4 CELERY CULTURE 



ness of the season on the north and the high tem- 

 perature and humidity on the south. In the southern 

 belt the area is limited by that wherein severe 

 frosts do not occur during the winter months. This 

 leaves a zone through the Central Southern states 

 wherein the winters are too severe and the sum- 

 mers too warm and humid for the commercial pro- 

 duction of celery. There are no doubt a number 

 of areas within these boundaries, which, owing to 

 altitude or some other influence, may prove excep- 

 tional. 



Soils Adapted to Celery Culture. For domestic 

 use, a deep, rich, sandy loam will produce the best 

 celery, but a small supply may be grown on almost 

 any good soil. In the regions where peat bogs or 

 muck soils abound the crop can be very easily 

 grown upon these, and the greater portion of the 

 commercial crop is produced upon this type of soil. 

 The first crops of celery of commercial importance 

 in this country were grown on the muck beds ad- 

 jacent to Kalamazoo, Michigan. There are now 

 many thousands of acres of muck soil situated in 

 the states bordering on the Great Lakes that are 

 devoted almost entirely to celery production. In 

 Florida the similar soils, often spoken of as "Ham- 

 mock soils" and "Sawgrass marshes," are used for 

 celery production, and the soils of the great celery 

 fields of southern California are similar in charac- 

 ter. For the production of celery on a small scale 

 it is practical to render any good garden soil suit- 

 able by manuring heavily and providing proper 

 drainage. 



