386 STATE HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



This article brought out several other plans which have been adopted by 

 "ardcners to stretch the tomato season. One was to pull up the tomato vines 

 and ban? them up by their heels in some cool place, brin,j^ing them out to 

 ripen in the sun as wanted for tiie table. Another was to pick them from the 

 vines and put them in some place protected from frost and heat. Anotlier was 

 to place them upon boards in some empty room or attic with a southern out- 

 look, and run out the boards to the sun and withdraw them from the rain or 

 frost, as New England housewives often do with their dried apples. 



He does not think the tomato gets much benefit from the plucked-up 

 vines. He thinks, therefore, the best treatment is to pluck the fruit suita- 

 ble for ripening, and put all except such as may be desired for speedy sup- 

 ply for the table away in a cold place; then place those which you desire 

 to ripen where they will get the benefit of dryness and warmth. As you eat 

 them put others in their place to gladden your board. 



Those who have a greenhouse, or any place sheltered with glass where the 

 ripening sunlight can strike, will find little trouble (with trifling protection 

 when the weather is very cold) in having ripe and luscious tomatoes way up to 

 Christmas. 



GROWIXG CELERY. 



Mr. Mylius, of Detroit, tells the Gardener's IMonthly how he grows celery as 

 follows : 



I sow my seed in hot bed on the first of March. The bed must be in good 

 condition, that the seed may germinate quickly, for celery seed takes thirty days 

 generally in open ground to germinate. Seed must not be sown too thickly, 

 as the plants should be stocky. I have tried to germinate the seeds by keep- 

 ing them moist and warm before the first of March, but I found the above date 

 safest, for if sown earlier there is danger of the celery running to seed. About 

 the fifteenth to the twentieth of May, if the ground is in order and weather 

 suits, plant out in ditches six inches deep on the richest spot you have. The 

 only thing wanted to grow celery successfully is plenty of cow or hofj manure 

 and moist land. The soil must be good down to at least twelve inches. About 

 the first of July we commence to bank up, slowly if dry ; if moist draw up as 

 high as you can ; if really dry weather, so that the soil is too dry to stick if 

 drawn up to the plants, I use foot boards sixteen feet long, pressed on each side 

 against the celery, and sticks driven in to keep in place. This mode bleaches 

 the celery best, but if soil be used the stocks or heads are a great deal heavier. 

 I have kept celery in the following way and kept it till spring, pitted in hot- 

 bed the same as if pitted in the old fashion. After bed is filled the sash are 

 put on ; give air once or twice a week ; if so cold that boards are not suflicient 

 straw or mats can be put on. Looked after in this way it can be kept till spring. 



A correspondent of the Xew York Tribune thinks he has struck the way of 

 growing celery, and this is the way he tells about it: 



We this year filled our old hot-bed frame, three feet by twelve, with celery 

 plants, setting them about eight inches apart each way, making sixty plants in 

 the frame. It has grown splendidly, and as fast as it grows we fill in with earth, 

 so that it is blanching nicely. I believe that it would have done as well if 

 planted closer, say 100 plants in the frame. The advantage is that it occupies 



