Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 109 



may be rooted out and thrown away as soon as the seed 

 has set. When the seed is ripe, the plants are hung up 

 to dry and the seed threshed out. 



CELERY 



Early celery is grown on a commercial scale as far south 

 in Florida as 27i north latitude. It can be raised in 

 gardens in northern India and the West Indies during the 

 cool season. It requires five months or more to mature 

 from seed. The profit in this line of vegetable-growing 

 depends largely upon individual skill. In northern sec- 

 tions, as in Michigan and New York, celery is raised as 

 a second crop ; but in Florida it has to be raised as a first 

 or cool-season crop. 



Soil for celery. 



The South has enough excellent celery land to supply 

 the markets of the United States. In choosing a plot, 

 two points must be kept in mind: first and most im- 

 portant, the soil must be rich, or made rich by heavy 

 fertilizing ; second, the soil must be moist and well drained. 

 Much of the drained muckland has failed to produce 

 celery because it is too dry. Again, some muckland was 

 too new, and caused the crop to " rust " and decay. Celery 

 raising pays, because it takes more skill to raise it than 

 many other crops. 



In northern celery-growing sections, a crop of early 

 vegetables is taken from the land, and then the celery is 

 planted. The land having received a heavy application of 

 manure before the early vegetables are planted, need not 



