Market-Garden Crops 295 



tinuously supply the plant with its needs. Reasonably 

 heavy dressings of the basic formula, 1000 pounds to the 

 acre, or over, at time of planting, should be followed by 

 a top-dressing of 100 pounds to the acre of nitrate of soda 

 after the plants are well started. The late fall and winter 

 growth of spinach is especially benefited by the application 

 of nitrates. 



SALAD CROPS 



Celery. 



Celery is another plant that luxuriates in a soil rich in 

 vegetable matter, though the peculiar advantage of this 

 natural condition of soil may be largely met where it is 

 possible to secure an abundance of water and plant-food 

 in soluble forms. In the absence of an abundance of 

 water, even the best judgment in application of fertilizers 

 w r ill not result in satisfactory growth. A heavy applica- 

 tion of the basic mixture a ton to the acre, used at time 

 of setting the plants may be followed with advantage 

 by frequent and reasonably heavy top-dressings of nitrate 

 of soda, 100 pounds to the acre or more, and well worked 

 into the soil. This abundance of soluble nitrogen will 

 contribute toward that rapidity of growth which is accom- 

 panied by the peculiar crispness and sweetness that gives 

 edible quality to this vegetable. In the absence of suffi- 

 cient water and food, not only is the growth of the plant 

 retarded, but the quality of that obtained is materially 

 influenced, since the development of the bitter flavor and 

 fibrous character that frequently cause a reduced consump- 

 tion of this valuable plant is apparently encouraged. 



What has already been said concerning this vegetable 

 is true of a number of others : the main thing is to see to 

 it that such an abundance of available food of the right 



