40 THE SEED-GROWER. 



same as for a garden crop for culinary use, observing 

 that plants destined for seed must undergo critical 

 selection when they are taken up in the fall for winter 

 storage. That is, only those plants are to be chosen 

 which possess all the distinctness of their variety; if the 

 variety be dwarf, those plants that are dwarfest, and so 

 on; furthermore, only those are to be selected which are 

 perfectly solid in the stems, and have an abundance of 

 solid heart-leaves. In fact, this matter of selection re- 

 garding solidity is important to be kept in mind when 

 raising high-grade celery seed. 



In the usual manner as practiced in the Northern 

 States for storing celery for table use, plants for seed are 

 wintered over in trenches, care being taken that it is 

 so done that they will be kept as dry as possible until 

 time to set out in spring; in the mild climate of Cali- 

 fornia, where considerable celery seed is raised, winter- 

 ing over of plants in this manner is not necessary. 



About May 1st, depending on the climate and lati- 

 tude, these plants are set out in rows four feet apart, 

 eighteen inches in the row, with the heart of plant left 

 exposed. Cultivate and keep free from weeds, drawing 

 earth up about the plants as they progress in growth. 



Seed is produced in clusters and ripens unevenly. 

 When bulk of it is well browned, stalks should be cut 

 at the base or root, and laid on cloths, to be left ex- 

 posed to the sun for a few days if the weather be dry 

 and clear, or are taken at once to the barn or shed, to 

 undergo drying. 



When seed has become dry, threshing may be done 

 either in a threshing machine or with a flail on a cloth 

 on the floor. Seed is then spread on a cloth and allowed 

 to remain for several weeks to become perfectly dry. 

 For final cleaning, seed is run twice through the fan mill. 



