260 SCHOOL AND HOME GAKDENS 



bunch of fibrous roots, and set the plants about three 

 inches apart. In May or June set them in rows two or 

 three feet apart and six inches apart in the row. 



Soil. Early celery may be grown on upland soil that is 

 moist and in good tilth, but the late kind will show its 

 best results if grown on deep bottom soil. Fig. 143 is an 

 illustration of a celery field in Arlington, Massachusetts. 

 The soil has been made by silt deposited by the overflow 

 of a creek that flows through the garden district. It is 

 rich and deep and contains an abundance of well-decayed 

 humus. 



The soil should be spaded or plowed to a depth of 

 eight inches. If it does not contain the necessary fertil- 

 ity, apply well-decayed barnyard manure at the rate of 

 fifteen tons per acre during the preceding fall or early 

 in the spring, or use a mixed fertilizer at the rate of 

 about one thousand pounds per acre. 



Cultivation. Keep the soil moist with a dust mulch 

 by cultivating after every rain. Pull weeds away from 

 the plants by hand. 



Blanching with boards. This method is very success- 

 ful during the summer. Set boards one inch thick and one 

 foot wide against the plant, slanting them slightly inward 

 so that the tops of the leaves may be seen above them. 

 The boards may be held in place with stakes or wires. 

 They should be set when the plants are dry. The celery 

 will be ready for use in from ten to fifteen days, de- 

 pending upon the season and weather conditions. The 

 boards may then be shifted to other rows. 



