204 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



planted. Select a good, rich plat where water is handy, as the ground should 

 be as moist as possible to work, and draw shallow furrows, say about four 

 inches below the level, and put the plants six inches apart in the row. I 

 would prefer a single row of sufficient length to two or more shorter ones. 



Take a hard-wood peg, about one and a quarter inches in diameter and 

 six inches long; sharpen one end to make the holes for the plants. Put the 

 roots straight, and be sure and firm the soil well around each plant. 



Stir the ground around the plants and keep the soil away instead of 

 up to them till the plants get twelve or fourteen inches high, then work the 

 soil to the plants (but only when they are dry) and keep the roots moist. 

 If in the interior valleys, it is better to blanch it with boards than by bank- 

 ing with earth. Blanch by setting twelve-inch boards on edge on each side 

 of the row and secure them with stakes stuck in the ground and tied at 

 the top, or some dirt thrown against the bottom of the boards and the tops 

 held together with notched strips. It requires from two to three weeks to 

 blanch the White Plume and longer for the green sorts. One set of boards 

 will blanch two or three lengths, as they can be moved along the row as 

 the celery is used. Never bank or board it when wet, and be sure to have 

 both bank and boards close enough at the top so that the leaves will shed 

 the rain to the outside. 



Blanching may be done in garden culture by the use of drain 

 tiles or by wrapping the plants in pieces of sacking. Any arrange- 

 ment which excludes light and water from the stems will accomplish 

 the desired results. 



FIELD CULTURE OF CELERY. 



Field culture of celery on the very friable peat lands of Orange 

 county has developed appliances and processes which are very 

 effective and satisfactory, and cheapen production to an extent not 

 attainable except on very friable soils. Still the practices inculcate 

 the ends to be attained in all cases, though the means may differ. 

 Mr. S. J. Murdock has given a very explicit description of the 

 methods he has found most satisfactory in his experience, from 

 which the following is largely compiled. 



The Seed-bed. A seed-bed which is naturally moist or which 

 can be sub-irrigated is preferable, although the raised bed with 

 irrigation by seepage, or other arrangement for maintaining moist- 

 ure may be used. The soil must be light and free from baking. 

 The seed-bed should be plowed by the middle of December and left 

 rough for the action of frosts and rain, and about two weeks before 

 sowing, harrow down and thoroughly hand rake. Let it lie till 

 seed-time, which is during March, April and May, as to season or 

 early or late planting. The early-sown seed requires longer time 

 to make plants large enough for planting, but if planted moderately 



