42 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
frame. Celery seed is so small that it hardly needs covering 
with soil and it is frequently better to merely press the seed 
into the soil with a flat piece of board. The seed bed should 
be thoroughly watered and kept moist throughout the growth 
of the plants. If the seed has not been sown too thickly, 
the plants may be left in the rows, or seed bed, until they are 
five to six inches in height. Any good light garden soil 
is sufficient for this first growth, but when the plants are 
moved into the place where they are to be matured some 
preparation will be necessary. Celery plants like best a low- 
lying, moisture-retaining, but well-drained soil of a sandy 
nature, containing large quantities of decomposed organic 
matter. In growing celery it is best to use a part of the 
garden that in previous years has been heavily fertilized with 
manure and grown to other crops. Such a soil is likely to 
be in good tilth and in a fair condition for celery. The ap- 
plication of fresh barnyard manure should be avoided, as it 
not only spoils the flavor but also impairs the appearance of 
the plants by causing a rusty spotting of the stalks. The 
young plants should be reset in good rich soil in rows, the 
latter at least four feet apart, the plants being placed about 
eight or ten inches apart in the row. Some labor may be 
saved in the later operation of banking if the plants are 
placed in rows that have been depressed several inches. Some 
time in August the plants will have grown sufficiently to 
admit of banking with soil in order to bleach the stalks. 
The latter will have spread apart and may need temporary 
tying until the soil has been banked against them. ‘The 
plants will continue to grow taller, and additional banking 
will be necess as they grow. Where there are only a 
few plants, the bleaching of the stalks may be effected by 
placing a short length of drain tile over each plant so as to 
keep the light from the stems, or the stems may be wrapped 
with heavy paper, or boards may be placed lengthwise of 
the rows against the stalks and kept in place by means of 
stakes. The main object is to keep the light from the stalks. 
However, it is a generally accepted fact that the flavor of 
the plants is much improved by contact with the soil during 
bleaching. Plants banked with soil may be left out of doors 
during the winter months if the additional protection of a 
manure mulch is mi, ae As the stalks are wanted for use 
they can be dug by simply removing the manure; the soil 
beneath the manure mulch should never be allowed to freeze. 
Care should be taken that water does not stand in or near 
the soil banking the celery, as this would undoubtedly cause 
the stalks to rot. After bleaching, celery may be stored in a 
cool cellar by placing it in soil or sand. Such plants will 
