CELERY. 73 



plants in these trenches. This method is not followed 

 now by the best celery -growers. 



Let us suppose that we have control of a field of 

 drained muck land. The way to proceed will be, first, 

 to make the soil sweet and then plant the crop. Muck 

 land will not be fit to plant the crop on for two or 

 three years after it has been reclaimed. One of the 

 best crops to prepare the land for vegetables is corn ; 

 this is quite exhaustive, but the roots penetrate the 

 soil well, and corn is able to stand more sourness than 

 many other crops. Eye and oats prepare the upper 

 stratum well, but their roots do not penetrate the soil 

 so deeply as that of corn. When the soil has become 

 perfectly homogeneous, and the vegetable matter thor- 

 oughly incorporated, we may feel quite sure that it is 

 in good condition for celery. It is advisable to test 

 the land by planting out a short row of celery, the 

 year before, on a typical portion ; the growth of this 

 will tell for a certainty whether the soil is in good con- 

 dition. When the soil is in good condition, plow the 

 land deeply, harrow it thoroughly, and remove all 

 rubbish. Before plowing, all corn stalks, large weeds, 

 sticks, and anything else that may interfere with cul- 

 tivation, should be removed. 



If it is a pine woods land that is to be put into con- 

 dition, the land must be cleared of all woody matter. 

 The rows are then laid off, and a double furrow 

 plowed out deeply ; as deep as possible with a two- 

 horse plow. Scatter in this furrow thoroughly decom- 

 posed compost of muck and stable manure, at the rate 

 of about a two horse load to a hundred feet of furrow. 

 Mix the soil and compost thoroughly, gradually fill- 

 ing the furrow in doing so. It is true that celery will 

 grow and produce good looking specimens without 

 any vegetable matter being added, but it is of such 

 4 



