LOCATIONS FOR CELERY. 245 



duct for shipment grown on moist lowlands near Stock- 

 ton and Sacramento, and large plantings have been made 

 in some years, near Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo 

 county. 



In many parts of the State, especially on low, moist 

 lands which are frequently of saline character, wild celery 

 grows thriftily, and its growth has served as an incentive 

 to commercial planting. This wild celery is, however, not 

 a native plant. It is merely the garden celery which has 

 escaped from cultivation and the escape must have been 

 at an early date, for the occurrence was noted by botanists 

 at least 40 years ago. It is now widely distributed. 



Locations for Celery. Celery thrives best in an equable, 

 cool temperature, but it accepts conditions in the "cool- 

 night" region of the interior valley. It does not well en- 

 dure high heat ; it is hardy against California valley frosts, 

 and it demands adequate moisture. It may, therefore, be 

 successfully grown in the fall and winter in regions where 

 summer heat is too high for it and in the equable coast 

 climate it can be enjoyed all the year, providing ample 

 soil moisture can be assured. Commercially, it is summer 

 grown for winter shipment because it is then best re- 

 ceived in the Eastern markets. 



Soils. Aside from abundant moisture the chief require- 

 ment of the plant is large amounts of decomposed vege- 

 table matter in the soil. This is provided in ordinary 

 garden soils by the free use of well-rotted manure, mixing 

 it thoroughly with the soil by deep digging in or trench- 

 ing, and for home supplies this should be undertaken, but 

 those who can, may avail themselves of the conclusions of 

 a grower at Castroville, near the coast in Monterey county, 

 who, after trying for a number of years, almost in vain, 

 to raise good celery on an ordinary dry garden soil, finally 

 borrowed the use of a little patch of reclaimed swamp 

 land deep, black muck, well drained but moist and 

 grew on it very fine celery with but little labor. In un- 

 dertaking production on a commercial scale this advan- 

 tage of specially suited soil is imperative. An instance of 



