CELERY 37 



tice, therefore, which produces conditions simi- 

 lar to those during showery weather increases 

 the risk of crop production. Every factor of 

 cultivation, should so far as possible, be an ele- 

 ment in crop insurance. The important ele- 

 ments of crop insurance in celery culture are: 

 First, good seed; second, carefully grown and 

 transplanted plants; third, thorough spray- 

 ing for control of blight and other diseases; 

 fourth, irrigation of such a character as not to 

 counteract the effects of the spray and yet suf- 

 ficient to insure the crop against adverse cli- 

 matic conditions. 



The two factors which, more than any 

 others, determine the hollowness or pithiness in 

 celery are seed and checks to growth either in 

 the seedbed or field. Poor seed may be re- 

 sponsible for hollow stalks, but a severe check 

 to the plants in the seedbed, at the time of 

 transplanting, or during the growing period in 

 the field may cause either hollow stalk or pithi- 

 ness. The utmost care should be used to guard 

 against such adverse conditions. 



Plants with hollow stalks resulting from bad 

 seed have young heart stalks as well as the 

 older leaf stalks hollow, while in the hollow- 

 ness or pithiness resulting from adverse condi- 

 tions the young heart stalks will be solid, and 



