308 vegetable gardening 
to eight years. Spores of late blight, which are carried 
on the seed, will not live longer than three years. For 
this reason seed 3 years old may be preferable. 
403. Propagation. — It is seldom best to sow for the 
early crop before March 1 in most northern sections. If 
sown earlier, special care must be exercised to avoid check- 
ing the growth before the plants are set in the field, for 
the fact seems to be well established that any hindrance 
of growth in seed bed. cold frame or field will be likely 
to cause seed production the first year. As the plants 
cannot be set in the open with safety until after May 1, 
it is difficult to maintain an unchecked growth when the 
seed has been sown very much before March 1. 
Celery seed, being very small and slow to germinate, 
must be provided with the best conditions in the seed 
bed. The soil should be fine, moist and not given to 
baking. Muck is excellent when available. It is im- 
proved by the addition of finely sifted coal ashes, some 
sand and a small quantity of bone meal. If muck is not 
at hand, use any rich garden soil to which has been added 
liberal amounts of sand and fine rotten manure. 
The seed may be sown in flats or in the soil of the 
hotbed or the greenhouse. If flats are used, the soil 
must be moist and well firmed, especially in the corners 
and along the sides. The seeds are sown thinly in rows 
2 inches apart. The furrows are made very shallow, so 
that the seeds will not be covered with more than 
inch of soil. After the seed is covered a piece of burlap 
is placed over the flat or the bed and the soil moistened 
by sprinkling the burlap. If possible, a temperature of 
about 70 to 75 degrees is maintained until the plants 
are up. The plants must then have plenty of light, sun- 
shine and fresh air. They should be watered as often 
as necessary to keep the soil moist, but overwatering 
must be avoided. Many gardeners cover the beds with 
cloth while the seeds are germinating. It is an advantage 
