CELERY IN THE GARDEN 179 



grow the plants in the open air early enough in the spring to get 

 the crop for the table from November onward. Simple and correct 

 suggestions for garden culture are given by Mr. S. J. Murdock, of 

 Orange county, as follows : 



It requires from three to four months from time of sowing the seed till 

 the plants are large enough to plant out. The warmer the weather the 

 quicker the plants will grow, and the warmer and drier the atmosphere is, 

 the more water the seed-bed will need. Select rich, friable soil and sow the 

 seed evenly and only moderately thick. Cover the seed but lightly, as they 

 are very small, and firm the soil well. Keep the soil or bed moist, not soak- 

 ing wet, but never dry, and have patience as they are slow to germinate. 

 Keep free from weeds and thin if too thick; one plant to the square inch is 

 about right. When the plants get about three inches high, clip the tops off, 

 not too close, but about half way, and continue to keep the bed moist, and 

 when about four inches high clip again, and they will be ready to plant. 



In about a week or ten days after clipping lift the plants with a shovel or 

 garden trowel so as not to disturb the fine roots more than is necessary. 

 Trim the main or taproot to two or three inches and keep the roots moist 

 until 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 hardwood 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 banking 

 with the 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 also done in garden culture by the use of 

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

 rangement which excludes light and water from the stems will 

 accomplish the desired results. 



FIELD CULTURE OF CELERY. 



Field culure of celery on the very friable peat lands which 

 have been described 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 prac- 

 tices inculcate the ends to be attained in all cases, though the means 

 may differ. Mr. S. J. Murdock has given a very explicit descrip- 

 tion of the methods he has found most satisfactory in his experience, 

 from which the following is largely compiled. 



