CELERY 



succeeded so well that the quality has been improved 

 and the length of the market season increased to such 

 an extent that instead of finding it for sale only during 

 the fall and winter months, we now have it the greater 

 part of the year. The greater part of the crop is pre- 

 pared for shipping by trimming off the outer stalks 



CELERY 



271 



401. Water-holding Celery crate. 



uud roots, washing and tying in bunches of one dozen 

 roots, and packing in boxes containing from 4 to 8 dozen, 

 according to the size of the roots. The California and 

 some of the Michigan and New York growers ship with 

 the roots on unwashed, and load in refrigerator cars, 

 with two decks put in and the bunches placed on the 

 decks. A car contains by this process from 1,200 to 1,500 

 dozens, while a car loaded with the boxed product con- 

 tains from 1,500 to 2,000 dozens. 



The seeds are very small and slow to germinate. The 

 first leaves are small and digest food slowly, which 

 makes it necessary to have plant-food available at all 

 times during the growth of the plant, so that nature may 

 be assisted in her work of building it up and giving to 

 it a constitution strong enough to resist disease, which 

 sometimes comes in the shape of a fungus which attacks 

 the leaves, and, with the plant in its weak condition, 

 absorbs the sap and destroys the digesting surface of 

 the leaf to such an extent that the outer stalks, and 

 sometimes the inner ones as well, dry up, and the crop 

 is a total loss. Fortunately, the climatic conditions for 

 the development of the fungi do not remain more than 

 3 or 4 days at a time, and, with means for irrigation and 

 with food containing the different materials that the plant 

 desires, this difficulty is successfully met. In Colorado 

 and other parts of the west, they expect to demonstrate 

 that the disease cannot exist, on account of irrigation 

 keeping the plant well supplied with food, the large 

 amount of lime the soil contains, the bright sunlight, 

 and cool nights, as all these are to the advantage of the 

 plant and against the development of fungi. 



The soils best adapted to the plant are cranberry bogs 

 and low marshes, filled with a deposit of decayed vege- 

 table matter from 2 to 15 feet deep, which, when drained 

 by open and tile drainage, cleared of trees and roots, 



the surface cut with disk-harrow, smoothed and pulver- 

 ized with common harrow and roller, are then ready for 

 a crop of corn or millet the first season. The following 

 season the surface is treated with a ton of air-slaked 

 lime to the acre, which is turned under to hasten the 

 decay of the vegetable matter and correct the accumu- 

 lated acidity which abounds from the decay of such 

 large quantities of vegetables. The lime also destroys 

 fungous growth and tends to strengthen the constitution 

 of the plant. The surface is then dressed with a ferti- 

 lizer composed of 1 ton of fine raw bone, 40 bushels of 

 wood ashes, and 500 pounds of salt to the acre. Where 

 barnyard manure can be had, the raw bone is reduced 

 1,000 pounds, and 20 loads of manure are applied. In 

 Florida the amount of bone is increased to 3,000 pounds, 

 and 200 pounds of high-grade potash added and the ashes 

 omitted. In Colorado, where the soil contains 10 per 

 cent of lime, it is not necessary to use lime. With ferti- 

 lizers containing 10 per cent of potash, 4 per cent of 

 nitrogen, and 10 percent phosphoric acid, applied at the 

 rate of 1 ton to the acre, and with the physical conditions 

 of the land improved by turning under green crops, 

 such as corn or alfalfa, success is anticipated. Celery 

 is also raised on sandy loam, but unless 50 loads of 

 coarse manure is plowed under, and water plentifully 

 supplied during growth, either by rains or irrigation, 

 the crop is poor in quality and light in quantity. 



In the north and middle states, the early plants are 

 started on hotbeds March 1, and transplanted in cold- 

 frames March 10-12, then into the open field after May 10. 

 For the late or main crop, the seed is sown in the open 

 ground April 1, and by June 1 the plants are large 

 enough to cut back to the heart leaves. This makes 

 them stocky and increases the root-growth, and by June 

 10 they are large enough to be removed to the field, 

 where they are cultivated frequently by both horse and 

 hand cultivators. In Florida, plants are all started 

 under a half shade in August, and transplanted under 

 another half shade made by setting posts in the ground, 

 5 feet high and 12 feet apart, on the tops of which a 

 board is nailed, forming a rest or frame, and 3-inch slats 

 nailed on 3 inches apart, thus protecting the beds from 

 the bright sun in day time and cold at night. The plants 

 are removed to the open field after September, and 

 planting is continued until about February 1. In Colo- 

 rado the early plants cannot be grown successfully with 

 glass close to the plants. The bright sun penetrates the 

 soil and takes up the moisture so fast that germination 

 is retarded and takes place very unevenly . By covering 

 the glass with plant-cloth, tacked on the inside, the light 

 is subdued and success attained. For the month of 

 April, beds covered 

 with plant-cloth alone 

 do very well. It is not 

 practical to sow late 

 plants in the open 

 ground without the 



402. A good Celery plant of the middle and western states. 



403. The Boston ideal. 



