VEGETABLES. 329 
not used to growing seeds, to attempt to soak their seeds that 
length of time. He has a greenhouse, and can do this suc- 
cessfully, because of its even temperature, but in the farm- 
house it is sometimes freezing cold, and sometimes very hot. 
My experience has been that, if the water in which the seed is 
soaked becomes fermented, the seeds are worthless. 
Prof. Green: I sow the seed about the first of February, in 
a box in the greenhouse, and place the box where it 
will keep moist and be out of the way. I cover it with a little 
moss, which makes a cover that the celery seed will push 
through. When I sow celery seed, I don’t push it into the 
ground, but prefer to cover it with moss or else protect it with 
something or other, like paper or cloth. If the plants come up 
too thickly in the box, just thin them out. Take asmall soap box 
and cut it down until it is three or four inches deep. Nail a 
bottom on it, leaving three or four cracks in it for drain- 
age. Then sow the seeds thickly in that, and afterwards 
thin it out. I do not use a hotbed, but have acold-frame in 
which I put the plants about three inches apart in the row, 
with the tops sheared off; that makes them stocky. I should 
not want to start the celery as early as that for winter keeping, 
but for early fall celery the first of February is about right. It 
can be transplanted to the field about the middle of June, accord- 
ing to the weather. When I plant the second time, 1 always 
shear it off again. As the plants are set out, I put a handful of 
green grass over each plant. The advantage of this is, that, 
if you have to water them, this mulching will prevent the 
ground from packing down. Seed planted the first of Feb- 
ruary will make good fall celery that can be banked up with 
straw without any danger of itsblighting or rusting. It will 
be fit to sell about the first of October. 
Dr. Frisselle: In my neighborhood, I do not think that celery 
that is intended for winter keeping should be planted until 
after those tremendous spring rains which we always have in 
this country. I remember putting out 3,000 plants one season, 
and a few days after we had a very heavy rain. I don’t think 
I had three plants left of the 3,000, that were not entirely 
buried. 
Mr. Wedge: I would like to emphasize one point that has 
been made by Prof. Green, in regard to mulching the plants. 
I have used short grass and sometimes a little manure. It 
works well on celery or strawberry plants. This plan would 
