6 The Colorado Experiment Station. 
get as high as 25,000 stocky plants per ounce when they have good 
seed. The number of plants suitable for planting depends upon the 
vitality of the seed and the care of the grower. It is the practice to 
sow enough seed to secure more plants than will be needed and then 
select, the best of these. Very often a surplus stock can be sold at 
a good profit, and it is also advisable to have extra plants for re¬ 
setting in case of damage to young plants by drought or hail-storm. 
Raising the Plants. —Celery seed is very slow in germinat¬ 
ing and sometimes great difficulty is experienced in getting a good 
stand of plants. Here is where the gardener must ever be on the alert. 
The seed bed and young plants must never be allowed to become 
dried out, and yet water must not be allowed to stand on the surface. 
The young plants are very tender, and a fine spray should be used 
in watering them. The seed is sown broadcast in the beds or some¬ 
times in very shallow drills four or six inches apart. The seed 
should be covered very lightly, if at all. Germination will take place 
in about three weeks. 
The Golden Self-blanching celery is usually sown between 
March 1st and 15th in mild hotbeds from which have been taken 
one or two crops of radishes or lettuce. These beds are made with 
about one foot of manure, over which is spread between six and 
twelve inches of soil, and the whole is covered with glass sash. By 
the time one or two crops of lettuce have been taken from a bed, the 
manure does not give a strong heat, but just enough to protect on 
frosty nights. If one desires this celery for the August market, it is 
quite necessary that some artificial heat of this sort be given the 
seed bed, but fresh beds should be used only with great care or the 
plants will not be strong. For later sowing of the seed, frames 
simply covered with sash may be used. 
The Pascal celery is mostly sown between April 1st and 15th 
in frames under cloth, although a great deal is sown in the open 
ground. The advantages of growing under cloth are that the soil 
is kept from drying out and the young plants are protected from 
extremes of temperature. It is not considered profitable to trans¬ 
plant celery, so it is left in the original beds until ready for setting 
in the field, although much more stocky plants may be secured by 
giving an extra shift. 
When the plants are grown in hotbeds, as many as eight thou¬ 
sand are sometimes raised under a three by six-foot sash. However, 
when less expensive beds are used, it is better to use more room, 
as one thus gets far stockier plants. Many growers sow one-fourth 
ounce of seed to one sash three by six feet, but this crowds the plants 
somewhat. It is very important that the plants be carefully “har¬ 
dened off.” This is done by gradually getting them accustomed to 
the wind and sun. The sash is raised more and more each pleasant 
day until the plants can stand to be entirely uncovered. It is very 
