160 AROUND THE YEAR IN THE GARDEN 



deal of time in readjusting itself to a better form, if it ever 

 does so. 



If you have your own plants growing in a flat or in a 

 frame cut the tops back severely a week or so before plant- 

 ing. It is well, also, to keep them rather on the dry side 

 until just a day or two before planting; this stimulates the 

 growth of the feeding root hairs which take up the plant- 

 food solutions from the soil, and, as many of these roots are 

 destroyed in transplanting, even with care, the more there 

 are available the sooner the plants will become established. 



If you have to buy plants select them personally in your 

 own neighborhood if possible. If they must be ordered 

 from a distance secure plants that have been transplanted 

 or are "re-rooted." Celery for the summer planting is often 

 sown late in March or early in April in the open and grown 

 without transplanting; if these are thinned out and properly 

 cared for they will make handsome-looking plants, but each 

 will have formed one large tap-root, instead of the desired 

 thick mat of fibrous roots. 



The "re-rooted" plants have had the main root cut, with 

 the result that a fibrous mat of roots, similar to that of a 

 transplanted plant, has been formed. This has, of course, 

 made an extra operation and such plants cost a little more. 



Water Needed at Transplanting 



Celery suffers more quickly from lack of water than most 

 other plants at all stages of development. Moreover, the 

 setting out is usually done at the driest season of the year. 

 At the time of transplanting it is often advisable, even when 

 it is not absolutely necessary, to use water. 



Prepare the ground in advance for transplanting. The 

 rows may be from two to four feet apart, depending upon 

 the method to be used to blanch them and the variety. 

 Frequently celery plants are set out between rows of other 

 things that are still growing but will be out of the way before 

 the celery needs all the space. With some modern methods 

 of blanching, to be described later, the rows may be, if nee- 



