May, 1914 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



237 



the seed that you get is almost 

 certain to give pithy plants. Make 

 certain that your seed, is the best, 

 and fresh. The Golden Self 

 Blanching and the White Plume 

 are dwarf growing and quick ma- 

 turing varieties and are usually 

 sown for early crop; but they are 

 also good for late crop as they 

 blanch with much less work. The 

 Giant Pascal and Giant Golden 

 Heart are types of the late matur- 

 ing and tall growing sorts. 



WITHOUT TRANSPLANTING 



Often late planted celery is 

 sown thinly in the seedbed and 

 allowed to stand there until it is 

 ready to be transplanted into the 

 garden. However, such plants 

 usually have a weak root system so that 

 plants at least once transplanted give much 

 more desirable stock. Plants that are to be 

 moved once are ready when the first or 

 second true leaves show. They are still 

 small and require careful handling. They 

 should be set about two inches apart each 

 way and at this distance give fine plants. 

 When about three inches tall the plants 

 are ready to be transplanted into the field, 

 or garden. 



The chief requirements as to soil are high 

 fertility, a rather loose texture and good 

 drainage. Muck soil is by no means a ne- 

 cessity, for the finest celery can be grown 

 on practically all upland types of soil. 



Celery is a gross feeder and quickly avails 

 itself of all fertility within reach. Heavy 

 applications of good rotted manure is the 

 ideal fertilizer, as it not .only supplies the 

 required plant food, but improves the me- 

 chanical texture of the soil as well as in- 

 creases its water-holding capacity. Sheep or 

 hen manure is very effective. Complete high 

 grade commercial fertilizers, if thoroughly 

 mixed with the soil at the rate of ten to fif- 

 teen quarts to the hundred feet of row, will 

 greatly aid in growing fine celery. In ap- 

 plying fertilizer in large quantities it is 

 very necessary to carefully mix 

 it with the soil, or the tender 

 rootlets of the plants will be 

 injured by coming in contact 

 with the fertilizer and result in 

 the checking of the growth and 

 often the death of the plants. 

 Nitrate of soda applied after 

 the plants are growing nicely 

 is very effective but care 

 should be used in applying 

 this concentrated fertilizer. 



The late crop of the celery 

 may be planted after early 

 radishes, peas, potatoes, etc., 

 as the plants may be set in 

 the garden as late as the first 

 or second week in luly, at 

 which time all early crops 

 are matured. The main point 

 to be considered is getting 

 the ground into good condi- 

 tion. The soil should be worked 

 over as thoroughly as possible. 



Celery transplanted to double rows; plants six to eight inches apart each way 



At the time late celery is ready to trans- 

 plant the weather is usually very warm and 

 the soil often dry, and considerable care 

 must be taken to get the plants established. 

 If the plants are well watered in the bed or 

 transplanting flat and taken up with a ball 



Blanching celery with boards. The tile is used for dis- 

 tributing water 



of soil adhering to the roots, their growth 

 will not ue checked. If the sun is hot, 

 shade the plants for a day or two. 



As to the distances apart the plants 

 should stand, much depends upon the rich- 



Ready for transplanting. 



Water well, and lift each plant with a ball of soil adhering to 

 the roots 



ness and depth of the soil. When 

 blanching with earth is planned, 

 the rows should be six to eight 

 feet apart depending upon depth 

 of soil, which should be consider- 

 able. Planted in single rows five 

 to six inches apart will be suf- 

 ficient. Double rows of plants 

 about six to eight inches apart each 

 way will allow about twice the 

 number of plants to a given space 

 and require little more work in 

 blanching, but double rows are a 

 little more difficult to keep well 

 cultivated. Solid beds six to eight 

 feet wide, with the plants standing 

 about eight inches apart in the 

 bed, if the conditions of soil and 

 season are right, will often give 

 splendid results. However, in 

 solid beds hand cultivation is necessary and 

 disease and insects are less easy to control. 



WATER AND THE CROP 



Celery plants require an abundance of 

 water if they are to make their very best 

 growth but will not tolerate a sour or soggy 

 soil. In small gardens where plenty of water 

 is available, running it in shallow trenches 

 beside the rows is often all that is necessary. 

 A more economical way is to lay lines of or- 

 dinary four inch unglazed drain tile beside 

 the single row, between the double rows, or 

 in the solid beds. The tile may be placed 

 just after the plants have been set and about 

 half below the surface of the soil. With a 

 slight fall in short rows the water will be 

 evenly distributed to the roots of the plants. 

 If the fall is considerable and the tendency 

 of the water is to run to the end of the line 

 it may be evenly distributed by inserting 

 between every three or four joints of tile a 

 piece of tin or wood veneer which will partly 

 check the flow of water and cause it to be 

 distributed along the entire length of the 

 row. 



Thorough cultivation conserves the mois- 

 ture to a very large degree. As soon as 

 possible begin cultivation and maintain a 

 dust mulch about your plants 

 and keep down the weeds; if 

 neglected, they very quickly 

 injure the growth of the celery. 

 Celery is subject to com- 

 paratively few diseases and 

 insect enemies ; celery blight is 

 the most destructive disease. 

 It is especially likely to attack 

 weak plants, so that good cul- 

 tivation is the best preventive. 

 If the garden is once badly in- 

 fected with it, it is very hard 

 to grow celery unless one goes 

 to the trouble and expense of 

 spraying. The common grass- 

 hopper is usually the worst 

 insect enemy. Chickens will 

 keep the pest down if they 

 can be allowed access to the 

 garden. Several large worms 

 are fond of celery but they 

 can be easily kept in control 

 by hand picking. 



