44 CELERY CULTURE 



meal to the acre. As soon as the land can be 

 worked in the spring the surface soil is thrown up 

 into long beds, each 6 or 7 feet in width with a 

 narrow walk between. The walks should be 4 to 6 

 inches lower than the surface of the beds and be 

 connected with a central ditch in order that they 

 may serve as drains. Fresh hardwood ashes, at the 

 rate of 1,000 pounds to the acre, and nitrate of soda 

 at the rate of 300 pounds to the acre, may be ap- 

 plied at the time the beds are made up, but should 

 be well worked into the soil to a depth of 4 inches. 

 After the beds have been raked reasonably smooth, 

 they should be permitted to settle for a day or two 

 before seeding. 



Just before sowing the seed, the beds should be 

 raked to a clean even surface, and if a seed drill 

 is employed for sowing the seeds, it should be pre- 

 ceded by a light roller, or the soil may be smoothed 

 by drawing a board over it. If the seeds are to be 

 sown broadcast, the steel rake or Meeker harrow 

 will leave the soil in about the proper condition for 

 seeding, and the covering can be accomplished by 

 rolling lightly, firming with a board, or by raking 

 very lightly with a steel rake. Some growers pre- 

 fer to scatter the seeds over the freshly raked soil 

 and trust to the first watering or shower to cover 

 them sufficiently. The grower must be governed 

 in the matter of covering the seeds by the char- 

 acter and condition of the soil, but the covering 

 should always be light. Sowing in drills is prefer- 

 able to broadcasting as the spaces between the 

 rows can be cultivated. 



