight years, but on
sandy loams and glade lands the process should be
repeated every fourth year, and a limited amount

28 CELERY CULTURE

of rotted manure may be applied every year if
available.

In Florida and other localities where the celery
crop is matured during the winter months, it will be
necessary to apply the manure during the late win-
ter or in summer, and an early spring crop of toma-
toes or cucumbers may be grown on the land. The
commercial fertilizers are then applied while pre-
paring the land for celery in the autumn.

Home Mixing of Fertilizers. — In the selection of
fertilizers it is desirable to know the form of each
of the elements as well as the percentage contained.
Nitrogen obtained in the form of nitrate of soda
will act more quickly than that obtained from
sulphate of ammonia; phosphoric acid from dis-
solved bone is more available than the phosphate
contained in ground raw bone. Nitrate of soda
should be used frequently, but in small quantities, as
a top dressing after the celery plants are well estab-
lished in field or garden. Sulphate of ammonia, cot-
tonseed meal and bone should be applied before
planting and thoroughly intermixed with the surface
soil. By purchasing the ingredients and mixing to-
gether in the proper proportions it is possible to
save from $2.50 to $7.50 a ton, and at the same time
secure the elements in the desired form. The table
on pages 32 and 33 gives the percentages of the ele-
ments usually present in the several fertilizing in-
gredients, together with their customary prices a
pound for the element itself and the value a ton of
the ingredients containing it.

Soils of different character require a variation in

FERTILIZERS 2Q

the composition of fertilizers and the formula best
suited to any soil must be determined by careful
tests. The assumption may be safely made, how-
ever, that muck or peat soils are as a rule rich in
latent nitrogen and deficient in phosphoric acid and
potash. On soils of this character it would be
economical to apply a fertilizer of about the fol-
lowing composition: 200 pounds sulphate of am-
monia, containing 25 per cent, ammonia; 1,000
pounds high-grade acid phosphate, containing 16
per cent, available phosphoric acid; 500 pounds
muriate of potash, containing 40 per cent, actual
potash. This gives a fertilizer containing about 3
per cent, nitrogen, 9 per cent, available phospohric
acid, and 11.7 per cent, potash. A still simpler mix-
ture would consist of: 350 pounds dissolved bone,
containing 2 to 3 per cent, nitrogen and 15 per cent,
available phosphoric acid; 150 pounds muriate of
potash, containing 40 per cent, actual potash. This
will give a fertilizer containing from il/2 to 2 per
cent, nitrogen. 10.5 per cent, available phosphoric
acid, and 12 per cent, potash.

On clay or sandy soils the nitrogen is nearly
always deficient and the phosphoric acid and potash
more abundant. On very porous soils the potash
is generally present in limited quantities only. For
clay and sandy soils that are not badly leached the
following formula is suggested : 200 pounds sul-
phate of ammonia, containing 25 per cent, ammonia ;
400 pounds dissolved bone, containing 2 to 3 per
cent, ammonia and 16 per cent, available phosphoric
acid ; 300 pounds high grade blood and bone, con-

30 CELERY CULTURE

taining 10 per cent, ammonia ; 100 pounds muriate
of potash, containing 50 per cent, actual potash.
This will contain about 9 per cent, nitrogen, 6.4
per cent, available phosphoric acid, and 5 per cent,
potash.

Or this formula may be used : 100 pounds
nitrate of soda, containing 17 per cent, ammonia,
or 14 per cent, nitrogen ; 500 pounds sulphate of
ammonia, containing 25 per cent, ammonia; 400
pounds high-grade blood and bone, containing TO
to 1 1 per cent, ammonia ; 800 pounds high-grade
acid phosphate, containing 16 per cent, phosphoric
acid; 200 pounds sulphate of potash, containing 50
per cent, potash. This will contain about 9 per
cent, nitrogen, 6.4 per cent, phosphoric acid, and 5
per cent, potash.

For soils that are badly leached the potash con-
tent should be higher, and the following are sug-
gested : 600 pounds sulphate of ammonia, contain-
ing 25 per cent, ammonia; 200 pounds high-grade
blood and bone, containing 10 or n per cent, am-
monia; 800 pounds dissolved bone, containing 2 to
3 per cent, ammonia, and 16 per cent, available
phosphoric acid ; 400 pounds muriate of potash,
containing 50 per cent, potash. This contains about
9.5 per cent, nitrogen, 6 per cent, available phos-
phoric acid, and 10 per cent, potash.

Or this formula may be used : 500 pounds sul-
phate of ammonia, containing 25 per cent, ammonia;
400 pounds high-grade blood and bone, containing
10 per cent, ammonia ; 700 pounds high-grade acid
phosphate, containing 16 per cent, phosphoric acid ;

FERTILIZERS 3!

400 pounds muriate of potash, containing 50 per
cent, potash. This gives 8.25 per cent, nitrogen,
5.6 per cent, available phosphoric acid, and 10 per
cent, potash.

Each of the above formulae is based upon the
supposition that liberal dressings of nitrate of soda
will be applied during the growing season. Nitrate
of soda should not be stored in bags or in a damp
place. The bags from which the nitrate of soda
has been emptied should not be thrown in a heap,
as spontaneous combustion may result. One point
which should be borne in mind is that any mix-
ture should not contain large quantities of both
nitrate of soda and muriate of potash, as these in-
gredients are both inclined to draw moisture and
render the whole mixture difficult to handle.

In mixing fertilizer ingredients great care should
be taken that the work is thoroughly performed.
The usual method on the farm is to dump the
ingredients together in the right proportions upon
a floor and then mix by shoveling over several
times. Screening or sifting will assist in securing
a uniform mixture.

When mixing the highly-concentrated fertilizer
ingredients it is often advisable to employ a filler
in order to increase the bulk and secure a dry com-
bination that may be easily handled. Materials
suitable for this purpose are often difficult to obtain
and should be provided and stored in a dry place
until used. Road dust, peat, light sandy soil,
sifted coal ashes, leached wood-ashes, ground shells,
ground limestone, tobacco dust, gypsum or land

S >>>,>> 3 >.

S x ^ >, ^ ^

3 ,2?

r? S

*MJW*»F

'"6 "S "2 "2 "3 *S
w S S S % 8

£S 35 OS C£ M ft5

•o ^

1 K

Is sill

r^ OH oi C^ c/} c/5

000 0
\O CO t^ vO

0
O

0 000

oo in o o

U0\ 49$

2 0 Tj-' o o' 0 0\

S S

0 t
O i-i

O O O CM t^ CM
O rt T^ CM ro rt

luzipa^Sia
jo 3n\r>/[

'Q in O O O 00 O

•* o

•

TJ- vo 1*5 CM

-1

rt rt

•qj JL3$

m m m

C •

fUdUtt>l3 JO

4J tx l^ 00 OO ^t OO

'J- 00

•* 00

Tf 00 Tt ^ 00 •<*-

3nlvA

o o o o

JO 110} HI

0 00 00 CM o ^0

01 I 1 0 1
to O O O CM O

1 A

§ °p

o o o o
o vo o in CM ro

0 I CM 1 1 1

1U3W3\9 jo •yg'7

CO TT O CM

•«t O O CM

t°

ppv

: :

m in

JlAOlfQSOllty

<N ~ in vo

jo ^3vl^i^^A^J

uzSowu

Qt Ot *«

' o

„, rt TH rt 00

rO , »-H

,S,,U^,d

^ rt rt 2 ^

•

o, :

•3

• • • 4) D

... § §

« B

•g

.2 c c

G ' ' rt PJ

rt 4>

I - ;1 i

**5 o PQ 5

Mi W "0 4)

:°|s t

a »"<S 5

o, 2 *S ^ >

G
O

M
1

O
u

4>
C
O

S 0

S « A

1 1 1
1 1 I

1 1 «

112 » ^

•2 .2 .5

C C fe

Sx^xES^**

F fl

6 S * >> >>

S S

SsssSSsss

^ososos^Sososos

« «

'S "5 ^ & £

D 0) O _O £

•3 "3

Tj-ooooo^ocMO

»-ioooo\ooo^i-ito

0 0

o <o

o o

OJ 0

O O

0 0

CM OO O it O
»-H (^ i-i CM

O 01
OO tx

r-< r-i CM '"' •**• CM ^f

0 0

i §

® 0

«"

S 2 ^

Tj-

•"•

tx 10

IO to IO tO to IO CM

to to

,-. -1

1-1

•"•

o o
o ^o oo
ooooooocoojo

o
o

0 0
f*3 SO

o o

222^2

\0 0

0 vo

^J- CM IO

o «*>

10 &

00 t

CM ^ *T *T

„

I " : : :

• :

•^

' •' ' ' it '

i 2 111

6 "s ^ « -

s * 5la

2 1 S|1

£ 6 33!

High Grade Sulphate of Potash
Low Grade Sulphate of Potash

'5
^4

1
-o

Hardwood Ashes, leached . .

Tobacco Stems, ground . . .
Barnyard Manure

34 CELERY CULTURE

plaster, and low grade acid phosphate may be used
as fillers. A number of the above contain consider-
able fertilizing value in themselves, but as a rule
this should not be considered in computing the
value of the mixture.

CHAPTER V

The Production of Plants

IN order to produce a satisfactory crop of celery
it is essential to first secure good plants. Many
of the reported failures in celery growing can be
traced directly to careless methods of handling
the plants. In the first place good seed is essential,
but it can be procured from any reliable seedsman,
and the price paid should be such that the dealer
will be justified in furnishing the best that the
seed market affords. Celery seed is practically
worthless when more than one year old, and if for
any reason it is desirable to keep seed from one
year to another it should be enclosed in a close-fit-
ting tin box, or sealed in a fruit jar, and stored
where it will be free from changes of temperature
and humidity. A large percentage of celery seed
will germinate the second season, or even after a
number of years, but the plants so produced will
lack vigor and be more liable to the attacks of
disease than those from fresh seed. Owing to the
minute size of celery seed, an ounce or two will be
sufficient for the small market gardener, and a
packet will produce all the plants required for the
home garden. European-grown celery seed is pre-
ferred by most gardeners, especially of the self-
blanching sorts, although there are a number of

36 CELERY CULTURE

seed growers in this country who are producing
high-grade seed.

In many localities celery production is naturally
divided into the early or small crop, and the later
or main crop. For the early crop in the North it
will be necessary to start the plants indoors, either
in the house, greenhouse, hotbed, or cold-frame.

FIG. 10 — TRAY FOR SEED SOWING OR TRANSPLANTING

For the later or main crop the seed can be sown in
cold-frames, especially prepared beds, or in the
open ground.

Starting Plants in a Window Box. — For sowing
a small quantity of seed in the house, provide a
shallow box or tray, as illustrated in Fig. 10, bore
two or three holes in the bottom to insure drainage,
fill with soil consisting of two parts of good garden
loam, one part of well-rotted stable manure, and one
part of leaf mold or sand. The different ingredients
should be well mixed together and then sifted
through a sieve having one-fourth-inch meshes.
Fill the tray a little more than level full and then

THE PRODUCTION OF PLANTS 37

stroke off even with the top and firm the soil
slightly by means of a small piece of smooth board.
Mark off drills ]/\ inch in depth and 2 inches apart
and scatter the seeds very thinly in these. After
the seeds are distributed, place a little leaf mold or
other fine soil in the sieve and sift lightly over the
seeds. The covering should be very light, not more
than % inch deep. After the covering is sifted on,
the soil should again be slightly firmed and moist-
ened. The tray is then ready to set near a window
in a room where a living temperature is maintained
and where care can be taken that the soil is moist-
ened as often as it shows indications of dryness.

The seeds will generally germinate in about 14
days, and as soon as the ' seedlings appear the
tray must be kept where there is plenty of light. If
the plants are started in an ordinary window it may
be necessary to turn the box each day to prevent
their becoming drawn toward the light. In three
weeks after the plants appear, or when they have
formed two or three leaves in addition to the seed-
leaves, they can be pricked out or transplanted to
other boxes or into a cold-frame and given about
2 inches space in each direction for their develop-
ment.

Starting Plants in Greenhouse or Hotbed.—
Where a considerable number of extra early plants
are desired, it will be necessary to sow the seed in
a greenhouse bench or in a hotbed. If sown in a
greenhouse bench the location should be in a rather
cool part of the house and where the plants will

38 CELERY CULTURE

receive an abundance of sunlight. The young celery
plants will thrive in a night temperature of from
55 to 65° F. and 65 to 75° during the day.

Construction and Care of Hotbeds. — There
are a number of forms of hotbed, the essential
being an enclosure covered with sash and supplied
with some form of heat, usually fermenting stable
manure, to keep the plants warm and in a growing
condition. The hotbed should always face to the
south, and the south side of either a dwelling, barn,
tight board fence, hedge, or anything affording
similar protection, will furnish a good location.
In the North the hotbed should be started during
the last of February or early in March, but the seed
should not be sown until the bed has attained an
even temperature. The manure-heated hotbed will
become quite hot at first and should be made long
enough to permit the temperature to become uni-
form before sowing the seed. There are two or
three forms of hotbeds that are worthy of descrip-
tion, and the plans suggested may be modified to
suit local conditions.

Temporary Hotbeds. — A temporary hotbed is
easily constructed by the use of manure from the
horse stable as a means of furnishing the heat.
Select a well-drained location, shake out the manure
into a broad, flat heap, and thoroughly compact
it by tramping. The manure heap should be 8 to
9 feet wide, 18 to 30 inches deep when compacted,
and of any desired length, according to the num-
ber of sash to be employed. The manure employed

THE PRODUCTION OF PLANTS

in making a hotbed should contain sufficient litter^
preferably leaves or straw, to cause it to spring
slightly under the feet when being compacted.

After the manure has been properly tramped
and leveled, the frames to support the sash are
placed in position facing toward the south. These
frames are generally made to carry four standard
hotbed sash, and the front board should be 4 to 6

FIG. II — CROSS-SECTION OF TEMPORARY HOTBED

inches lower than the back, in order that water will
drain from the glass. When the frame is in posi-
tion the manure is banked up around the outside,
and about 4 inches of good garden loam is spread
evenly over the enclosed space. Sifted soil as
indicated for use in window tray is then spread
to a depth of 2 inches on top of the garden loam,
the sash placed in position and the bed allowed
to become warm. When completed the temporary
hotbed will appear as shown in Fig. n.

Permanent Hotbeds. — Hotbeds having more or
less permanence may be so constructed as to be
heated with fermenting manure, a stove, a brick

4O CELERY CULTURE

flue, or by means of radiating pipes supplied with
steam or hot water from a dwelling or other heat-
ing plant. For a permanent bed in which ferment-
ing manure is to supply the heat a pit 24 to 36
inches in depth should be provided. Connecting
to the bottom of the pit there should be a drain
to prevent the accumulation of water during a rainy

FIG. 12 — CROSS-SECTION OF PERMANENT HOTBED

season. The sides and ends of the pit should be
supported by a lining of boards, brick, concrete,
or stone, but two-inch planks are most commonly
used. For illustration of permanent hotbed con-
struction see Fig. 12.

Coverings for Hotbeds. — Standard hotbed sash
are 3x6 feet in size, and are usually constructed
of white pine or cypress. As a rule, hotbed sash
can be purchased cheaper than they can be made

THE PRODUCTION OF PLANTS 4!

locally, and are on sale by dealers in garden sup-
plies. In the colder parts of the country, in addi-
tion to glazed sash, either board shutters, straw
mats, burlap, or old carpet will be required as a
covering during cold nights. It is also desirable to
have a supply of straw or loose manure on hand
to throw over the bed in case of extremely cold
weather.

Ventilating and Watering the Hotbed. — During
bright days the hotbed will heat very quickly from
the sunshine on the glass, and it will be necessary to
ventilate during the early morning by slightly rais-
ing the sash on the opposite side from the wind.
Toward evening the sash should be closed in order
that the bed may become sufficiently warm before
nightfall. Hotbeds should be watered on bright
days and in the morning only. Watering in the
evening or on cloudy days will have a tendency to
chill the bed and increase the danger from freezing.
After watering, the bed should be well ventilated
to dry the foliage of the plants and the surface of
the soil, to prevent the plants being lost from
damping-off fungi.

Construction, Care, and Uses of Cold-frames. —
The use of the cold-frame is of more importance
to the celery grower than the hotbed. In the North
the cold-frame is used as a transplanting bed for
the early crop plants that are started in the hotbed.
The cold-frame is also desirable as a seed-bed for
the later crop plants. Toward the southern limits
of the northern celery growing belt the cold-frame
takes the place of the hotbed for early seed-bed

CELERY CULTURE

purposes. The construction of cold-frames is the
same as for temporary hotbeds, except that no
manure or other heating material is provided. Cold-
frames are covered by means of ordinary hotbed
sash, but white cotton cloth or light canvas may be
substituted for the sash. The same methods of
handling recommended for a hotbed apply to a
cold-frame and thorough ventilation should be main-
tained on bright days. Plants grown under glass
must be gradually hardened before time for plant-

J2USLJN

r*"*-— - __

'ROLLER

DEARTH

FIG. 13 — CROSS-SECTION OF COLD-FRAME WITH MUSLIN SHADE

ing in the garden or field. Hardening is accom-
plished by increasing the amount of ventilation and
exposure to sun and wind from day to day, until
finally the covering may be left off entirely, but
should be kept ready for use in case of severe cold
or frosting. The partial withholding of water will
assist in the hardening process, but great care
Should be taken that the plants do not become
severely checked in their growth. The object
should be to produce a thrifty plant, well accli-
tnated^ and ready to withstand the shock of trans-
planting.

Sterilization of Soil for Seed-bed. — Weeds are

THE PRODUCTION OF PLANTS 43

difficult to control in the seed-bed, and where the
necessary facilities are available the seeds can be
destroyed by sterilization. On a small scale, as in
preparing the window tray, place the soil in a shal-
low pan and bake for two hours in an oven at about
the proper temperature for baking bread. On a
larger scale, soil sterilization can be accomplished
by discharging live steam from a boiler directly
into the soil. The usual method of steam steriliza-
tion is to first prepare and sift the soil, then shovel
it into a box, having a coil of perforated pipe in the
bottom. When the box has been filled and covered
the steam is turned on for several hours. The usual
test to determine when sterilization has been car-
ried far enough is to place a medium-sized Irish
potato in the soil near the central top part and apply
the steam until the potato is thoroughly cooked.
Practically the same results may be accomplished
by burning a quantity of brush upon the ground
intended for seed-bed purposes. Sterilization not
only destroys weed seeds present in the soil, but
insects and fungous diseases as well.

Starting Plants in the Open Ground.— When it is
desired to secure plants in large numbers for plant-
ing the late or main crop, the seed is generally
sown in outside beds. The methods of prepar-
ing and handling these beds varies accord-
ing to the character of soil and climatic
conditions, but as a rule the land for seed-
beds is plowed in the autumn and fertilized
with about 15 tons of well-rotted stable manure
which is free from weed seeds and I ton of bone

44 CELERY CULTURE

meal to the acre. As soon as the land can be
worked in the spring the surface soil is thrown up
into long beds, each 6 or 7 feet in width with a
narrow walk between. The walks should be 4 to 6
inches lower than the surface of the beds and be
connected with a central ditch in order that they
may serve as drains. Fresh hardwood ashes, at the
rate of 1,000 pounds to the acre, and nitrate of soda
at the rate of 300 pounds to the acre, may be ap-
plied at the time the beds are made up, but should
be well worked into the soil to a depth of 4 inches.
After the beds have been raked reasonably smooth,
they should be permitted to settle for a day or two
before seeding.

Just before sowing the seed, the beds should be
raked to a clean even surface, and if a seed drill
is employed for sowing the seeds, it should be pre-
ceded by a light roller, or the soil may be smoothed
by drawing a board over it. If the seeds are to be
sown broadcast, the steel rake or Meeker harrow
will leave the soil in about the proper condition for
seeding, and the covering can be accomplished by
rolling lightly, firming with a board, or by raking
very lightly with a steel rake. Some growers pre-
fer to scatter the seeds over the freshly raked soil
and trust to the first watering or shower to cover
them sufficiently. The grower must be governed
in the matter of covering the seeds by the char-
acter and condition of the soil, but the covering
should always be light. Sowing in drills is prefer-
able to broadcasting as the spaces between the
rows can be cultivated.

THE PRODUCTION OF PLANTS 45

Care of the Outdoor Seed-bed. — Care is necessary
in watering the seed-bed and the rule should be to
water only the spots that begin to show a tendency
to dryness, although no part of the bed should be-
come dry. The best method of applying water to the
seed-bed is by means of a sprinkling can in the
hands of a competent boy. In case the bed is a
large one, the supply of water should be conducted
to different parts of the bed by means of pipes, and
a half-barrel placed under each outlet in order that
the sprinkling can may be filled easily. The beds
should be gone over very often during daylight
hours and watered only when necessary. About
three weeks' time is generally required for celery
seed sown in the open ground to appear, and this to-
gether with the two weeks following is the most
critical period in the production of a celery crop.
As soon as the seedlings appear, the watering must
be performed with the greatest of care and should
not be excessive on account of the liability of "damp-
ing-off." The damping-off fungus is not so liable
to attack celery plants grown in the open seed-bed
as those in the greenhouse or hotbed, but conditions
suitable to its development are brought about by
excessive watering and humidity.

Protection of Plant Beds. — In localities subject to
strong winds, it is often necessary to protect the
plant beds by means of shelters consisting of either
a tight board fence on one or more sides of the
beds, cotton cloth spread upon the beds before the
plants are up and afterward raised and suspended
over the beds, or by setting wide boards on edge

4)5

CELERY CULTURE

FIG. 14 — CLOTH -PROTECTED CELERY PLANT BED FOR HOME GARDEN
(By courtesy of Farming)

along the sides of the beds. When the seed-bed is
located on muck land, some protection is frequently
necessary to prevent the loose soil blowing or shift-
ing, and either covering the seedlings or blowing
the soil from around their roots. In some parts of
the country the sunshine is too strong for the
young celery seedlings, and it is necessary to pro-
vide some form of shading to prevent their being

FIG. 15 — CELERY PLANT BED UNDER SLAT SHADE

THE PRODUCTION OF PLANTS

injured. Unbleached cottonr tobacco shading cloth,
or wooden lath may be employed for this purpose,
but the lath so arranged as to give about one-half
shadow and one-half sunshine is most desirable.

Transplanting. — The young plants of celery are
greatly benefited by transplanting. So long as the
seedlings remain undisturbed in the plant bed they
develop a central straight root with few laterals.
In transplanting, this straight root becomes broken
and as a result a large mass of rootlets are formed
which work near the surface and feed the plant.
The transplanting process also provides uniform
space and development, rendering the plants better
able to withstand the setting in the open field or

FIG. 1 6 — EFFECT OF TRANSPLANTING UPON THE ROOT SYSTEM OF
CELERY PLANTS

CELERY CULTURE

garden. The seedlings, should be transplanted as
soon as they are large enough to handle, or when
they have about three true leaves. The soil in
which the seedlings are transplanted should be
made quite rich by the addition of well-rotted stable

manure and its
condition will be
greatly improved
by screening.

The effect of
transplanting is
illustrated in Fig.
1 6, which shows
celery plants
from the same
seeding, those on
the left having
been transplant-
ed when about
three weeks old,
and those o n
the right having
been left in the
seed-bed until
about six weeks

later, at which time the photo was taken. The trans-
planting process adds about $i a 1,000 to the cost of
growing the plants, and is not practical on a large
scale. This method of handling will pay well for the
early or small crop, but the late crop has more time
for its development, and the transplanting process,
although desirable, may be dispensed with.

FIG. 17 — DEVICE FOR CUTTING ROOTS OF
CELERY PLANTS IN SEED-BED

THE PRODUCTION OF PLANTS

Substitutes for Transplanting. — As a substitute
for transplanting, a number of the northern growers
employ a method of cutting under the plants and
thus severing the straight root. This root pruning
is generally performed ten days or two weeks before
the plants are required for setting in the field, and
causes numerous fibrous roots to be formed around
the remaining portion of the straight root. The
work of cutting the roots is executed by means of

FIG. l8 — TRANSPLANTING CELERY PLANTS IN FLORIDA
(Photo by Prof. W. G. Johnson)

some form of blade that can be run at a depth of
about 2 inches below the surface of the soil. One
of these cutting devices, as shown in Fig. 17, con-
sists of a sharpened blade mounted on a
frame and wheels similar to those of a warehouse
truck. The blade can be adjusted to any desired
depth and is removable for sharpening. Cutting the

5O CELERY CULTURE

main root of the plant also aids very materially in
lifting the plants at planting time. After cutting,
the plants should be well watered to prevent their
wilting.

Proper Time to Plant Seed. — From the time the
celery seed is sown until the crop is cut for packing,
it should be the aim to maintain a steady and
healthy growth. The seed-bed should contain suffi-
cient available plant food to last throughout the
time it is so occupied, and the plants should not
receive a shock or rest at any time during their
growth. When celery plants become overgrown
or crowded in the seed-bed, or arg allowed to remain
too long in the transplanting bed before setting in
the field or garden, they will undergo, a check or
rest that will be liable to cause them to run to seed
later. Seed sown too early in the house, greenhouse,
or hotbed will produce plants that are liable bpth
to run to seed and to become pithy. In fact any
severe check or prolonged period of rest is likely
to answer the same purpose in th^ life history of
the plant as wintering over, and; it will then prpduce
a seed stalk.

For the early crop in the North, sow the seeds
indoors during the first week of March — the seed-
lings should appear by March 20 — transplant to cold-
frames or to trays during the first or second week
in April, and set in the garden the ;third week in
May. This should produce celery ready for use by
the middle of August. For the main or later crop,
sow the seeds in cold-frame or protected beds dur-
ing the first week of April, transplant during the

THE PRODUCTION OF PLANTS 5!

early part of May, and set in the open ground from
June 15 to 25. This method should produce market-
able celery during the first half of October.

By calculating upon 100 days in the field, 35 days
in the transplanting bed, and 35 days in the seed-
bed, including time for germination, we have a
total of i/o days, and it is an easy matter to deter-
mine when the seed should be sown, provided the
time for the maturity of .the crop is known. In
Florida, and Similar climates, the seed is sown late
in summer and the crop matured during the winter
months. The consumption of celery reaches its
height during the period beginning with Thanks-
giving and ending with -February i, and if the crop
can be placed Oh the market during this period the
highest prices will be realized, ,-!»; .

CHAPTER VI

Planting in Field and Garden

IN the North, the early crop should be set in the
open ground as soon as danger of severe frost is
past, or from May 10 to June 5. The later or main
crop plants, should be set from June 10 to July 5.
In the southern celery-growing belt, plant setting
begins in September and continues until January or
February, although the main planting is done dur-
ing September and October. It is often possible to
select a cloudy or rainy time for setting the plants,
but if the weather is dry, with no indications of
showers, the plants should be set late in the day in
order that they may have the night to recuperate.

Lifting the Plants. — The plant bed should be well
watered several hours before the plants are lifted,
and as much soil as possible kept on the roots dur-
ing handling. If transplanted plants are being used,
they should be removed from the plant bed by run-
ning a knife blade between them in both directions
and then lifting with a cube of earth adhering to
the roots. If the plants have not been transplanted,
they should be loosened by means of a trowel or
spade and separated. Among the thriftiest plants
in the bed will be found all the rogues, or sports,
as they are commonly called, and it has often been
observed that where two or three plantings are
taken from the same bed, using the best plants each

PLANTING IN FIELD AND GARDEN 53

time, that the first lot will invariably include those
that are not true to variety type.

Broad, fiat pans, made of galvanized iron, 3 inches
deep and 16 inches in diameter, are suitable for hold-
ing the plants while they are being transported
from the plant bed and set in the field. If the
weather is dry, a layer of wet moss placed in the
bottom of each of the pans will aid greatly in keep-
ing the plants in good condition. The work of
taking up the plants is generally performed by
boys and girls or other cheap labor, but it is essen-
tial that the work should be well done, as the speed
attained by the planters and the growth of the
plants afterward depend largely upon the condition
of the plants when set. The pans containing the
plants should be either carried or carefully hauled
to the fields where the planting is being done, and
protected from drying until required for setting. If
the plants have made a vigorous growth in the
plant bed, it will be advisable to cut back the tops,
by means of a lawn mower, scythe, or sickle, in
order to reduce the drain upon the roots until the
plant becomes established in the open ground.

Packing Celery Plants for Shipment. — Where it
is desirable to ship celery plants either by express
or freight, they should be packed in a crate similar
to that shown in Fig. 19. The bottom portion of
the crate should be tight while the top part is
made as open as possible for ventilation. Before
packing the plants a layer of wet moss is placed in
the bottom of the crate and the roots set upon or
slightly imbedded in the moss. The plants should

54 CELERY CULTURE

FIG. 19 — CRATE OF CELERY PLANTS PACKED FOR SHIPMENT

be kept straight and all placed with their roots in
contact with the wet moss. When shipping plants
during very warm weather it will be necessary to
place two or three strips of wood across the crate
to separate the plants and provide additional venti-
lation. The carriers which hold six of the four-
quart cups or baskets such as are employed for
shipping fancy peaches, are desirable for transport-
ing celery plants during warm weather, as the air
has abundant circulation between the baskets and
prevents the plants becoming heated in transit.
Thousands of celery plants are lost from heating
in transit, and this loss can be avoided by packing
in small lots or providing plenty of ventilation
spaces.

Setting in the Open Ground. — A short time before
planting, the finishing touches should be given the
land, either by means of a light harrow, roller, or,
best of all, by floating with the drag constructed of
square scantlings as shown in Fig. 6. The marker

PLANTING IN FIELD AND GARDEN

should be kept at hand during the entire time of
planting and the rows marked as required for set-
ting, in order that the marks may be fresh at the
time the plant is set. If possible the rows should
run north and south, as this gives sunshine part of
the day on each side of the row. The plan of hav-
ing boys to drop the plants ahead of the planters
is not recommended, as the roots become dried
more or less before they are set in the soil. The
proper method is to have the plants well placed in
the pans and a boy on hand to assist the planters
and replace the pans as they are emptied. The men
who do the planting generally work upon their
knees, as shown in Fig. 20, and should be provided
with knee pads made of leather and padded with
felt. When the plants are set and the soil well
pressed down around them, they should be just
a little below the general level of the soil, but
not low enough to become covered by heavy

FIG.

-SETTING CELERY PLANTS IN FIELD

CELERY CULTURE

rains. Where the plain, flat shoe marker is
used, it may be necessary to employ a dibble for
making the holes in which to set the plants, but
with the wheel marker as shown in Fig. 9 the work

of planting may be
done entirely by the
hands. For illus-
trations of differ-
ent types of dibbles
see Fig. 21. Setting
celery plants in the
field is slow work

and forms one of
the chief items of

FIG. 21 — DIBBLES FOR USE IN SETTING
CELERY PLANTS

expense in grow-
ing the crop. Transplanting machines are not
practical for setting celery as the plants cannot
be handled rapidly enough. The cost of setting an
acre of celery varies with the condition of both soil
and plants, planting distances, and efficiency of
labor, but will not be less than $15 or more than
$25.

Distances to Plant. — The planting distances must
necessarily be governed by the method of blanch-
ing to be employed, and by the fertility of the soil.
The principal methods of setting are single row,
double row, and solid beds. The single and double
row plantings can be blanched either with boards
or by banking with earth, the alleys being made
wider for blanching with earth. By the solid bed
method the blanching is performed by shoveling
earth between the plants, or if a heavy growth be

58 CELERY CULTURE

secured the plants will form sufficient foliage to
exclude the light and blanch themselves.

Planting in single rows 3 feet apart, with the
plants 4 inches apart in the rows, for blanching with
boards will undoubtedly give the best possible
yield, but requires 29,000 ^square feet of boards to
blanch an acre at one time. Twelve-inch boards
will blanch a double row, with the plants 6 inches
apart each way, and by planting the double rows 4
feet apart on centers, 21,000 square feet of lumber
is sufficient to blanch an acre at one time, and the

TABLE II. PLANTING DISTANCES

Distance

Method

Lumber

Number

between

required.

of plants

rows

plants

blanching

Sq. Ft.

to acre

inches

3 Feet, single <. .

Boards

29,000

44,000

4 Feet, double . „

6x6

Boards

21,000

44,000

5 Feet, single . r

Earth

25,000

6 Feet, double . .

6x6

Earth

28,000

Solid beds, one-half

land occupied .

8x8

Self-shading

49,000

number of plants is the same in either case.
Blanching with earth requires that the spaces or
alleys between the rows shall be at least 4 or 5 feet,
and where the plants are set in double rows this
space should be at least 6 feet on centers.

Where the land for growing celery is extremely
fertile and the area limited in size, the plan of
planting in solid beds may be resorted to, but is not

PLANTING IN FIELD AND GARDEN 59

recommended on a large scale. By planting 8
inches apart each way, and devoting one-half the
available space to beds, an acre would require 49,000
plants for setting. See Table II, planting distances.
This method of growing celery is frequently alluded
to as "The New Celery Culture," but plants grown
in this way require more hand labor for their culti-
vation, are more subject to disease, and as a rule
will not produce as much marketable celery to the
acre as by any one of the other planting methods.

Overcoming Unfavorable Conditions at Planting
Time. — Where celery is grown under conditions
that are not entirely suited to its requirements, it
may be necessary to provide special facilities for
the care and protection of the plants until they
become established in the open ground. When
planting in soil, that is deficient in moisture, or
where it is impossible to get the soil into proper
mechanical condition, the plants will be greatly
benefited by dipping their roots in a thin slime of
clay and water as they are removed from the plant
bed. This process is commonly termed "puddling"
and covers each rootlet with a coating of moist clay
which protects it from the air and insures a perfect
contact with the soil when the plant is set. When
setting celery plants in dry earth, the soil should
not be entirely filled in around them until a small
amount of water has been applied, then the dry soil
should be drawn over that which has been moist-
ened in order to prevent baking.

Mulching. — If a heavy clay soil, or a very light
sandy soil, only, is available for the growing of the

60 CELERY CULTURE

home supply of celery, it will be desirable to apply
a mulch of some kind along the rows. As soon as
the plants are in position, and before any water is
applied, cover the ground for a distance of 8 or 10
inches on either side with any finely-divided mate-
rial that will shade the top of the soil, hold the mois-
ture, and prevent a crust being formed after water-
ing. Half-rotted manure is preferable for this pur-
pose, as in addition to acting as a mulch it has
considerable fertilizing value. Among materials
that may be used as a mulch are pine needles,
leaves, cornstalks run through the cutter, and clip-
pings from the lawn, none of which, however, are
as good as manure. Have the material to be used
as a mulch near at hand, and as the plants are set
cover the soil around them to a depth of 2 inches,
bringing the mulch close to the base of the plant,
but being careful to allow none to get into the
heart.

CHAPTER VII

Cultivation

Frequency of Cultivation. — Frequent, shallow
cultivation should be practiced from the time the
plants are set in field or garden until the blanching
process is well under way. At first the cultivation
may be quite near the plants, but after active
growth begins the roots of celery are to be found
close to the surface and the cultivation should not
be so deep or near the plants. The rule should be
to stir the surface once each week in dry weather,
and as soon after showers or watering as the soil
is dry enough to work, in order that the air may
enter the soil freely.

In a short time after the celery is planted in the
field it will be necessary to give at least one careful
hand working to remove the weeds and loosen the
soil around the plants. After the plants become
large enough to shade the soil there will be no
further difficulty with weeds near the row, and
frequent cultivation will keep the middles clean.
The effects of drouth may in most cases be met by
frequent shallow cultivation, supplemented by the
use of water if available.

Tools Adapted to Celery Cultivation. — For the
growing of the home supply of celery special tools
will not be required and the work can be performed
by means of implements ordinarily used for culti-

CELERY CULTURE

vating the garden. Where any considerable quan-
tity of celery is grown it will be economy to provide

FIG. 23— ONE-HORSE CULTIVATOR

a few special tools for its cultivation. The harrow-
toothed cultivator, having 12 to 16 slender teeth, is
one of the best tools for celery cultivation. A rake-

FIG. 24 — WHEEL HOE FOR CELERY CULTIVATION1'

CULTIVATION 63

like leveling attachment to the cultivator is useful,
as it may be run quite close to the row without
going deeply into the soil. The greater part of the
hand work can be accomplished by means of some
form of wheel hoe which may be run very near the
small plants without injuring them. This imple-
ment is also desirable for cultivating a small area
of celery in the home garden.

There are also a number of small hand tools that
are desirable for working among the plants, espe-

FIG. 25 — HAND-WEEDING TOOLS FOR WORKING AROUND CELERY

PLANTS

cially in the culture of celery on a small scale. (Fig.
25.) A very serviceable tool may be constructed
by driving three or four wire nails through the end
of a lath and using as a rake for loosening the soil
between the plants; this tool is especially adapted
for working the soil in the plant beds.

Toward the latter part of the growing season the
roots of the celery will extend entirely across the
rows and the cultivator should be replaced by some
form of sweep that will merely drag over the sur-
face. A tool for this purpose can be improvised by

64 CELERY CULTURE

removing the teeth from a one-horse cultivator and
bolting two pieces of 2x4-inch scantling on the
under side of the frame in the form of a letter V
with the open part toward the front ; the narrow
portion should not quite join, but there should be
a space of about 6 inches at the back through which
the soil may pass freely. If the weather is extreme-
ly dry this sweep should be run between the rows
at least twice a week to keep the surface loose and
maintain a dust mulch.

CHAPTER VIII

Irrigation

IN its natural habitat the celery plant is found in
low, moist places, where there is an abundance of
moisture at the roots and freedom from flooding.
Celery will not thrive in sour, stagnant soil but
requires that the water with which it is supplied be
pure and that there should be free movement of the
moisture in the soil. An excess of moisture in any
soil will exclude the air, and without air in the
soil the plants will not thrive. Excessive watering
is detrimental and the chances of producing a good
crop are on the side of thorough cultivation in
connection with the natural rainfall, rather than
constant watering and neglect of cultivation. This
fact is demonstrated by the results of a rainy season
when proper cultivation is impossible and an infe-
rior crop is the result. Too many of our celery
growers attempt to force the growth of their plants
by frequent watering, and at the same time neglect-
ing cultivation. When necessary to irrigate, give
the land a thorough soaking and as soon afterward
as possible stir the surface soil to form a mulch and
continue to cultivate frequently until desirable to
apply more water.

Sources of Water for Irrigation. — The principal
sources of water for irrigation purposes in the celery
growing districts are lakes, rivers, small streams,

66 CELERY CULTURE

shallow and flowing wells. In localities where flow-
ing wells are possible, this is the cheapest source of
water for watering celery. We occasionally find a
location where the water can be brought from some
higher elevation and delivered in the celery fields by
gravitation, but, as a rule, some form of pumping
machinery to lift and deliver the water will be
required. Where the lift is not great — that is, not
over 20 feet in all — the pumping can very easily be
done by means of some form of rotary or centrifu-
gal pump which may be driven either by a steam or
gasoline engine.

Quantity of Water Required. — The quantity of
water required for the production of a crop of celery
is in most cases not great, and rarely exceeds 5
inches over the entire surface during the period of
growth in the field. The application of five water-
ings of i inch each to an acre will require the han-
dling of 136,000 gallons of water, or a little over
27,000 gallons at a watering. This is not a large
amount of water for handling by a large pump and
the cost of applying will vary under different con-
ditions. As a rule the actual cost of watering an
acre of celery, if the work is done on a compara-
tively large scale, should not exceed $i an acre for
each watering, or $5 for the entire season. Celery
requires the most water at the time when it is
making its greatest growth, which occurs late in
the summer. As the crop approaches maturity, the
water should be applied sparingly, as the soil
evaporation is not so great at that time of the year,
and when the soil becomes too moist it is difficult

IRRIGATION 67

to get it dry enough to work. Excessive moisture
in the soil at the end of the season will invariably
produce celery of inferior flavor and poor shipping
qualities.

Irrigation on Muck Soils. — On low lying peat or
muck soils, it may not be necessary to apply any
water in addition to the natural rainfall, but irriga-
tion is almost indispensable on clay or sandy upland
soils. Muck or peat soils are generally located in a
basin or depression of the surrounding soil forma-
tion, and by pumping on water continuously the
muck will absorb it until saturated and the water
will rise almost to the surface. This should be
avoided as the soil will become water-logged and the
celery plants will be permanently injured. If it is
found that sufficient moisture cannot be maintained
in the surface soil by frequent shallow cultivation,
it may then be necessary to resort to irrigation, but
some form of surface irrigation is preferable to flood-
ing the muck basin and raising the water table in
the soil. The underlying muck, which has not been
exposed to the action of the air for centuries, is
filled with the acids of decaying vegetable matter,
and these acids are injurious to the roots of plants
with which they come in contact.

Methods of Irrigating. — There are three princi-
pal systems of irrigation used by the celery grow-
ers of this country: (i) surface ditches, (2) over-
head sprinklers, and (3) subirrigation. Each of
these systems has its adaptations and limitations
which determine the possibility of its employment
under given conditions.

68 CELERY CULTURE

Wooden Flumes and Open Ditches. — Where the
open ditch system of distributing the water is em-
ployed, the water can be conveyed from the pump
to the ditches by means of a long wooden trough
constructed by nailing three planks together and
leaving the top open. Where a large field is to be
watered, the trough or flume may be run entirely
along one side and secondary flumes taken off at
intervals to distribute the water to the ditches. The
secondary or distributing flumes should cross the
ditches and be raised about I foot from the ground,
openings being provided in the bottom of the flume
for the discharge of the water into the ditches. The
openings or traps in the bottom of the flume should
be cut with sloping edges and a piece of plank
having the same shape fitted to them in order to
stop the flow of water into any particular ditch.
Where the distributing flumes join the main flume
they should be provided Avith gates to control the
water, or the end of the distributing flume may
be placed beneath the main flume and the water
discharged through a trap in the bottom of the
main flume. The flumes will necessarily be sup-
ported upon trestles or posts set in the ground and
the end next .the pump must be raised several feet,
unless the ground slopes naturally, in order that
the water may flow freely through the flumes and
into the ditches.

Iron pipes may be employed instead of the wood
flumes, numerous tees being inserted in the lines of
pipe for the discharge of the water. These open-
ings should be plugged and the plugs removed

IRRIGATION 69

when it is desired to attach a piece of hose at the
opening for rilling the ditches within reach ; the
hose may then be detached, the plug replaced, and
the hose moved to the next opening. With a hose
50 feet long it will only be necessary to have the
openings every 100 feet along the line of pipe.
Valves will be found more desirable than plugs for
closing the openings, but their use adds consider-
ably to the expense of installation. A threaded
nipple should be inserted in one end of the hose
for attaching it to the pipe, and one and one-fourth-
inch hose will be found to be the most convenient
size for general use.

The iron pipes are more desirable than the
wooden flumes, as they can be laid upon the ground
or on blocks and do not require leveling or grading,
the only requisite being that the source of supply
of the water be somewhat higher than the delivery
openings, or that the water be driven through the
pipes under pressure. In the autumn, after the irri-
gation work is finished, the pipes should be carefully
drained to prevent freezing, or be disconnected and
placed under shelter until the following season.
Galvanized pipes are preferable, or if black pipe
be employed it should be painted on the outside
with mineral paint or asphaltum varnish from time
to time to prevent rusting.

Overhead Sprinkler Systems. — One of the most
satisfactory methods of applying water to the sur-
face of the ^soil is the deluge sprinkler system. By
this method, lines of iron pipes are laid on the sur-
face of the soil 16 or 18 feet apart, with upright

7O CELERY CULTURE

pipes about 3 feet high every 16 or 18 feet along
their length. At the top of each upright is placed a
distributer, known as a deluge sprinkler, which will
spread the water very evenly over the entire sur-
face between the uprights. This system has its dis-
advantages ; it is costly to install, the lines of pipe
and uprights are in the way of cultivation, and the

FIG. 26 — DELUGE SPRINKLER SYSTEM OF IRRIGATING

pipes must be taken up at the end of each season
and relaid at the beginning of the next.

The expense of pumping is greater than for the
open ditch system, as the water must be driven
through the pipes under a pressure of at least 50
pounds to the square inch in order that the sprink-
lers will distribute it uniformly. An eight to ten-
horse power pump, with a three-inch suction
and two and one-half-inch discharge pipe, will be re-
quired to operate 16 of these sprinklers at one time,
but these will thoroughly soak an area of about 20
square rods every 15 minutes, or i acre every two

O (/I

2 fl

72 CELERY CULTURE

hours. With the cost of fuel and oils for a ten-hour
day at $5, and the wages of two men at $3, the cost for
running expenses of watering five acres would be at
the rate of $1.60 an acre for each watering, or $8 an
acre for the entire season. To equip one acre with
the deluge sprinkler system will require the follow-
ing materials :

200 feet of 2 ft -inch black pipe . . . $38.00 to $44.00

2,350 feet of 1 "4 -inch black pipe . . . 140.00 to 180.00

300 feet of 1-inch black pipe . . . . 15.00 to 20.00

110 deluge sprinklers . . . . . . 25.00 to 25.00

110 1-inch nipple elbows 5.00 to 6.00

110 1J4 x 1J4 x 1-inch tees 6.00 to 8.00

11 2l/2 x2y2 x 1^4-inch tees .... 2.00 to 3.00

' 11 1 J4 x 6-inch nipples 1.00 to 1.50

11 1 }4 -inch plugs .50 to .50

11 lJ4-inch gate valves 12.50 to 20.00

Cutting and threading 2 J^ -inch pipe to

uniform lengths 2.00 to 2.50

Total exclusive of main leading to field and

labor of laying pipes $247.00 to $310.50

This estimate does not include any share of cost
for pumping outfit, main pipe leading to field, or
source of water supply, as it is assumed these will
be a necessary part of any watering system. In
using the sprinkler system it is preferable to apply
the water at a time when the sunshine is not at its
height in order to avoid scalding. (See Fig. 26 for
illustration of deluge sprinkler in operation.)

Another method of irrigating celery or similar
crops by overhead sprinkling is that known as the
Skinner system, consisting of a long line of pipe
supported 4 to 10 feet from the ground upon posts

IRRIGATION

and so mounted that it will turn freely upon its
bearings. At intervals of every 4 feet along one
side of the pipe holes are drilled and small brass
nozzles inserted. At one end the pipe is connected
to the water main by means of a flexible ground
joint which will permit of its being revolved. The
nozzles are turned to one side and the water applied,
and as the plants become sufficiently watered the
pipe is gradually turned until the other side is

FIG. 28 — CROSS-SECTION SHOWING ARRANGEMENT OF TILES FOR

SUBIRRIGATION
(Redrawn from Farmers' Bui. No. 255, U. S. Dept. of.Agr.)

reached. In this way a strip of ground from 50 to
150 feet in width may be watered, but the width of
the strip will depend largely upon the direction and
velocity of the wind, and the lines of pipe should be
placed at intervals of not more than 50 feet.

Subirrigation as Applied to Celery Growing. — By
the subirrigation method the water is applied to the
roots of the plants through drain tiles or perforated
pipes laid on a level a few inches below the surface
of the soil. This system is especially adapted to
use in back-yard gardens where water under pres*
sure is available, and where the area under cultiva-
tion is small. Subirrigation will prove most satis-
factory where the surface soil is underlaid with clay

74 CELERY CULTURE

or some hardpan that will prevent the escape of the
water. Openings to the tiles should be provided at
least every 100 feet for the admission of the water,
and the watering may be accomplished by inserting
the end of a hose and allowing the water to run into
the tile for a short time. By this method the water
finds its way into the soil through the joints of the
tiles, while the surface soil may be kept quite dry
and under frequent cultivation. A cross-section of
soil showing the proper arrangement of tiles is
shown in Fig. 28.

The subirrigation system of watering is being
applied on rather a large scale by the celery growers
around Sanford, Florida. Here the celery fields are

&
A

VEGETABLE GARDEN
B

WALK

BERRIES

FIG. 29 — PLAN OF SUBIRRIGATION SYSTEM ADAPTED TO BACK-YARD
GARDEN

IRRIGATION

located along the sloping border of a lake ; the water
is procured from flowing wells located at the upper
side of the slope. Leading from the higher ground
toward the lake are wooden flumes set into the
ground to a depth of about 12 inches. Nearly every
20 feet along the flume there are openings into lines
of three-inch drain tiles laid practically on a level

•

r r

r -

i r

A
c=

i i
i i
i i

I i
i i

G !

1
I

FIG. 30 — PLAN OF SUBIRRIGATION SYSTEM AS EMPLOYED IN FLORIDA
A, well; B, head flume; C, distributing flumes; D, open ditch; E, sub-
irrigation tiles; F, sluice gates; G, check gates

across the slope and at right angles to the flume.
The opening into the tile is controlled by means of
a slide which is raised for the admission of water.
A few inches below the opening into the tile is
located a check board which does not extend to the
top of the flume, but serves to back the water into
the tile and permit the surplus to flow over and

76 CELERY CULTURE

pass on to the next tile. The water entering the
tiles finds its way to the soil through the openings
between them and gradually works down the slope
toward the next line of tiles. During rainy seasons
the wells are closed down, the check gates and over-
flows all removed, and the irrigation system is made
to serve as a means of draining the land. A plan of
this system is shown in Fig. 30.

Temperature of Water for Celery Irrigation. —
As celery thrives best under cool conditions it is
desirable to use water at a rather low temperature
for irrigation. Warm, stagnant water, that has lain
for days exposed to the heat of the sun, should not
be used for irrigating celery. Water that is pumped
direct from wells and which has a natural tempera-
ture of from 50 to 60 degrees is preferable.

CHAPTER IX

Diseases of Celery

IN the production of a small quantity of celery for
home use, plant diseases are not liable to cause
serious difficulty, but on a large scale where many
thousands of plants are grown together the chance
of infection is greater. In the commercial produc-
tion of celery it is necessary to observe every possi-
ble precaution to avoid loss from disease. Climatic
conditions play an important part in the control of
celery diseases. Owing to prevailing atmospheric
conditions, which favor the spread and development
of diseases, certain localities are not suited to the
production of celery, although the soil and market-
ing facilities may be ideal. In regions where celery
can ordinarily be grown without loss from diseases
there will occasionally be a season during which a
large portion of the crop will be affected. A warm,
humid atmosphere with sultry nights is liable to
develop diseases, but cool nights with clear atmos-
phere and bright sunshine during the day furnishes
ideal conditions for holding diseases in check. The
self-blanching varieties are more subject to the
attacks of diseases than the stronger-growing green
kinds.

Damping. — Immediately after the seedlings ap-
pear they are subject to attack from the disease
known as "damping," which causes the stem and

^g CELERY CULTURE

root to decay near the surface of the soil. Damping
may be attributed to any of the following fungi :
Sclerotima liberiiana, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium.
The greatest liability of injury from this source is
during the first two weeks after the seedlings appear.
Plenty of light, care in watering, and thorough ven-
tilation are the only satisfactory methods of pre-
venting loss from damping. If the plant bed is in
the open ground it may be necessary to shelter it
from continuous rains, and a light dusting with dry
Bordeaux mixture may prove beneficial. As a pre-
caution against damping, seedlings that are in trays
may be subwatered by setting each tray for a few
minutes in a shallow trough, allowing the water to
enter the bottom of the tray through the drainage
holes and moistening the soil without wetting the
surface.

Blight1. — The disease of celery known as "blight"
is caused by Cercospora apii, which attacks the
leaves of the plants, appearing as grayish spots
which turn brown or to a burned appearance within
a few days. The commercial celery crop is greatly
injured by the blight and the disease is liable to
appear at any time after the plants are set in the
open field. The blight generally appears first upon
the outside leaves and rapidly spreads until the
whole plant is infected. Warm days and nights
with a high degree of moisture in the atmosph'ere
are conditions suitable to the development of blight.
Cool nights and a dry atmosphere will generally

1 U. S. Dept. of Agr., Farmers' Bui. No. 148.

DISEASES OF CELERY 79

check the attack, and the plants will sometimes out-
grow the disease, but the product will not be first-
class. When the blight has become welj established
it is then too late for effective remedial measures,

FIG. 31 — LEAF AFFECTED WITH CELERY BLIGHT (CerCOSpOTO, dpll)
(Redrawn from Halsted, N. J. Expr. Sta. Special Bui. 1902)

and while its progress may be checked it is doubtful
if it can be eradicated. If the plants are kept grow-
ing vigorously from the very start, and proper culti-
vation maintained throughout the growing season,
there will be little danger from blight.

CELERY CULTURE

Another form of leaf blight, and which is com-
monly confused with the ordinary blight, is caused
by the fungus known as Septoria petroselini1 var.

FIG. 32 — CELERY LEAF AFFECTED WITH A BLIGHT

(Septoria pctroselini var. «/>//)
(Redrawn from Halsted)

apii. In general appearance this disease is very sim-
ilar to the ordinary blight, and the treatment is the
same in either case.

Leaf Spot. — This disease, while similar to the
blight in its action, is somewhat different in general

*N. Y. Expr. Sta. Bui. No. 51.

DISEASES OF CELERY

appearance. Leaf spot is caused by the fungus
which bears the name Phyllosticta apii1 and differs
from the blight in that it makes its appearance in

FIG. 33 — CELERY LEAF AFFECTED WITH LEAF-SPOT

(Phyllosticta apii)
(Redrawn from Halsted)

the form of dark brown spots and gradually spreads
until the whole leaf is covered.

Celery Rust1. — The true rust of celery is caused
by the fungus known as Puccinia bullata, and ap-
pears in the form of numerous small, reddish-brown
spots on the leaves. Celery rust has not yet made
its appearance in this country, but it is only a mat-
ter of time until it will become widely distributed.

Blanch-rot or Heart-rot. — Professor Halsted of

1 New Jersey Expr. Sta. Special Bui.

CELERY CULTURE

the New Jersey station describes a bacterial disease
which attacks the hearts of celery, causing them to
decay very quickly, especially in the presence oi
warmth and considerable moisture. This is evi-
dently the disease which frequently causes the loss
of celery in storage. When attacked by this disease,

FIG. 34 — CELERY LEAF AFFECTED WITH RUST (Puccinia
ENLARGED PORTION AT RIGHT
(Redrawn from Halsted)

the stalks, and especially those in the heart of the
plant, turn a dark brown or black color, soften and
decay very quickly. This disease is often observed
where celery is blanched by means of boards during
extremely warm weather. The blanch-rot or heart-
rot can be controlled in the storage house by ven-
tilation, cooling, and care that the tops of the celery
do not become wet.

Root-knot. — This disease appears in the form of
numerous nodules upon the roots of celery, and is
caused by the fungus Heterodera radicicola. Root-

DISEASES OF CELERY 83

knot seems to appear on plants growing on soils
which have been heavily manured shortly before
planting to celery. Very little is known about this
disease, but, as a remedy, it may be desirable to
devote the land to some other crop for two or three
years.

Prevention and Control of Celery Diseases. —
While there are no specific remedies for the diseases
of celery when they become established, consider-
able may be accomplished by way of preventing and
controlling them. If celery is being grown on a
large scale it will be advisable to begin the pre-
ventive measures while the plants are in the plant
bed, and continue the treatment until the blanch-
ing process begins. Thorough spraying every ten
days or two weeks with mixtures containing cop-
per, especially ammoniacal carbonate of copper and
Bordeaux mixture, will generally be sufficient to
prevent the diseases getting started. As a result
of experiments conducted at the Maryland agricul-
tural experiment station by Dr. C. O. Townsend 1 it
was demonstrated that shading was of some assist-
ance in combating the blight of celery, but that com-
plete immunity was obtained by spraying frequently
with the ammoniacal carbonate of copper solution.
This solution is prepared by dissolving I ounce
of copper carbonate in just enough ammonia water
to completely dissolve the copper and then dilute
to 9 gallons with cold water. The strength of
commercial ammonia water varies so greatly that
no definite amount can be given, but it is generally

1 Maryland Expr. Sta. Bui. No. 74.

84 CELERY CULTURE

about one pint for an ounce of copper carbonate.
Care should be exercised that all of the ammonia
is acted upon by the copper or burning of the
leaves may result. Before adding the copper car-
bonate the ammonia water should be diluted with
2 or 3 pints of cold water. A stock solution may be
prepared and an amount containing I ounce of cop-
per carbonate diluted to 9 gallons for use.

Bordeaux mixture for use on celery is prepared
by slaking 6 pounds of fresh quicklime in sufficient
water to prevent its burning, then adding water to
make 25 gallons of the milk of lime. At the same
time dissolve 6 pounds of copper sulphate, also
known as bluestone, and blue vitriol, by placing it in
a porous burlap bag and suspending it in 25 gallons
of water. When required for use, these solutions
are well stirred and poured simultaneously into a
cask or barrel of sufficient size to hold the entire
amount. (See Fig. 35.) The solutions should be
passed through a strainer as they are being mixed
in order to remove any particles that would interfere
with the working of the pump or spray nozzles.
Stock solutions of the lime and copper may be pre-
pared ready for dilution and use at any time by dis-
solving the lime and copper in separate tanks at the
rate of i pound to a gallon of water. In making the
mixture from the stock solutions stir well and then
take 6 gallons of each and add 38 gallons of water,
making 50 gallons in all. Bordeaux mixture should
be used as soon as made, and while the copper solu-
tion will keep indefinitely the lime will give better
results if freshly slaked. Bordeaux mixture will

DISEASES OF CELERY 85

stain and discolor the plants and for this reason the
ammoniacal solution of copper is more desirable for
use on celery.

Spraying of this nature is frequently performed
by means of a knapsack sprayer, but on a large scale

FIG. 35 — THE PROPER WAY TO MAKE BORDEAUX
(From W. G. Johnson)

some form of spraying machine will be desirable.
There are several horse-drawn spraying machines
upon the market, a number of which are fitted for
spraying three to five rows at one time. (See Fig.
36.) In spraying celery it should be the aim to
reach every part of the plant with a fine spray, and
unless the work is done very thoroughly it will fail
of accomplishing the desired result. The plants
should be sprayed at least once before leaving the
plant bed, and from four to six times while in the
field.

86 CELERY CULTURE

Many of the large growers of celery have discon-
tinued spraying owing to the cost of materials,
equipment, and labor, preferring an occasional loss
of a large part of the crop from blight. A high state
of fertility and thorough cultivation are of impor-

FIG. 36 — HOME-MADE SPRAYING MACHINE

tance in the prevention of diseases, but thorough
spraying may frequently save the crop. The soil
upon which the celery is grown should be kept in a
sanitary condition by removing all diseased plants
and refuse from the field after harvesting each crop.
The usual method is to plow under all refuse mat-
ter and abandoned plants, entire crops that are
badly infected by disease being frequently treated

• DISEASES OF CELERY 87

in this manner. This is an easy way to dispose of
the refuse, but at the same time a dangerous pro-
ceeding if the land is to be devoted to celery the
following season.

Pithiness of Celery. — The term "pithy" is em-
ployed to designate any form of soft or hollow stem
in the mature celery plant. In a bed of celery plants
there are frequently a few of a bright green color
which outgrow the others and usually have hollow
stems. These rank-growing plants' are called
"sports" or "rogues," and they can generally be de-
tected when the plants are removed from the plant
bed. Seed from a poorly-selected strain of celery
will frequently produce a large percentage of plants
that do not differ in appearance from the others, but
which develop pithy or hollow stems during the
growing season.

A special strain or type, such for example as the
Golden Self-blanching variety, is obtained by cross-
ing and a certain number of the plants are con-
stantly reverting to the original parent types. In
order to keep the strain pure it is necessary that
the seed growers should continually cull out all
plants that do not conform to the desired type. The
French growers of celery seed have attained a high
degree of perfection in maintaining pure strains,
and until it has been shown that American-grown
seed will produce as good results as the French it
will be desirable to plant only the imported article.
At the present time about 85 per cent, of the Golden
Self-blanching celery seed used in America is pro-
duced in France and adjacent territory. Seed grown

88 CELERY CULTURE

in Prussia, Denmark, and England has given very
unsatisfactory results, frequently one-half of the
plants being either hollow, pithy, or untrue to type.
A strain of French-grown celery seed known as
Gilt Edge or Originators Golden Self-blanching has
frequently shown a trueness to name and type of
100 per cent. As a rule the price of first class
French grown seed is considerably higher than that
of American seed, but, for the present, it is well
worth the difference in cost. American-grown seed
of White Plume and also of a number of the large
growing green varieties appears to be giving as
good satisfaction as any other.

During recent years a number of experiments
have been conducted at the Maryland station to
determine the cause and remedies for pithiness in
celery. x In all of these trials the plants grown from
French seed gave the lowest number of pithy, hol-
low, and green stalks, no imperfection whatever
being found in several cases. In these experiments,
shading and several special cultural features were
introduced, but it was clearly shown that the fault
was primarily with the methods, or lack of methods,
in growing the seed. Seed grown from pithy plants
produced as high as 100 per cent, of similar charac-
ter, while that from solid plants gave a large per-
centage of perfect type. Many thousands of seeds
are produced by a single plant, and one pithy seed
plant in many would be sufficient to lower the grade
of the entire lot of seed.

Maryland Agr. Expr. Sta. Buls. Nos. 83 and 93.

DISEASES OF CELERY 89

True pithiness in celery is similar to a disease in
that it may frequently be prevented by proper cul-
tural conditions. Recent observations have shown
that either too rank growth in the seed-bed or a
severe check will increase the percentage of soft
stems. If the celery is allowed to remain too long
upon the ground after having been blanched, the
outer stems have a tendency to become pithy,
although the heart of the plant may not be affected.
The pithy development of the outer stems is usually
accompanied by a rapid enlargement of the fleshy
root as a natural result of the maturing of the plant
and the storing of nourishment to be used the fol-
lowing season in the production of seed.

General Suggestions. — It will be observed that the
liability of injury from celery diseases is due largely
to inherited tendencies, and that all conditions must
be reasonably favorable before the disease will de-
velop. Keeping the crop in a vigorous growing con-
dition is always advisable, and the use of fungicides
as a preventive measure is recommended wherever
practical. It must be borne in mind that spraying
will be of little service unless begun before the
appearance of any disease, and that the solutions
must be applied frequently and to every part of the
plant.

CHAPTER X

Insects and Other Animals Injurious to Celery

THE fact that the taste for celery has to be ac-
quired may account, in a measure, for its having
so few insect and other enemies. The unbleached
stems of celery have a strong aromatic flavor which
acts as a repellent to protect the plant. Celery be-
ing a comparatively new garden crop, may partially
account for the small number of its enemies, but
the list of species that feed upon it is constantly
increasing. Growers should be on their guard to
detect any insects injuring celery, and if doing any
considerable damage, a report, together with live
specimens, should be sent to the state experiment
station or to the Bureau of Entomology of the De-
partment of Agriculture at Washington, for infor-
mation regarding the best methods of combating the
pest. Most insects that prey upon this class of
plants, spend the winter under refuse in the garden
or celery field, in the surrounding weeds, and along
fences. Every possible means should be employed
to destroy the hibernating insects and prevent their
appearance in increased numbers the following sea-
son. It is not practical to apply poisonous solutions
to the growing celery, except while the plants are
young, and hand picking is generally recommended
for destroying celery-feeding insects.

INSECTS INJURIOUS TO CELERY QI

Grasshoppers. — During the early growth of the
celery, the plants are frequently attacked by grass-
hoppers. These insects are especially injurious
when the celery is planted near meadows, as they
are liable to attack the celery plants after the hay
has been harvested. Where no fowls or live stock
can possibly be injured, the grasshoppers may be
poisoned by means of wheat bran, to which there

FIG. 37 — CELERY LEAF-TVER (Phlyctaenla ferrugalis)

a, b, adult moth; c, larva; d, pupa; e, leaf drawn together by larva
(Redrawn from Farmers' Bulletin No. 148)

has been added molasses and water with sufficient
Paris green to give the mixture a slightly green
color.

The Celery Leaf-tyer (Phlyctaenia 'ferrugalis) . —
This insect frequently becomes troublesome as it
not only destroys the leaves by eating them, but
also by spinning a web and tying them together.
The leaf-tyer is well distributed and may at any
time appear in sufficient numbers to be a pest in the

92 CELERY CULTURE

celery fields. Hand picking has been found satis-
factory for keeping this insect under control, but
should they become very numerous it may be neces-
sary to trap the moths by means of open lamps at
night. Spraying with arsenites might be practiced
in cases where the larvae have become very plenti-
ful, but the solution should be so applied as to cover
the under side of the leaves where the insects feed.

The Celery Caterpillar (Papilla asterias). — This
is the most conspicuous of the celery insects, and
perhaps the most harmful. It feeds upon the leaves
and a single larva will strip the foliage from a plant
in one or two days. Owing to its size and yellow
color, with black transverse bands, it is easily seen
against the background of green leaves. The celery
caterpillar does not appear in large numbers and
hand picking will control it.

The Zebra Caterpillar (Mamestra picta)1. — This
insect is much smaller than the regular celery cater-
pillar but fully as striking in appearance. It is often
quite abundant, but is easily recognized and can be
controlled by hand picking.

The Tarnished Plant-bug (Lygus pratensis)1. —
This insect is quite small while young, being about
one-twentieth of an inch in length, of a yellowish
green color, which changes to a faded yellow or a
dull brown when fully grown. As a preventive, keep
the celery well cultivated and free from weeds. In
the autumn remove all trash from the soil under
which the insects can pass the winter. A good rem-
edy in addition to frequent clean cultivation is kero-

1 U. S. Dept. of Agr., Bureau of Entomology, Bui. No. 43.

INSECTS INJURIOUS TO CELERY 93

sene emulsion, but it will be necessary to also treat
the surrounding weeds as well as the celery.

The Carrot Rust Fly (Psila rosac)\— This insect,
which ordinarily works upon carrots, has recently
been reported as injurious to celery in New York
State and Canada. The larvae seemed to begin eat-
ing into the thick part of the root when the plant is
about half grown, injuring the growth and render-
ing the plant unfit for market.

The Celery Looper (Plusia simplex)1. — The lar-
vae of this insect feeds upon the leaves of the celery,
and in appearance it is similar to the cabbage looper.
The color is a pale yellowish green, and it is about
1^2 inches in length when fully extended. Poultry
are efficient at catching the celery looper in the larva
stage. Dusting the plants with plaster or air-slaked
lime and Paris green mixed at the rate of 3/2 pound
of Paris green to 20 pounds of plaster will generally
prove effectual.

Mice and Rats. — Field mice have been known to
injure celery, especially while it is being blanched
with boards. Rats will damage celery in the stor-
age house or pit by working among it and some-
times eating the stalks and roots. As a rule rodents
will not eat celery until other foods become very
scarce and they damage the stored crop more from
breaking the stalks, making nests in the covering
materials, and by burrowing holes which let in cold
air and cause the celery to freeze during the
winter. Catching in traps and hunting with dogs

1 From Chittenden in U. S. Dept. of Agr. Bui. No. 33, Bureau of
Entomology.

94 CELERY CULTURE

are about the only safe remedies for mice and rats
in the celery storehouse or pit. Poisoning should
not be resorted to under any circumstances, as the
entire stored product is liable to be ruined by ab-
sorbing the odors from the rodents' dead bodies.

Poultry. — As a rule chickens will not molest
celery except late in the autumn when other green
foods become scarce. During the growing season
chickens are a benefit as they keep the celery plants
free from insects. Ducks and geese should be ex-
cluded from the celery field. They very quickly
acquire a taste for celery and will soon destroy the
plants.

CHAPTER XI

Blanching

IN its original wild state the stems of celery are
tough, full of woody strands, of rank flavor, ami
green in color, being similar to the outside stems
or trimmings of our cultivated varieties. The object
of blanching is to remove the green coloring matter
and to secure leaf-stalks that are free from woody
strands, crisp, tender, and having an agreeable
flavor. The cultivated varieties of celery are divided
into two classes : those that are in a measure self-
blanching, and those from which the light must be
entirely excluded in order to blanch them. The self-
blanching type is well represented in White Plume
and Golden Self-blanching varieties, and the non-
blanching type by such varieties as Giant Pascal,
Giant Solid, and Boston Market.

Blanching may be accomplished by any method
whereby the light may be excluded, and by allow-
ing growth to proceed in the dark. Blanching de-
stroys the green coloring matter in the stems that
are already grown, and at the same time prevents
the formation of coloring matter in the stems that
are produced during the blanching process. A large
portion of the edible part of the self-blanching varie-
ties is produced during the blanching period and as
a result is entirely free from the rank flavor caused

g6 CELERY CULTURE

by the presence of the green coloring" matter. The
method of blanching to be employed must be de-
termined largely by circumstances and the time
when the crop is to be used. If for early use or
marketing, the blanching must be completed where
the plants are grown ; but if the celery be for winter
use the blanching may take place after the crop
has been removed from the field and placed in stor-
age. When planting for early use it is desirable
to choose one of the self-blanching kinds, such as
may be easily blanched.

Blanching by Means of Boards. — For completing
the blanching of the self-blanching varieties the
method in most general use consists of setting 12-
inch boards on edge along both sides of the rows.
In localities where the cost of lumber is too great
for practical use, the blanching can be accomplished
by banking with earth. The boards employed for
blanching purposes should be.i inch thick, about 12
inches wide, and of any desired length that can be
easily handled. The cheaper grades of lumber will
answer the purpose, but new lumber is liable to im-
part an unpleasant flavor to the' celery. In placing
the boards in position, slip one edge well under the
outside leaves of the plants, then bring this edge
upward to a vertical position along the row, having
another board at the same time placed on the other
side so that when the boards are in position there
will be as little space between them as the thickness
of the plants will permit. These boards may, when
used on a small scale only, be fastened in position
by means of stakes driven in the ground, by nailing

98 CELERY CULTURE

short pieces of lath across the top every 6 or 8 feet,
or by notched sticks placed over the tops of the
boards. A better method of holding the boards to-
gether is by the use of double hooks or spanners
nearly 8 inches in length and made of heavy galvan-
ized wire. These spanners are slipped over the top
edges of the boards at intervals of a few feet, and
the plants are rigid enough to keep the boards in
an upright position. After the boards are all in
place it is a good plan to run the double celery hiller

FIG. 39 PLANET JR. DOUBLE CELERY HILLER

between the rows and throw a little soil to the lower
edges of the boards in order to close any openings.
For illustration of the celery hiller see Fig. 39.

Time Required for Blanching. — Ten to twenty
days will be required to complete the blanching of
the early varieties, but the boards must be kept in
position until the crop is removed from the ground,
after which they may be used again two or three
times during a season. If the celery is allowed to
remain in the boards too long after it has reached a
marketable stage it loses in weight and flavor and is

BLANCHING 99

liable to become pithy or be attacked by diseases.
This is especially true during the earlier part of the
season while the weather is warm. At the close
of the season the boards should be promptly hauled
to some well-drained location and piled flat, in large
piles that are raised from the ground, with strips
inserted at every fourth or fifth course for ventila-
tion. The top courses should be laid roof fashion to
shed off all rain, and if cared for in this manner they
will last from 10 to 15 years. In Florida, what is
known as "pecky" cypress, or cypress which has
the appearance of having been worm-eaten, is used
for blanching purposes. This class of lumber is
practically unfit for other purposes, but is as good
for blanching celery as sound lumber, and as it
comes from the heart of old trees it is very durable
when exposed to the weather. The prices of
"pecky" cypress are very low as compared with
those of other lumber such as can be used for
blanching celery.

Banking with Earth. — Banking with earth is the
only practical means of blanching celery on a large
scale in localities where lumber is too expensive,
and as a rule this method will give the best results
in home garden culture. (See frontispiece.) In the
North, banking with earth is especially desirable for
the handling of that portion of the crop which can-
not be marketed before the first severe frosts. In
case of a freeze the boards offer but slight protec-
tion, while the cejery that has the earth well drawn
up to its tops will not be injured by a temperature
3° or 4° below freezing, if only for a short

100

CELERY CULTURE

period. Celery that is banked with earth will in-
variably -possess a better flavor than that blanched
in any other manner. Where the plants are set in
single rows the soil can often be partially thrown
up by means of a plow, or a celery hiller. (Fig. 40.)
There are several makes of celery hiller, but they
all work upon the principle of a diagonally set sur-

FIG. 4O — BLANCHING CELERY WITH EARTH. PLANET JR. CELERY
HILLER IN OPERATION

face to throw up the soil. Before the plow or bank-
ing machine is used a small amount of soil must be
placed around the base of the plants to hold them in
an upright and compact position. This process is
generally termed "handling," and is greatly facil-
itated by having the soil in the middles loosened
with a harrow tooth cultivator in order that loose
earth will be readily available.

The plants may also be held together for banking
by tying them with paper twine. Instead of tying

BLANCHING

each plant by knotting around it a short piece of
string, fasten the string around the first plant in a
row, then pass to the second plant and around it
without cutting or breaking the string; while the
string is being carried around the plant with the
right hand, the outside leaves are brought up to-
gether with the left hand and held in place by the
string, and so on from plant to plant until the whole
row is held up without breaking the string and by
tying it at the ends of the row only. The work of
tying is greatly facilitated by strapping to the right
forearm a tin can in which the ball of cord is placed,
the inside end of the string being delivered through
a hole in the bottom of the can from which it passes
between the thumb and finger and around the plants.
The paper twine is manufactured by twisting a strip
of paper and it will go to pieces as soon as it be-
comes thoroughly moistened, and for this reason
offers no resistance to the growth of the celery, but
merely holds the stalks together until the earth is
thrown around them and compacted.

Another method for holding the celery in posi-
tion for banking with earth, is by setting up boards
along the row, as for blanching with boards, then
after the earth has been thrown up against the
boards they are lifted out and removed. Where
celery planted in solid beds is banked with earth,
the entire amount of soil required must be shoveled
in by hand, but the work is greatly facilitated by
tying the plants or by setting boards temporarily
between the rows and then removing them after
the earth has been thrown in.

CELERY CULTURE

Blanching with Tile. — A very satisfactory method
of blanching celery on a small scale is by means of
ordinary unglazed farm drain tiles of 3 or 4 inches

inside diameter,
placed over the
plants after they'
have become al-
most fully grown.
To facilitate the
work of placing
the tiles over the
plants, some of
the outside leaves
should be pulled
away and the
main part of the
plant loosely tied
together by
means of paper
twine. The tiles
will cause the
leaves all to
draw upward
over the tops of
the tiles, form-
ing a screen to

shut out the light from the interior. This system of
blanching celery is very desirable on account of its
cleanliness, as the product will require very little wash-
ing before marketing. When tiles are used for blanch-
ing celery during warm weather, a small opening
should be left at the bottom in order to provide a cir-

FIG. 41 — BLANCHING CELERY BY MEANS OF
DRAIN TILES

BLANCHING IO3

dilation of air through the tile, otherwise decay may
follow as a result of insufficient ventilation.

Various Methods of Blanching Celery. — Another
method of blanching is by means of straw or leaves,
but this is objectionable as the material used gener-
ally imparts an undesirable flavor to the celery.
The use for blanching purposes of any material that
is in process of decomposition will cause the loss of
the crop from diseases. Wrapping paper is some-
times employed for blanching celery on a small scale
by placing two or three layers around the plants and
fastening by tying with string or with rubber bands.
This method of blanching is not highly recom-
mended, as it does not produce a good grade of
celery.

Blanching for Winter Use. — Celery that is to be
stored for winter use will require very little blanch-
ing in the field, and that which is blanched least will
keep best in storage. While growing in the field
the plants should have sufficient soil placed about
them to insure an upright, compact growth. If the
celery is wanted for use during the early part of the
winter, it will be necessary to carry the blanching
process further than if it is to be kept until later.

CHAPTER XII

Storing Celery

WHILE in storage celery should be kept cool,
without freezing, rather moist but well ventilated,
and where it will be accessible for removal as re-
quired for use. Celery should never be stored in
cellars or pits where there are decaying vegetables
or roots, as it is very susceptible to any odor and
the flavor will be impaired. No tar paper, green
lumber, or decaying vegetable matter should be used
in the construction or around the storage cellar, pit,
or trench. Where it is necessary to supply artificial
heat in order to prevent the celery freezing in the
storehouse, care should be taken that none of the
smoke or gases from the heater escape within the
enclosure. The use of oil lamps and stoves or the
building of an open fire in the storehouse will impart
an unpleasant flavor to the celery. If artificial heat
is absolutely necessary it should be supplied from
a tight stove attached to a substantial flue or chim-
ney, or in places where a steam or hot water heat-
ing plant is being used for heating greenhouses or
the dwelling a few pipes can be placed in the celery
storehouse and controlled by valves.

Storing Where Grown. — The plan of storage usu-
ally adopted where celery is produced on a small
scale for home use, is to bank with earth and cover
where grown. Late in the season the earth is

104

STORING CELERY I 05

banked well up around the plants, and as the
weather becomes colder, the soil is brought up to
the tops of the plants so that only a few of the tips
of the leaves will be exposed. After a few days the
ridge is crowned by a covering of straw, leaves, or
corn fodder, held in place by boards or earth. When
the ground begins freezing the entire ridge should
be covered to a depth of 3 or 4 inches with coarse
stable manure or any material that will prevent
freezing. Celery will withstand considerable frost,
but its keeping qualities will be impaired if the tops
become frozen. The celery can be removed from
the ridges as required for use, but will be quite inac-
cessible during a portion of the winter.

Storing in Temporary Pit or in Vacant Hotbed. —
The celery intended for winter use may be partially
blanched in the field or garden, and the plants re-
moved with a part of their roots attached to the
storage pit or cellar. A permanent hotbed forms
a convenient celery storage by cleaning out the pit
and placing 4 or 5 inches of fine loose soil in the
bottom. The roots of the celery may be bedded in
this loose soil quite close together, so that the plants
will be almost touching when in place, or about
4 inches in each direction. After the celery is all
in place, a covering of boards should be put on and
the bed well ventilated until the weather becomes
quite cool, when a covering of corn fodder, leaves,
pine needles, or coarse manure should be added.
If a hotbed is not available for the storage of the
home supply of celery, a pit may be made by exca-
vating a trench 18 inches deep, 4 to 6 feet wide, and

io6

CELERY CULTURE

of any desired length, setting the celery in the same
manner as described for the hotbed. To determine
the size of the pit, divide the number of plants to be
stored by sixteen, and trie result will be the required
space in square feet. After the celery is in place
it should be watered and allowed to remain exposed
until the tops are no longer wet. A twelve-inch board
should then be placed on edge along one side of the

FIG. 42 — TEMPORARY STORAGE-PIT FOR CELERY

pit and short pieces of scantling placed across the
pit at intervals, with one end resting upon the board
and the other on the ground. A roof of rough
boards should then be put on, running lengthwise
of the pit and overlapping to shed water. A layer
of leaves or straw should be thrown over the board
roof and a covering of earth added. The pit should
be provided with two or more openings for venti-
lation and these should be tightly closed during
cold weather.

STORING CELERY IO7

Storage in cellars will be found satisfactory pro-
vided the temperature can be kept low enough and
proper ventilation maintained. Place 3 or 4 inches of
loose soil upon the cellar floor and set the plants
upright, quite close together, with their roots firmly
bedded in the soil. The soil around the roots of the
celery should be well watered, care being taken that
the tops do not become wet. During the winter the
celery should be watered only as required to prevent
wilting and the water applied to the soil only. From
the time the celery is placed in storage the tempera-
ture should be kept low by free ventilation during
the night and closing the openings during the day.

Trenching for Late Autumn Marketing. — Where
it is desirable to hold a portion of the field crop of
celery for late autumn marketing, this may be ac-
complished by lifting the bunches, with a portion
of their roots attached, and placing them quite
close together in shallow trenches. The trench may
be prepared by hand or by a two-horse plow, turn-
ing out a double furrow, and either clean out or
break any lumps that may remain in the furrows.
As a rule the trenches are located in the field be-
tween the celery rows, a trench being provided for
each ten or twelve rows. By another method two
lines of twelve-inch boards are set on edge, 18 inches
apart, and held in place by stakes. In either case
the celery is brought from both sides and packed in
the trench, or enclosure made by the boards, and
the earth thrown well up around it. The boards
may be removed and used in another place, but it is
rather more desirable to have them remain until the

IO8 CELERY CULTURE

celery is required for marketing. A covering mate-
rial of some kind should be provided and this kept
alongside of the trenches ready for immediate use
in case of severe frost or slight freezing. As a rule
storing celery by trenching is practiced where it is

FIG. 43 — CELERY STORAGE-HOUSE

desirable to hold it for a short period only, although
with proper covering it may be kept in this man-
ner for several weeks.

Storing for Late Marketing. — Almost without ex-
ception the larger northern growers have found it
unprofitable to store celery for late keeping, and
those who still adhere to the practice do so in order
that they may control and supply a special trade.
Even under special circumstances there is only a
moderate profit in storing for late marketing. The
best form of storage house is a broad and long
structure (Fig. 43) with low side walls and a roof
coming almost to the ground at the eaves. The walls

STORING CELERY IQO,

should be constructed of concrete or brick and the
roof made very tight to keep out frost. The roof
portion should also be ceiled to form a double con-
struction with air space between. Large doors
should be provided at both ends, and if so arranged
that a team of horses can be driven through the
work of unloading the celery will be greatly facili-
tated. The earth floor of the storage house should
have a covering consisting of 4 or 5 inches of loose
soil in which to pack the roots of the celery. It is
desirable to have the storehouse divided lengthwise
into beds 6 or 8 feet in width by means of six-inch
boards on edge, raised 3 or 4 inches from the soil
and fastened to stakes. These lines of raised boards
assist in holding the celery in an upright position
and increase the circulation of air through it.

Methods of Handling Celery for Storing. — Where
any considerable quantity of celery is to be stored,
everything should be in readiness beforehand so
that the crop may be brought in quickly. In the
field the plants should be loosened as required so
that it may be easily pulled up by hand ; for any
quantity less than 4 or 5 acres of celery this work
can be done with spades, but on a larger scale a
machine for digging should be used. The digger
most commonly employed consists of a steel blade
5 or 6 inches in width, y* inch thick, and sharpened
on one edge. The cutting blade should be turned
up at the ends, the width between the upturned ends
being about 18 or 20 inches. The blade is mounted
by means of an axle and two wheels, and must be
so arranged that its depth in the soil may be regu-

IIO CELERY CULTURE

lated. Two horses are required to draw the cutting
machine in order to straddle the row. The depth to
set the cutting blade must be determined by the
sound it makes in passing through the roots of the
celery, the idea being to sever the roots just at the
base of the thick, fleshy root. The method of using
the digging machine is shown in Fig. 44.

The celery should be loosened only as removed
to the storehouse, as a short exposure to the sun

FTG. 44 — MACHINE FOR LOOSENING CELERY FROM THE SOIL

after the roots have been disturbed is very inju-
rious and detracts from its keeping qualities. If the
celery is not too tender, the handling from the
field to storehouse may be accomplished without the
use of boxes ; otherwise a number of boxes should
be provided, each 12x12x26 or 28 inches in size,
constructed of one-inch lumber for the ends and
half-inch for the sides and bottom. A wagon with
low, broad tire wheels will be found convenient for
the transfer. If boxes are not used, the celery
should be simply piled upon the wagon platform,

STORING CELERY III

If boxes are employed, one set may be filled while
the wagon is at the storehouse unloading and loss of
time will be avoided. In placing the celery in the
boxes care must be taken that it is neatly packed
with all roots in the bottom of the box. Upon reach-
ing the storehouse the celery is removed from the
wagon and placed in piles near where it is to be
stored, or if in boxes these can be set near at hand.
Beginning at the end of one of the divisions, a small
furrow is opened in the soil by means of a spade,
and the celery is set upright in this furrow, and the
soil well firmed about the roots. The soil in the
storehouse should be rather moist at the time the
celery is brought in and it may be necessary to
water a little from time to time by inserting the
end of a hose between the plants and applying the
water to the roots. After the storehouse is filled,
constant ventilation should be maintained by means
of openings near the ridge, and the temperature
should be kept as nearly 36° F. as possible, care
being taken, however, that the celery does not be-
come frozen.

Cold Storage. — Celery may be kept in cold stor-
age for several weeks, but storing in this manner is
not profitable on a large scale owing to the space
required to accommodate a comparatively small
amount of the rough product. Celery that has been
iced will not keep so well after its removal from the
storage.

CHAPTER XIII

Marketing

THE general practice at present is to market the
crop direct from the field where grown. In the
North, the last of the crop may be held for a short
time by trenching, but this portion is generally in
the cars and on its way to market before freezing
weather sets in. Very little of the northern product
is available after December 15, and is followed by
the California crop which supplies the market until
that grown in Florida is ready for use. In this way
the marketing period for celery begins about the
first week in August, and continues until some time
in April.

Methods of Preparing Celery for Market. — Two
methods of shipping celery are in general use, the
one termed "shipping in the rough," by which the
outside leaves only are removed and the bunches
shipped without washing, and the other by which
the bunches are trimmed, washed, and tied in
bundles of one dozen each before shipment. Celery
packed in the rough will withstand long distance
shipment better than that which has been trimmed
and washed, the outside leaves helping to keep the
inner ones fresh and free from injury. The rough
celery must be trimmed, washed, and bunched
either by the commission merchant or the retail
dealer, but in either case the celery reaches the cus-
tomer in a comparatively fresh condition. For

112

MARKETING 1 13

handling early celery where the distances are not
too great it is generally more satisfactory to trim
and wash the bunches, as the washing in cold water
will freshen the stems and tend to keep them crisp
and tender.

When marketing direct from the field without

FIG. 45 — WASHING AND BUNCHING CELERY IN COMMISSION MER-
CHANT'S ROOM. CELERY SHIPPED IN THE ROUGH

washing the celery, if banked with earth, is lifted
by means of spades or a digger, but if blanched
with boards the plants are generally cut a little
below the surface of the soil by means of short
butcher knives. When ready for cutting the boards
are loosened by removing the wire spanners or the
wood cleats and the boards turned down along the

CELERY CULTURE

rows where they serve as walks for the cutters to
work upon. The boards should be loosened only
as fast as the celery is cut, or at most, but two or
three rows ahead of the cutters. In cutting, the
plant should be firmly grasped in one hand and the
root severed by means of the knife held in the other.

FIG. 46— ;ROW OF BLANCHED CELERY READY FOR CUTTING

In this way, it is easy to detect any stalks that are
hollow or pithy, and these are generally allowed
to remain upon the ground. The cutters place the
celery in convenient piles ready for the packers, who
should follow close behind them. The method of
packing is illustrated by Fig. 47.

Sizes and Styles of Shipping Crates. — The ship-
ping crate in general use, except in Florida, is 24x24
inches in size and 20 inches deep, holding from four

MARKETING 115

to nine dozen, according to the size of the plants.
The bottom of the crate is nearly tight, while the
sides and top are quite open, as illustrated in Fig.
48. The top and a part of one side of the crate is
left open until it is filled with celery. The packers
are followed by the men who nail the crates, and
the celery should then be promptly loaded upon

FiG. 47 — PACKING CELERY IN CRATES IN CALIFORNIA FIELD

wagons and hauled direct to the car. As a rule the
crates are marked before packing in order that no
time may be lost in handling. When the shipping
season is at its height, the large growers aim to,
have the celery in the car within two hours after
being cut, and often loading several cars in a single
day. ' On reaching the car the crates are carefully
placed with small air spaces for ventilation, and
packed in this manner the ordinary refrigerator car
will hold from 160 to 165 crates.

Il6 CELERY CULTURE

The shipping crate used by the Florida growers
is 20 inches high, 24 inches long, and n to 14 inches
wide, holding from 2^4 to 4 dozen. The Florida
crate is, as a rule, better made than the general
crate and requires more care in placing in the car,
in order to provide air spaces for ventilation. The
crates should be set with the celery in an upright
position, and In order that they may not shift in

FIG. 48 — CRATES OF CELERY SHIPPED IN THE ROUGH

transit it is desirable to place two thin strips of
wood across the tops of each row of crates in the
car. Upon reaching its destination the celery is
trimmed, washed, and bunched in the usual manner.
Washing and Bunching Before Shipment. — When
the celery is to be washed and tied in bunches
before shipment or hauling to the local market,
the greater portion of the root should be left in the
ground in cutting. The trimming is usually done
in the field, all the inferior outside stems being
removed, the root trimmed to a conical shape,

MARKETING 117

and a small part of the point evenly cut off. Fig.
50 illustrates proper and improper methods of trim-
ming the roots of celery intended for market. As
the celery is trimmed it is placed in boxes or crates
and should be promptly hauled to the packing-

FIG. 49 — CRATE OF FLORIDA CELERY SHIPPED IN THE ROUGH

house; if the distance is great the celery should be
covered while upon the wagon to protect it from
the sUn and wind. Celery that has been temporarily
stored in trenches is handled in practically the
same manner as from the rows.

The celery packing-house in most common use
consists of a two or three-room building, with a
half-story or loft above for the storage of crate
materials Loading and unloading platforms should

FIG. 50 — CELERY TRIMMED FOR MARKET. THREE ON LEFT IMPROP-
ERLY TRIMMED; ONE ON RIGHT PROPERLY TRIMMED

118

MARKETING

119

be provided at one side of the building and these
should be high enough from the ground for con-
venience in handling the crates of celery. As the
celery is unloaded from the wagons it is taken into
the wash room. Some growers employ a washing
trough and scrub the celery clean by means of

WATER
TANK

BUNCHERS

fl_0-

BUNCHERS

n n

PACKING ROOM

FIG. SI — FLOOR PLAN OF CELERY PACKING-HOUSE

brushes, but a device with which the celery is
placed upon a rack and subjected to a strong spray
of water, without brushing, is more desirable.

Construction of Washing Machine. — Where a
large trough or tank is in use for hand washing it
may readily be converted into a machine washer.
It will be necessary to construct a rack from wood
slats upon which the celery may rest during the
washing process. This rack should only be about

I2O CELERY CULTURE

one-half the width of the inside of the tank, and
suspended within the tank at a point about one foot
below the top. The rack should be so arranged on
rollers or sliding device that it will move readily
from side to side of the tank. Directly over the
center of the tank suspend an iron pipe having
numerous small holes on the under side through
which the water is driven in a spray upon the
celery. This pipe should have a control valve con-
necting it direct to the pipe leading to the pump
or other water supply. The rack is drawn to one
side and the celery is spread upon it; the water
is then turned on and the rack shoved backward and
forward beneath the spray until the celery is clean
on one side ; the rack is again drawn to one side
and the celery turned, after which it is passed
under the spray and the celery removed on the
opposite side of the trough. If desirable two racks
may be put in and the work carried on from both
sides, one rack being under the spray while the
other is emptied and refilled. Any grower can con-
struct a machine of this character provided a supply
of water under pressure is available. If necessary
the water can be collected beneath the washer,
passed over a screen or filter, and used repeatedly.

Bunching and Packing. — As the celery is washed
it is removed to the packing, room where it is
graded and packed in bunches containing from 12
to 16 plants each, according to the size. The work
of bunching is greatly facilitated by the employ-
ment of a device similar to that shown in Fig. 53
by means of which the celery is firmly held while

MARKETING

121

FIG. 52— BUNCH OF CELERY CONTAINING ONE DOZEN PLANTS

being tied. The tying is done with one-fourth-inch
pink tape provided for this purpose, and the bunches
are either wrapped separately in paper, or packed
in crates that are lined with heavy paper. The
crates hold 4 to 6 dozen for first grade, 7 to 9 dozen
for second grade, and more than 9 dozen for culls.
Throughout the process of cleaning and packing

122

CELERY CULTURE

the celery should be kept as cool as possible, and
the water should be well drained from it before
wrapping in paper or packing in boxes.

Sanitary Considerations in Marketing Celery.—
Very little attention has been given to the sanitary
requirements of celery growing and marketing.

FIG $2 — DEVICE FOR BUNCHING CELERY

Thumb screws at right permit setting the box at any width for different

sizes of celery. Tightening strap is provided for foot pressure. Spool

of tape on revolving spindle is suspended overhead

MARKETING

123

Growers, shippers, and dealers all lose sight of the
fact that the edible portion of celery is constantly
exposed to the contaminating effects of dirty
wagons, cars, and dusty markets. It is essential
that celery should be washed in pure water in order
that it may be free from disease germs. Any germ,

FIG. 54 — MICHIGAN CRATE

White Plume celery, washed, bunched, and wrapped in paper before
being placed in crate. Note enormous size

such as that producing typhoid fever, which is
usually present in impure water may be readily
carried into the digestive system with the celery.
The packing-house and its surroundings should be
kept clean and all trimmings or other refuse re-
moved before decomposition begins.

I24

CELERY CULTURE

Keeping Celery Fresh While Exposed for Sale. —
Celery exposed on the market for sale loses its
freshness rapidly, and to overcome this many of
the growers who market locally supply their dealers
with a device intended to keep the celery fresh.

FIG. 55 — DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING CELERY ON RETAIL MARKET

This device, which is illustrated in Fig. 55, consists
of a shallow pan of galvanized iron together with a
framework for holding the celery in an upright
position. About an inch of water is kept in the bot-
tom of the pan, which aids in keeping the celery in
good condition until used. These holders can be of
neat design, and if placed in a prominent part of the
retail store they show the celery to the best advant-
age.

CHAPTER XIV

Varieties of Celery

CELERY is listed in the seed trade catalogues
under 75 or 100 varietal names, many of which,
however, are synonymous. Fully 85 per cent, of
the commercial crop grown in this country is of
the self-blanching type, particularly Golden Self-
blanching and White Plume. The varieties that do
not have the self-blanching character are perhaps
a little more hardy and disease-resistant. The self-
blanching character is a sort of albinism acquired
by breeding and selection and has resulted, to a
limited degree at least, in the constitutional weak-
ening of the plant. The self-blanching tendency is
of so great advantage in a commercial variety that
the growers are willing to sacrifice a part of the
hardiness in order to secure a plant that will blanch
readily.

Self-blanching Varieties. — White Plume is a rapid
growing variety ; height 20 to 24 inches ; stems long,
slender, broadened at base ; foliage light green,
spreading; inner stems and leaves pale green or
white ; blanches easily ; ready for market early.

Golden Self -blanching. — Rather- slow growing at
first ; somewhat dwarf, 14 to 20 inches in height ;
stems short, thick, and golden yellow color, easily
blanching to a rich creamy white ; foliage abundant,

125

126 CELERY CULTURE

compact; entire habit of growth stocky and close.
This is the principal commercial variety.

Snow White. — A dwarf variety, similar in many
respects to White Plume but much smaller ; growth
compact ; readily blanches to a pure white color.

Rose Ribbed Golden Self -blanching. — Similar to
Golden Self-blanching except that it has a tinge
of rose color on the ribbing of the stems.

Late Keeping Varieties. — Fin de Siccle. — Plants
very stocky ; stems thick and maintain almost uni-
form size throughout their length ; light green in
color, blanching to a golden yellow; very crisp
and tender. This is a desirable variety for winter
keeping.

Perfection Heartwell. — Slightly dwarf; bunches
expanded at base ; height about 20 inches ; stems
thick, ribs prominent; green but blanches to a pure
white. A good keeping variety.

Schumacher. — ^lightly dwarf; about 20 inches
high ; bunches compact, stems thick; green, blanch-
ing to a golden yellow. A splendid keeper and
highly recommended for winter use.

Giant Pascal. — Immense size, frequently 30 to 36
inches in height ; inclined to be somewhat coarse ;
foliage green, spreading; stems blanch to a pure
white. A late variety, suitable only for winter use.

Evans' Triumph. — Medium dwarf; 16 to 18 inches
high ; bunches and stems of almost uniform size
throughout ; ribs prominent ; foliage and stems a
deep green, but blanch to almost a pure white ; a
good keeper.

Winter Queen. — A large growing variety of the

FIG. 56 — TYPICAL PLANT OF GOLDEN SELF-BLANCHING READY
FOR USE

127

128 CELERY CULTURE

Giant Pascal type; height about 24 inches; ex-
panded at base ; ribs prominent ; foliage deep green ;
has numerous offshoots or suckers around base of
plant. A good keeper.

Pink Plume. — Medium dwarf; has pink tinge on
outer side of stems, but this is partially lost in
blanching; has a rich flavor and good keeping
qualities, but is not a strong grower.

Varieties for Home Use. — In the selection of the
varieties to be grown one must be guided by the
quantity desired and whether the crop is to be used
during the late summer and autumn or kept for
winter by storing. The principal early varieties are
White Plume and Golden Self-blanching. White
Plume will produce edible stalks at an earlier date,
but it is not so sturdy a grower or as well adapted
to autumn and early winter use as the Golden Self-
blanching. There are a number of good varieties
for late winter use, among which may be mentioned,
Fin de Siecle, Schumacher, Giant Pascal, Evans'
Triumph, Winter Queen, and Pink Plume. These
varieties do not blanch as readily as White Plume
or Golden Self-blanching, but are better adapted to
long keeping, and when properly blanched are
superior in flavor. It is not practical to plant more
than two varieties for home use, and one of these
should be an early self-blanching and the other a
long keeping sort. Five hundred plants will be
sufficient for the use of the average family, and of
these 200 should be early and 300 late. There are
a number of varieties having a pink tinge of color
to their stems, and these are attractive, have a fine

VARIETIES OF CELERY

flavor, when properly blanched, are good keepers,
and are deserving of more general use in home
gardens.

Celeriac or turnip-rooted celery differs from the
true celery in that it produces an enlarged fleshy
root and small leaves. Celeriac is cultivated the
same as celery except that it may be planted in
rows i foot apart and does not require banking or
blanching in any way. The fleshy roots of celeriac
are used for cooking and in soups the same as the
roots and stems of the common celery.

Varieties for marketing do not differ greatly from
those recommended for home use, except that for
market the early or self-blanching sorts are used
almost exclusively. For extra early celery White
Plume is planted, but Golden Self-blanching is em-
ployed for fully 75 per cent, of the entire crop grown
for market. Giant Pascal and Evans' Triumph are
largely used for storage purposes, but the acreage
devoted to this line of production is comparatively
small. Those who contemplate growing celery for
the autumn and early winter market should invaria-
bly select French grown seed of Golden Self-
blanching at the start, and then experiment with
other strains and varieties in a small way to deter-
mine if the original selection can be improved upon.

CHAPTER XV

Profits Derived from Celery Culture

WHERE celery is grown for use on the home table,
the cost of production is very small and cannot be
separated from the general maintenance of the
garden ; the profits, however, can be calculated only
by summing up the enjoyment and health derived
from its use. Where the family is small, and there
is a market or grocery near by, it may be more eco-
nomical to purchase the supply of celery for home
use, but is must be borne in mind that when celery
is secured in this manner it is rarely so fresh and
crisp as if directly from the home garden.

In commercial celery culture the cost of produc-
tion and the profits obtained will be governed by
numerous local conditions, but as a rule the expen-
ditures and results for an acre will be about as
follows :

Rental of land or interest on investment . . . $20 to $60

Ten days team v/ork, including hauling manure . 30 to 50

Fifty cubic yards of barnyard manure .... 25 to 50

Commercial fertilizers 50 to 100

Seed and production of plants 10 to 25

Setting out plants 15 to 25

Cultivation and irrigation . 15 to 25

Loss on lumber used in blanching 10 to 20

Cost of 350 crates and packing 60 to 100

Total . . . $235 to $455
130

PROFITS DERIVED FROM CELERY CULTURE 131

An acre of celery should reasonably yield from
250 to 350 crates, worth $2 per crate at the shipping
point, or $500 to $700 an acre. The lowest net bal-
ance then would be $45 per acre, and the highest
under the above estimate $565 an acre. Commercial
growers as a rule figure on a net return of about
$100 an acre, and cases are on record where an acre
has produced $1,250 worth of celery at a cost of
$450, or a net return of $800 ; this was accomplished
on new Florida land, highly fertilized, and the crop
sold for about 40 cents a dozen at the shipping point.
Some of the growers in Michigan claim that celery
can be produced for 15 cents per dozen with fair
profit, but the net returns are certainly not large at
this figure. Celery may undoubtedly be grown
profitably for 25 cents per dozen at the shipping
point, provided the crop does not fail oftener than
one year in five. It is not desirable that a grower
should begin on a large scale, but he should begin
with i or 2 acres and gradually increase his
acreage until he has all his labor can handle
profitably.

CHAPTER XVI

The Production of Celery Seed

Localities Where Grown. — The greater portion of
the world's supply of celery seed is grown in
southern Europe and on the Pacific coast of the
United States. A portion of the seed sold as French
grown is produced in Algeria, but the greater part
of it comes from Italy, where the cost of production
is low. In America celery seed has been produced
in several localities aside from the Pacific coast, es-
pecially in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania,
and New York.

Method of Growing. — The principle of celery seed
production is to sow seed during the latter part of
the season in long narrow beds the surface of which
is a trifle below the general level of the surrounding
soil. As a rule these beds are 14 to 20 inches in
width, and ample spaces left between them. The
seedlings are allowed to grow in the beds during
the autumn, and as winter approaches a light cov-
ering is provided to prevent the roots becoming
frozen. As soon as the season opens in the spring,
the plants are lifted and reset 6 or 7 inches apart
in long parallel rows where they will produce seed
during the early summer.

Local Production of Seed. — Any celery grower
can produce seed on a small scale by making a late

132

THE PRODUCTION OF CELERY SEED 133

sowing in a spent hotbed or in a cold-frame, allow-
ing the plants to remain in the bed, with sufficient
protection to prevent the roots becoming frozen,
until the following spring. During the early spring
the plants should be lifted and the most perfect ones
planted in rows where they may be cultivated dur-
ing the first part of the season, or until they shoot
to seed. The flower stems are from 2 to 3 feet in
height and the flowers and seeds are borne in um-
bels or clusters. As the seeds become ripened they
should be gathered and spread on cloth screens in
a shaded place until dry. The seeds should then be
stored in a dry place until wanted for planting dur-
ing the following winter or spring.

CHAPTER XVII

Celery Growing lor Health, Pleasure and
Profit

IN the preceeding chapters we have considered
the production of celery for home use and for mar-
keting, but have given very little attention to the
desirability of celery growing as a pleasant voca-
tion. In the cultivation of a garden, or a small area
of some much crop as celery, the business or pro-
fessional man can find a source of refreshment and
a means of relaxation from the every-day cares of
life. There is something so clean and refreshing
about the straight, regular rows of celery plants,
and the color of the celery foliage is perhaps the
most restful that the eye can look upon. An hour's
time, either morning or evening, spent in the cul-
tivation of a plot of celery will bring reward in more
ways than the mere production of so many dozens
of plants for home use or market. There is some-
thing about the smell of the fresh earth together
with the odor of growing celery that will whet one's
appetite to the point of starvation.

We hear a great deal about the nerve-building
properties of celery, and the uses of celery as a tonic,
but as digestion holds sway over both body and
mind, we can readily conclude that the benefits ari-
sing from the cultivation and use of celery are large-

J34

GROWING FOR HEALTH, PLEASURE AND PROFIT 135

ly through improved digestion. The main difference
between the use of celery and other similar salad
crops is found in the fact that owing to the superior

FIG. 57 — FLORIDA CELERY LAND

Rows slightly ridged, and evenly marked. Crop in double rows planted.
The boxes over the inlets to system of subirrigation from

an artesian well near by
(Photo by Prof. W. G. Johnson)

flavor of celery we are inclined to eat it oftener and
more bountifully.

Celery culture on a moderate scale is one of the
most desirable lines of work for persons whose
health demands that they live in outdoor life. Dur-
ing the early springtime the care of the plant beds
will require but a short time each day; however, it

GROWING FOR HEALTH, PLEASURE AND PROFIT 137

will be necessary that this care should be at inter-
vals throughout the day. Later, the setting of the
plants during the pleasant days of May and June
will bring the person conducting the work in close
contact with the soil. During the summer months,
the work of caring for the celery can all be performed
during the morning and evening, without attention
during the heated part of the day. In the autumn,
when the crop is ready for marketing or storing, the
labor can be performed during the middle of the
day, or at least after the air has become dry and
pleasant.

We are often requested to furnish information
regarding lines of work in which women can engage
in order to earn a little money for themselves.
Aside from the rough work of fitting the land, there
is perhaps no cleaner or more pleasant occupation
than celery growing for women to engage in ; be-
sides it provides for them a greater proportion of
outdoor life.

The capital required for starting a small celery
growing enterprise is not great. Celery culture
offers special inducements for boys and young men
who desire to get a start in a paying business. With
y2 to i acre of good celery land at his dis-
posal, an industrious young fellow can easily clear
from $100 to $300 during a season, and the greater
part of the work can be done during vacation and
outside of school hours. The main points to be con-
sidered when contemplating a small venture in cel-
ery growing are: (i) climatic conditions; (2) adapt-
ability of available land; (3) marketing facilities;

GROWING FOR HEALTH, PLEASURE AND PROFIT 139

(4) securing of fertilizers; and (5) irrigation facili-
ties. The requirements along these lines have been
discussed under separate heads in this book, the
only difference being that on a small scale the char-
acter of the land, securing of fertilizers, and irriga-
tion facilities can be more easily controlled, and it
may even be possible to build up a market where
no demand now exists.

Many persons have the impression that celery
growing is an intricate process requiring special
conditions, skill, and equipment, but such is not
the case. Celery is no more difficult to grow than
the majority of garden crops, but it has a few pecu-
liarities the understanding of which only adds in-
terest to the work.

INDEX

Acid phosphate, 18, 29, 30, 33.

Acme harrow, 3.

Ammonia water, 83, 84.

Ammonium salts as fertilizers, 17,
29, 30, 32.

Areas adapted to celery culture, 10.

Arsenical poisoning, 92.

Availability of fertilizers, 16, 32, 33,

Bacterial disease, 81, 82.

Barnyard manure, value and meth-
ods of handling, 20, 21.

Blanching celery for use, 95, 103;
for storing and winter use, 103;
time required for blanching, 98;
various methods of blanching,
103; with boards, 96; with earth,
99; with tiles, 102.

Blight of celery, 78, 79.

Blood and bone, 30, 32.

Boards for blanching, 96, 97, 98, 99.

Bone black, 32.

Bone meal, 17, 32.

Bordeaux dust, 78.

Bordeaux mixture, methods of pre-
paring, 84, 85.

Botanical classification of celery, 1.

Boxes for handling celery from
field to storehouse, 110.

Breaking plow, 8.

Bunching and packing, 120.

Bunching device, 122.

Bunch of celery containing one
dozen, 121.

Calcium carbonate, 19.

Calcium oxide, 19.

Calcium phosphate, 18.

Calcium, sources of, 19.

Capital required for celery-growing
on small scale, 137.

Carbonate of copper, 83.

Carrot rust fly, 93.

Caterpillars, 92.

Celeriac, 129.

Celery hiller, 98, 100.

Celery looper, 93.

Celery seed, 35.

140

Celery seed production, 132, 133.

Cellars, use for storing, 107, venti-
lation of, 107.

Ccrcospora apii, 78, 79.

Chemical content of fertilizers, 17.

Climatic requirements of celery, 2.

Cold-frames, 41.

Cold-storage, 111.

Copper carbonate, 83, 84.

Copper sulphate, 84.

Corn on celery land, 8.

Cost of production per acre, 130.

Cost per acre for setting plants, 56.

Cotton-seed meal, 33.

Cover crops, 12.

Cowpeas, 8.

Crates, shipping, 114, 116, 117, 123.

Cultivation, frequency of, 61; depth
of, 61; tools adapted to, 61.

"Damping," 41, 77, 78.

Dates of planting, 50, 51, 52.

Deluge sprinkler, 69, 70, 71.

Depth of planting, 37, 44, 55.

Dibbles used for setting plants, 56.

Digger in operation, 110.

Diseases of celery, 77; blanch-rot
or heart-rot, 81; blight, 78, 79;
"damping," 77; leaf -spot, 80; root-
knot, 82; rust, 81.

Disk harrow, 9.

Distances to plant, 56, 58.

Drag for leveling land, 12.

Drainage, 7; open ditches, 7; tile
drains, 7.

Drain tiles used for blanching, 102.

Dried blood, 17, 32.

Early history of celery, 1, 2.

Early spring crops on celery land,
11.

Evans' Triumph variety, 126.

Extent of celery industry, 2.

Fertilizers, 16-34; application of, 23,
27; cost per acre, 25; determina-
tion of value from printed form-
ula, 24; home mixing of, 28-34;
natural fertility of soils, 16; quan-

INDEX

141

Fertilizers — continued

tity to apply, 25, 26; requirements
of celery, 24; table of fertilizer
values, 32, 33; time for apply-
ing, 26, 27, 28.

Fillers for use in mixing fertili-
zers, 31.

Fin de siecle variety, 126.

Fish refuse or scrap, 22.

Flumes, wood for conducting wa-
ter, 68.

Float or drag for leveling soil, 12.

"Floats," 18.

Food value of celery, 2.

Fungicides, 83, 84, 85, 89.

Fusarium, 78.

Giant Pascal variety, 126.

Golden Self-blanching variety, 125,
127.

Grasshoppers, 91.

Guano, Peruvian, 23.

Habitat of celery, 3, 7, 65.

Handling celery, methods of, 109.

Harrow, acme, 10; disk, 9; Meek-
er, 13; spring-tooth, 9.

Hauling, wagon adapted to, 110.

Healthfulness of celery growing, 134.

Heart-rot or blanch-rot of celery, 81.

Heating for storehouse, 104.

Heterodera radicicola, 82.

Holders for use on retail markets,
124.

House for storing celery, 108.

Horse-boots, 14.

Hotbeds, care of, 41; covering for,
40; permanent, 39, temporary, 38.

Insecticides, 91, 92, 93.

Insects injurious to celery, 90-93;
carrot rust fly, 93; celery cater-
pillar, 92; celery leaf-tyer, 91;
celery looper, 93 ; grasshoppers,
91; tarnished plant bug, 92; ze-
bra caterpillar, 92.

Insoluble fertilizers, 16, 32.

Irrigation, 65-76; cost of applying
water, 66; deluge sprinkler meth-
od of applying, 66, 70, 71; meth-
ods of applying water, 67; on
muck soils, 67; quantity of water
required by celery, 66; skinner
sprinkler method, 71, 72, 73;
sources of water for irrigation,
65 ; subirrigation method of ap-

Irrigation — continued

plying water, 72, 74, 75, 76; tem-
perature of water for irrigation,
76.

Kainit, 18, 33.

Kerosene emulsion, 92.

Labor necessary for celery cul-
ture, 6.

Leaf-spot disease, 80.

Leaf-tyer, the celery, 91.

Level culture, 61.

Lime, effect on soils, 19.

Limestone, 18.

Looper, the celery, 93.

Lygus pratensis, 92.

Machine for lifting celery, 110.

Machine for marketing rows, 13, 15.

Mamestra picta, 92.

Manures for use on celery land, 20,
21, 22; from fowls, 22; value of
barn manures, 21.

Marker, horse, drawn, 14; wheel-
barrow, 15.

Markets for celery, home and ship-
ping, 5.

Marl, use on celery land, 19.

Maturity, time of, 50, 51.

Meat meal, 17.

Meeker harrow, 13.

Mice and rats, 93.

Moisture, conservation of, 60; in
seed-bed, 45, 46; retention by
culture, 61, 64.

Muck soils, 4.

Mulch around plants, 59; soil or
dust, 64, 65.

Muriate of potash, 18, 29, 30.

Natural fertility of soils, 16.

"New Celery Culture," 59.

New land, treatment of, 8.

Night soil as a fertilizer, 23.

Nitrate of soda, 25, 27, 28, 31, 32.

Nitrogen, sources of, 17; effect of,
28.

Number of celery seeds in an
ounce, 1.

Oyster shells, 19.

Packing-house, plan of, 119.

Packing, methods of, 114; in field,
115; in house, 117.

Pans used for handling plants, 53.

Paper twine, 101.

Papilia asterias, 92.

142

INDEX

Paris green, amount to use, 91, 93;
for grasshoppers, 91; for celery
looper, 93.

Peas, garden, 11.

Peat bogs, 4.

Perfection heartwell variety, 126.

Peruvian guano, 23.

Phlyctaenia ferrugalis, 91.

Phosphoric acid, 22, 28, 29, 30,
32, 33.

Phorphorous, sources of, 18.

Phyllosticta apii, 81.

Pink plume variety, 128.

Pithiness of celery, 87, 88, 89.

Plant foods, 16.

Planting in the open ground, 43-53;
dates of, 50, 52; depth of, 55; dis-
tances apart, 56, 58; in solid beds,
58, 59; table of planting dis-
tances 58.

Plants, lifting from seed-bed, 52;
packing for shipment, 53.

Pleasure in celery growing, 134.

Plow, heavy breaking, 8; subsoil-
ing, 9.

Plowing, depth of, 8, 9; time for,
10, 11.

Plusia simplex, 93.

Potassium, sources of, 18.

Poultry injurious to celery, 94.

Preparation of seed-beds, 36, 42,
43, 44.

Preparing for planting, 13.

Preparing land for celery, 8.

Prices, average, 131.

Production of plants, 35-51.

Production of seed, 132.

Profits derived from celery cul-
ture, 131.

Protecting plants in seed-bed, 45.

Psila rosea, 93.

Puccinia bullata, 82.

Puddling, 59.

Pumping water for irrigation, 66.

Returns from one acre, 131.

Root-knot of celery, 82.

Roots, character of, 47; depth of,
61 ; effect of transplanting up-
on, 47.

Rose-ribbed Golden Self-blanching
variety, 126.

Rotation on celery land, 27.

Rust of celery, 82.

Salt as a fertilizer, 19, 20.

Sandy loams, 4.

Sanitary precautions in handling

celery, 122.

Sash, for covering hotbeds, 40.
Sawgrass marshes of Florida, 4.
Schumacher variety, 126.
Sectional roller, 9, 10.
Seed-bed, indoor, 36; outdoor, 45.
Seed, European grown, 35; method

of growing, 132; vitality of, 35.
Septoria petroselini var. apii, 80.
Sewage as a fertilizer, 23.
Shading for plant beds, 46.
Shipping in the rough, 112.
Skinner system of irrigating, 71,

72, 73.

Snow white variety, 126.
Soils adapted to celery growing, 4.
Solubility of fertilizers, 32, 33.
Sowing in drills, 37, 44.
Spraying machines, 86.
Spraying mixtures, 83, 84, 85.
Spraying, time for and frequency

of, 83-86.

Spring crops on celery land, 12.
Spring-tooth harrow, 9.
Sprinkler system of irrigating, 69,

73.

Stable manure, 20.
Sterilization of soils, 42.
Storage, 104-108; in celery house,

108; in cellars, 107; in pits, 106;

temperature of storage houses,

111; ventilation of, 104.
Subsoiling, 9.

Sulphate of ammonia, 17, 29, 30, 32.
Sun-scald, 21.
Tankage, 17, 32.
Tarnished plant bug, 92.
Temperature of storage houses, 111.
Temperature of water for irriga-
tion, 76.

Tile drainage, 7.
Tillage, 61-64.
Time for planting, 50.
Time for plowing, 10, 11.
Time for sowing seed, 50.
Time required to produce a crop, 50.
Tobacco stems, 33.
Tools for cultivation, 62, 63.
Transplanting, 47.
Transplanting machines, 56.

INDEX 143

Transportation, 5, 115. Washing machine, 119.

Trays for sowing seed and trans- Weeds, 61.

ulanting 36 Weeders, 63.

Trenching! 107. White Plume variety, 125.

Trimming for market, 116, 118. Wheel hoe, 62, 63.

Value per acre, 131. Wild celery of Europe, 1.

Vareties of celery, 125-129; for Window box, 36.

home use, 128; for marKet, 129; \\inter Queen variety, 126.

for late keeping, 126; Self-blanch- Wood ashes, 18, 25.

ing, 125. Yield per acre, 131.

Ventilation of storage houses, 111. Zebra caterpillar, 92.
Washing celery, 116-119.

STANDARD BOOKS

. . PUBLISHED BY . .

ORANGE JUDD COMPANY

NEW YORK CHICAGO

,-2 & 54 Lafayette Place Marquette Building

DOOA'S sent to all parts of the world for catalog
price. Discounts for large quantities on appli-
cation. Correspondence invited. Brief descriptive
catalog free. Large illustrated catalog ', s?v cents : : :

The Cereals in America

By THOMAS F. HUNT, M.S., D. Agr. If you raise five
acres of any kind of grain you cannot afford to be without this
book. It is in every way the best book on the subject that has
ever been written. It treats of the cultivation and improve-
ment of every grain crop raised in America in a thoroughly
practical and accurate manner. The subject matter includes a
comprehensive and succinct treatise of wheat, maize, oats,
barley, rye, rice, sorghum (kafir corn), and buckwheat, as
related particularly to American conditions. Fujt-hand knowl-
edge has been the policy of the author in his work, and every
crop treated is presented in the light of individual study of
the plant. If you have this book you have the latest and best
that has been written upon the subject. Illustrated. 450 pages.
51-2x8 inches. Cloth. . $1.75

The Potato

By SAMUEL FRAZER. A reliable guide on the cultivation of
the potato, its development, manuring and fertilizing, planting,
tillage, sprays and spraying, breeding new varieties, harvesting,
storing, marketing, etc., etc. Taken all in all it is the most
complete, reliable and authoritative work ori the potato ever
published in America. Illustrated. 200 pages. 5x7 inches.
Cloth $0.75

Farm Grasses of the United States of America

By WILLIAM JASPER SPILLMAN. A practical treatise on
the grass crop, seeding and management of meadows and
pastures, description of the best varieties, the seed and its
impurities, grasses for special conditions, lawns and lawn
grasses, etc., etc. In preparing this volume the author's object
has been to present, in connected form, the main facts con-
cerning the grasses grown on American farms. Every phase
of the subject is viewed from the farmer's standpoint. Illus-
trated. 248 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth. . . . $1.00

The Book of Corn

By HERBERT MYRICK, assisted by A. D. SHAMEL, E. A.
BURNETT, ALBERT W. FULTON, B. W. SNOW, and other most
capable specialists. A complete treatise on the culture,
marketing and uses of maize in America and elsewhere, for
farmers, dealers and others. Illustrated. 372 pages. 5x7
inches. Cloth. $1.50

The Hop — Its Culture and Care, Marketing
and Manufacture

By HERBERT MYRICK. A practical handbook on the most
approved methods in growing, harvesting, curing and selling
hops, and on the use and manufacture of hops. The result of
years of research and observation, it is a volume destined to be
an authority on this crop for many years to come. It takes up
every detail from preparing the soil and laying out the yard,
to curing and selling the crop. Every line represents the
ripest judgment and experience of experts. Size, 5x8; pages,
300; illustrations, nearly 150; bound in cloth and gold; price,
postpaid, $1.50

Tobacco Leaf

By J. B. KILLEBREW and HERBERT MYRICK. Its Culture
and Cure, Marketing and Manufacture. A practical handbook
on the most approved methods in growing, harvesting, curing,
packing and selling tobacco, with an account of the opera-
tions in every department of tobacco manufacture. The
contents of this book are based on actual experiments in field,
curing barn, packing house, factory and laboratory. It is the
only work of the kind in existence, and is destined to be the
standard practical and scientific authority on the whole sub-
ject of tobacco for many years. 506 pages and 150 original
engravings. 5x7 inches. Cloth $2.00

Alfalfa

By F. D. COBURN. Its growth, uses, and feeding value.
The fact that alfalfa thrives in almost any soil; that without
reseeding, it goes on yielding two, three, four, and sometimes
five cuttings annually for five, ten, or perhaps 100 years; and
that either green or cured it is one of the most nutritious
forage plants known, makes reliable information upon its pro-
duction and uses of unusual interest. Such information is
given in this volume for every part of America, by the highest
authority. Illustrated. 164 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth. $0.50

Ginseng, Its Cultivation, Harvesting, Market-
ing and Market Value

By MAURICE G. KAINS, with a short account of its history
and botany. It discusses in a practical way how to begin with
either seed or roots, soil, climate and location, preparation,
planting and maintenance of the beds, artificial propagation,
manures, enemies, selection for market and for improvement,
preparation for sale, and the profits that may be expected.
This booklet is concisely written, well and profusely illus-
trated, and should be in the hands of all who expect to grow
this drug to supply the export trade, and to add a new and
profitable industry to their farms and gardens, without inter-
fering with the regular wo' ^ New edition! Revised and en-
larged. Illustrated. 5x7 mches. Cloth. . . , $0.50

Landscape Gardening

By F. A. WAUGH, professor of horticulture, university of
Vermont. A treatise on the general principles governing
outdoor art; with sundry suggestions for their application
in the commoner problems of gadening. Every paragraph is
short, terse and to the point, giving perfect clearness to the
discussions at all points. In spite of the natural difficulty
of presenting abstract principles the whole matter is made
entirely plain even to the inexperienced reader. Illustrated.
152 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $0.50

Hedges, Windbreaks, Shelters and Live Fences

By E. P. POWELL. A treatise on the planting, growth
and management of hedge plants for country and suburban
homes. It gives accurate directions concerning hedges; how
to plant and how to treat them; and especially concerning
windbreaks and shelters. It includes the whole art of making
a delightful home, giving directions for nooks and balconies,
for bird culture and for human comfort. Illustrated. 140
pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $0.50

The New Egg Farm

By H. H. STODDARD. A practical, reliable manual on
producing eggs and poultry for market as a profitable business
enterprise, either by itself or connected with other branches
of agriculture. It tells all about how to feed and manage,
how to breed and select, incubators and brooders, its labor-
saving devices, etc., etc. Illustrated. 331 pages. 5x7 inches.
Cloth. $1.00

Poultry Feeding and Fattening

Compiled by G. B. FISKE. A handbook for poultry keep-
ers on the standard and improved methods of feeding and
marketing all kinds of poultry. The subject of feeding and
fattening poultry is prepared largely from the side of the
best practice and experience here and abroad, although the
underlying science of feeding is explained as fully as needful..
The subject covers all branches, including chickens, broilers,
capons, turkeys and waterfowl; how to feed under various
conditions and for different purposes. The whole subject of
capons and caponizing is treated in detail. A great mass of
practical information and experience not readily obtainable
elsewhere is given with full and explicit directions for fatten-
ing and preparing for market. This book will meet the needs
of amateurs as well as commercial poultry raisers. Profusely
illustrated. 160 pages. 5x71-2 inches. Cloth. . $0.50

Poultry Architecture

Compiled by G. B. FISKE. A treatise on poultry buildings
of all grades, styles and classes, and their proper location,
coops, additions and special construction; all practical in de-
sign, and reasonable in cost. Over 100 illustrations. 125 pages.
5x7 inches. Cloth $0.50

Poultry Appliances and Handicraft

Compiled by G. B. FISKE. Illustrated descriptions of a
great variety and styles of the best homemade nests, roosts,
windows, ventilators, incubators and brooders, feeding and
watering appliances, etc., etc. Over 100 illustrations. Over
125 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth $0.50

Turkeys and How to Grow Them

Edited by HERBERT MYRICK. A treatise on the natural
history and origin of the name of turkeys; the various breeds,
the best methods to insure success in the business of turkey
growing. With essays from practical turkey growers in
different parts of the United States and Canada. Copiously
illustrated. 154 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth . . . $1.00

Animal Breeding

By THOMAS SHAW. This book is the most complete and
comprehensive work ever published on the subject of which
it treats. It is the first book which has systematized the subject
of animal breeding. The leading laws which govern this
most intricate question the author has boldly defined and
authoritatively arranged. The chapters which he has written
on the more involved features of the subject, as sex and the
relative influence of parents, should go far toward setting at
rest the wildly speculative views cherished with reference to
these questions. The striking originality in the treatment of
the subject is no less conspicuous than the superb order and
regular sequence of thought from the beginning to the end
of the book. The book is intended to meet the needs of all
persons interested in the breeding and rearing of live stock.
Illustrated. 405 pages. 5x7 inches. Cloth. . . $1.50

Forage Crops Other Than Grasses

By THOMAS SHAW. How to cultivate, harvest and use
them. Indian corn, sorghum, clover, leguminous plants, crops
of the brassica genus, the cereals, millet, field roots, etc.
Intensely practical and reliable. Illustrated. 287 pages. 5x7
inches. Cloth. $1.00

Soiling Crops and the Silo

By THOMAS SHAW. The growing and feeding of all kinds
of soiling crops, conditions to which they are adapted, their
plan in the rotation, etc. Not a line is repeated from the
Forage Crops book. Best methods of building the silo, filling
it and feeding ensilage. Illustrated. 364 pages. 5x7 inches.
Cloth. $1.50

The Study of Breeds

By THOMAS SHAW. Origin, history, distribution, charac-
teristics, adaptability, uses, and standards of excellence of all
pedigreed breeds of cattle, sheep and swine in America. The
accepted text book in colleges, and the authority for
farmers and breeders. Illustrated. 371 pages. 5x7 inches.
Cloth $1.50

Profits in Poultry

Useful and ornamental breeds and their profitable man-
agement. This excellent work contains the combined expe-
rience of a number of practical men in all departments of
poultry raising. It forms a unique and important addition to
our poultry literature. Profusely illustrated. 352 pages. 5x7
inches. Cloth $1.00

Farmer's Cyclopedia
of Agriculture

A Compendium of Agricultural Science and Practice
on Farm, Orchard and Garden Crops, and the
Feeding and Diseases of Farm Animals

-By EARLEY VERNON WILCOX, Ph.D
an? CLARENCE BEAMAN SMITH, M.S

Associate Editors in the Office of Experiment Stations, United States
Department of Agriculture

HIS is a new, practical, and complete pres-
entation of the whole subject of agricul-
ture in its broadest sense. It is designed
for the use of agriculturists who de-
sire up-to-date, reliable information on
all matters pertaining to crops and stock, but
more particularly for the actual farmer. The
volume contains

Detailed directions for the culture of every
important field, orchard, and garden crop

grown in America, together with descriptions of
their chief insect pests and fungous diseases, and
remedies for their control. It contains an ac-
count of modern methods in feeding and handling
all farm stock, including poultry. The diseases
which affect different farm animals and poultry
are described, and the most recent remedies sug-
gested for controlling them.

Every bit of this vast mass of new and useful
information is authoritative, practical, and easily
found, and no effort has been spared to include
all desirable details. There are between 6,000
and 7,000 topics covered in these references, and
it contains 700 royal 8vo pages and nearly 500
suberb half-tone and other original illustrations,
making the most perfect Cyclopedia of Agricul-
ture ever attempted.

Handjomely bound in cloth. $3. SO; half morocco
(•Very Jttmptttottj). £4. SO. postpaid

ORANGE JUDD COMPANY,

III.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY
This book is DUE on the last date stamped below.

NOV $ 1947

LD 21-100m-12,'46(A2012sl6)412()

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY

Internet Archive Audio

Featured

Top

Images

Featured

Top

Software

Featured

Top

Books

Featured

Top

Video

Featured

Top

Mobile Apps

Browser Extensions

Archive-It Subscription

Save Page Now

Full text of "Celery culture; a practical treatise on the principles involved in the production of celery for home use and for market, including the selection of soil, production of plants, cultivation, control of insects and diseases, marketing and uses"

See other formats