314 GARDEXIXG FOE THE SOUTH. 



prefer is during July, as there is but little gained by 

 attempting it early. In fact I have often seen plants 

 raised in hot-beds and planted out in June, far sur- 

 passed both in size and quality by those raised in the 

 open ground and planted a month later. As I have 

 already said, it requires a cool, moist atmosphere, and 

 it is nonsense to attempt to grow it early in our hot 

 and dry climate; and even when grown, it is not a 

 vegetable that is ever very palatable until cool weather. 

 This experience well proves, for although a few bunches 

 are exposed for sale in August and September, there is 

 not one root sold then for a thousand that are sold in 

 October and November. Celery is often grown as 

 a " second crop " — that is, it follows after the spring- 

 crop of beets, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, or peas, 

 which are cleared off and marketed, at latest, by 

 the middle of July; the ground is then thoroughly 

 plowed and harroAved. No additional manure is used, 

 as enough remains in the ground from the heavy coat 

 it has received in the spring, to carry through the 

 crop of celery. After the ground has been nicely pre- 

 pared, lines are struck out on the level surface, three feet 

 apart, and the plants set six inches apart in the rows. If 

 the weather is dry at the time of planting, great care 

 should be taken that the roots are properly " firmed." 

 Our custom is, to turn back on the row, and press by the 

 side of each plant gently with the foot. This compacts 

 the soil and partially excludes the air from the root until 

 new rootlets are formed, which will usually be in forty- 

 eight hours, after which all danger is over. This practice 

 of pressing the soil closely around the roots is essential in 

 planting of all kinds, and millions of plants are annually 

 destroyed by its omission. After the planting of the 

 celery is completed, nothing further is to be done for six 

 or seven weeks, except running through between the rows 



