16 



friable soil, and in order that clean cultivation and the proper bank- 

 ing of the rows for purposes of blanching may be accomplished the 

 loamy and mucky soils are found far superior to heavy loams or 

 sands for celery culture. While moist soil is essential for celery pro- 

 duction, the saturation of the soil near the surface is undesirable 

 both from the standpoint of easy tillage, of early maturity, and of 

 liability to fungus diseases. While no absolute rule can be laid down, 

 it is safe to say that the zone of soil saturation (water table) must 

 be reduced to a depth of 18 inches below the surface of the field in 

 order to assure success with celery. Although moisture in consider- 

 able quantities is necessary, it is circulating soil moisture and not 

 stagnant ground water which is required for plant growth. Circu- 

 lating moisture, whether derived from natural rainfall or artificial 

 irrigation, is beneficial because of its warmth, the included air which 

 it carries, and its effect in conducting the dissolved soil material 

 from place to place around the growing roots. Stagnant water is 

 cold, usually devoid of included air, and not infrequently charged 

 with noxious dissolved material of both mineral and organic origin. 

 It also shuts out the circulation of soil atmosphere, while circulating 

 soil moisture rarely does this, but rather facilitates the aeration of 

 the soil. 



Because muck and peat soils and mucky soils like the Portsmouth 

 fine sand and Portsmouth fine sandy loam are capable of retaining 

 considerable amounts of moisture, are usually cool, and are always 

 easily tilled and banked up along the rows, they have wisely been 

 chosen by the best celery growers in the south Atlantic States for the 

 profitable production of this crop on an extensive scale. 



Celery is produced in small quantities in a large number of States, 

 under practically all of the varied climatic conditions of the con- 

 tinental portion of the United States. The natural habitat of wild 

 celery, however, is in swampy, peaty localities, and cultivated celery 

 is not largely changed from this habit of growth. 



For celery cultivation it is necessary to start the plants from the 

 seed sown in forcing beds. Some of the best growers transplant 

 twice, each time cutting off the taproot of the plant to force large 

 growth of the lateral roots near the surface of the soil. A single 

 transplanting from the seed bed directly to the field is far more com- 

 mon. From 20,000 to 30,000 plants are set per acre, and two-thirds 

 to three-fourths of the plants should mature salable celery. 



Usually the rows are run 4 feet apart, and the plants are spaced 

 6 to 9 inches apart in the row. The rows are furrowed out by a 

 special plow, and the plants are set in the bottoms of the trenches. 

 The plants must always be watered as set. During the period of 

 growth the ridges between rows are gradually cultivated into the 



[Cir. 19 J 



