CELERY 79 



in quality. Celery will grow in any good garden soil, 

 but sandy soils should be heavily dressed with manure. 



Distances are according to size of varieties and 

 methods of blanching. 



Sow early crop under glass in February, and cover 

 till the plants appear. Seed should be merely pressed 

 into the soil. Prick out once or twice (cut off tap-root 

 at first transplanting) and keep the plants stocky, if 

 possible without cutting back. Set in the field when 

 the ground is fit, after well hardening off. 



Sow late crop in a moist seed-bed when the ground 

 is fit. Drills apart as convenient, seed thickly, one- 

 fourth inch deep. Or sow broadcast in the seed-bed 

 and sift earth over the seed. Keep the ground from 

 baking or drying. 



Treatment of young plants in the seed-bed is entirely 

 according to the scale on which they are raised and the 

 labor which can be devoted to them. Commercially , 

 they are usually thinned to three inches or so apart, 

 and kept stocky by cutting off the tops. Wherever 

 possible (in garden culture) the seed-bed plants should 

 first be thinned to about an inch between the plants, 

 and these transplanted once or twice when large enough 

 to handle, taking pains at the first transplanting to de- 

 stroy the tap-root; the second transplanting should 

 follow the first at no great interval, as soon as the 

 plants are again established. Give light dressings of 

 nitrate of soda or liquid manure. Always keep the 



