CELERY 197 



and bring it in contact with the soil by placing a board across the 

 bed and walking over it, repeating the operation until the entire 

 surface of the bed has been firmed in this way. Large beds can 

 be firmed by means of a light garden roller. 



On a small scale the seed may be germinated under boards 

 laid flat over the surface of the bed. If this method is employed, 

 the boards must be removed as soon as the seeds begin to ger- 

 minate ; to neglect to do this would result in the loss of a large 

 percentage of the plants. 



Preparation of the soil. Ideal celery soils are as a rule drained 

 swamps or marshes. These soils contain a large percentage of de- 

 cayed vegetable matter and a surface percentage of sand or loam, 

 but usually they require several years' preparatory cultivation before 

 they are suitable for celery growing. It is necessary to provide suf- 

 ficient drainage to insure a dry surface, but the water table should 

 at all times be within easy reach of the roots of the plants. Soils 

 which have been flooded or charged with moisture for many years 

 are often quite sterile for the first few years after being drained, 

 but improve with age. Drainage admits air, and oxidation takes 

 place, which produces congenial conditions for bacterial action ; a 

 beneficial soil flora soon develops, and the inert organic compounds 

 are rapidly worked into available form for plants. Immediately after 

 being drained, such soils as a rule respond best to the use of stable 

 manure, chemical fertilizers often producing little effect ; but lime 

 is frequently necessary in large amounts. 



Superior grades of celery can be produced only on soils having 

 a deep, rich root zone. For best results the surface layer should 

 be from 1 2 to 1 5 inches deep and very fertile. 



Cultivation should be deep and thorough. The ordinary turn- 

 ing plow may be used to stir the surface to a depth of 10 inches, 

 and the subsoil plow may be used to loosen and aerate the next 

 8 inches. The surface should then be thoroughly fined and com- 

 pacted. In fact it should be made fine enough for a seed bed by 

 use of the disk, the acme, and the Meeker harrows. 



Fertilizers. As already stated, celery requires rich, well-prepared 

 soil for profitable results. When it can be secured, thoroughly com- 

 posted stable manure is the best fertilizer to use From 30 to 40 

 two-horse loads per acre, disked in after the land has been plowed, 



