CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 307 



Muck soils are especially adapted to celery because 

 they are moist, fertile, loose and friable; they are also 

 easily worked, so that it costs less to grow a crop in 

 such lands than in other soils. It is very generally ad- 

 mitted, however, that the characteristic flavor is some- 

 what lacking when celery is grown on muck soils. 



While muck soils possess marked advantages for very 

 extensive cultivation of the crop, splendid returns may 

 be obtained on any soil that is deep, moist, fertile and 

 well drained, sandy loams being preferred. Many clay 

 and silt soils produce excellent crops, especially when 

 well manured and irrigated. The introduction of modern 

 methods of garden irrigation has made it possible to 

 grow this crop at a profit wherever favorable market 

 conditions can be found. 



402. Sources of seed. The planting of high-grade seed 

 is of prime importance, for poor seed may cause pithy 

 or hollow stalks, a running to seed the first year, a 

 failure to get a good stand of plants, and a lack of vigor 

 and uniformity. Practically all of the seeds of the self- 

 blanching varieties are grown in France. Excellent seeds 

 of the green sorts are produced in California. Growers 

 of the Boston Market use seeds produced near Boston. 

 Since great skill and care are required in the growing 

 of celery seed, gardeners should purchase their supplies 

 from the most reliable dealers. Some commercial grow- 

 ers import from specialists in order to be absolutely 

 certain of getting good seed. This is unnecessary, how- 

 ever, if the most reliable dealers in this country are 

 patronized. 



Fresh seed is advocated by most growers, although a 

 few careful gardeners prefer to buy large quantities from 

 various sources, and then use the best from year to year 

 until the supply is exhausted. If kept in sealed glass 

 jars where the temperature does not vary greatly, the 

 germinating power of the seeds will be retained from six 



