134 CELERY 



careful attention and occasional watering. For market purposes, 

 however, it should be grown only where conditions are most 

 favorable. It is a crop requiring a large amount of hand labor, 

 and its culture should not be undertaken, except in a small way, 

 by persons unfamiliar with the crop. 



The Early and the Late Crop. — Market growers in Michigan 

 and similar latitudes recognize two distinct crops of celery — early 

 and late — though at the harvest one merges into the other, for 

 successive plantings result in a continuous supply after the market- 

 ing season opens. The early crop is put in the field as soon as 

 conditions will permit, usually by May 1, and makes its growth 

 during the summer months. It is usually harvested in August. 

 It is not feasible to grow celery maturing at this time except where 

 the summers are relatively cool and the soil well supplied with 

 moisture. The late crop is usually set in the field from June 20 

 to July 15. Outside the regular commercial celery regions, the 

 late crop alone should be attempted. Celery is such a slow-growing 

 crop that in central localities there is not time for it to complete 

 its development before hot weather, even if started very early in 

 the spring; and the product is likely to be small in quantity and 

 poor in quality if its principal growth is made during a period of 

 high temperature and deficient rainfall. However, the late crop 

 makes its principal growth and develops its edible portions chiefly 

 during September and October, after the fall rains have usually 

 become abundant and the weather is cool. 



Growing Celery Plants. — Plants for both the early and the 

 late crops are grown from seed planted in carefully prepared soil 

 from three to four months before the plants are wanted for setting 

 in the field. This means that seed for the early crop should be 

 sown in January and for the late crop in March or early April. 

 Greenhouse facilities are almost necessary for growing the early 

 plants, while a hotbed or coldframe would answer the purpose 

 for the late plants. In fact, plants for a late crop are sometimes 

 grown in an open seed-bed, but this method is less reliable than 

 starting the plants under more completely controlled conditions. 

 Since the seeds are very small and germinate slowly, it is best to 

 sow them in a flat or box of carefully prepared soil. The seed 

 should be covered very lightly, and the soil kept moist. As an 

 aid in preserving the moisture, a pane of glass or a newspaper 

 should be laid over the box. As soon as the plants appear above 

 the ground the covering may be removed. 



