314 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



Transplanting can be done to better advantage in 

 humid or cloudy weather. The plants should be lifted 

 with care. If the seed beds or flats are watered 24 hours 

 in advance of planting, the plants can be removed with 

 more soil clinging, to the roots than if unwatered. Some 

 growers give little attention to this matter and often 

 shake most of the soil from the roots. In this case the 

 roots are usually puddled before setting, or the ground 

 niay be watered ^before and after planting. Dibbers, 

 trowels, or the forefingers are used in making the holes 

 to receive 'the plants, which should never be set deeper 

 than they stood in flats or beds. Pressing the soil firmly 

 to the roots completes the operation of transplanting. 



408, Cultivation. — The ground should be cultivated as 

 soon as possible after transplanting, precaution being 

 taken not to throw any soil on the hearts of the plants. 

 As celery is a shallow-rooted crop, tillage should never 

 be deep; the ground should be stirred and hoed often 

 enough to control weeds and to conserve soil moisture. 



409. Mulching. — Pine needles, straw and other mate- 

 rials .are used for tnulching celery, but horse manure is 

 very much the best mulch. It is not only an excellent 

 conserver of moisture, but furnishes plant food as well. 

 Some of the most successful intensive growers use the 

 following plan for White Plume and Golden Self-Blanch- 

 ing and for summer, fall and early winter sales: The 

 plants are set at the usual times, at distances of 4 or 5 

 inches by 24 inches. As soon as possible after trans- 

 planting, the ground is mulched with 40 to 50 tons of 

 fresh horse manure to the acre. The manure should not 

 be placed against the plants. If applied at the rate sug- 

 gested, the mulch will be 4 or 5 inches deep at the cen- 

 ters of the row spaces, sloping gradually to the rows 

 themselves. No tillage is given if the mulch is applied 

 immediately after planting, otherwise the ground should 

 be kept well stirred until mulched. The manure will be 



