3IO VEGETABLE GARDENING 



moisture. There are various methods of starting plants 

 out of doors, but if the fundamental principles are under- 

 stood, there should be no trouble in getting- a good stand 

 of plants. There must be a full supply of moisture for 

 not less than two weeks, and the soil must be suf5- 

 ciently friable to permit the delicate plants to push 

 through to the surface. A liberal proportion of humus 

 will make conditions more favorable. 



The land is often thrown up into beds, although this 

 is unnecessary in well-drained gardens. Sowing in 

 drills is much better than broadcasting, because the soil 

 may then be cultivated. The seeds should have a slight 

 covering of fine soil and the beds or rows watered, if 

 necessary. The overhead system of irrigation is espe- 

 cially valuable in starting celery plants in outdoor seed 

 beds. 



In some sections it is necessary to start the plants for 

 the late crop in beds protected by board windbreaks and 

 by cloth coverings. In other sections, when the sun is 

 particularly hot, cloth or lath screens must be provided 

 to shade the plants until they are well established. 



The rows are generally i foot apart. This provides 

 plenty of space for wheel hoe cultivation until the plants 

 are transplanted. The usual practice is to transfer from 

 the seed bed to ground where the crop is to mature. 

 Some growers prefer to transplant once before setting 

 in the field, and thus secure stronger and more vigor- 

 ous plants. When this intermediate shift is not made, 

 the plants should be thinned to induce stockiness. 



404. Soil preparation. — In the North new muck land 

 is usually plowed and sometimes subsoiled in the fall. 

 The winter exposure to frost improves the structure and 

 prepares the soil for cropping the next year with corn 

 or some other cultivated crop. In most instances, celery 

 should not be planted until the second year. Whatever 

 the character of the land, early plowing is important. 



