Celery Culture in A uieriea 



on the level surface, 3 feet apart, aiul the 

 ]3lants set 6 inches apart in the rows. If the 

 weather is dry at the time of planting, great 

 care should be taken that the roots are pro- 

 perly " firmed." Our custom is, to turn back 

 on the row, and press by the side of each 

 plant gently with the foot. This compacts 



third in ground, while the average price per 

 root in the market, has been always equal and 

 occasionally higher than for the tall growing 

 sorts. 



My neighbours around me have at last got 

 their eyes opened to the value of the dwarf 

 sorts ; and I think that a few years more will 



the soil and partially excludes the air from the suffice to throw the large and coarse-flavoured 

 root until new rootlets are formed, which sorts, such as " Seymour's Superb " and 

 will usually be in forty-eight hours, after which " Giant," out of our markets, 

 all danger is over. This practice of pressing The preparation of the soil and planting of 

 the soil closely aroimd the roots is essential in celery for ivlntcr use is the same in all re- 

 planting of all kinds, and millions of plants spects, except that, what is intended for win- 

 ter need never be "banked up" with' the 

 spade. It merely requires to be put through 

 the handling process, to put it in a compact 

 and upright position preparatory to being 

 stowed away in winter quarters. This should 

 not be done before the middle of September, 

 or just long enough before the celery is dug 

 up, to keep it in the upright position. 



We have, however, another method which 

 we have found to answer very well for the 

 late crop, and it is one by which more roots 

 can be grown on the same space, and mth 

 less labour than by any other. It is simply 

 to plant the celery i foot apart, each way, 

 nothing further being required after planting, 

 except twice or thrice hoeing to clear the 

 crop of weeds until it grows enough to cover 

 the ground. No handling or earthing up is 

 required by this method, for, as the plants 

 struggle for light, they naturally assume an 

 upright position, the leaves all assuming the 

 perpendicular instead of the horizontal, which 

 is the condition essential before being put in 

 winter quarters. This method is not quite 

 so general with us as planting in rows, and it 

 is perhaps better adapted for private gardens 

 than for market ; as the plant is more ex- 

 cluded from the air, the root hardly attains 

 as much thickness as by the other plan. 



Our manner of preserving it during winter 

 is now very simple, but as the knowledge of 



are annually destroyed by its omission. After 

 the planting of the celery is completed, 

 nothing further is to be done for six or seven 

 weeks, except running through between the 

 rows with the cultivator or hoe, and freeing 

 the plants of weeds until they get strong 

 enough to crowd them down. This will bring 

 us to about the middle of August, by which 

 time we usually have that moist and cool at- 

 mosphere essential to the growth of celery. 

 Then we begin the earthing up, necessary for 

 blanching or whitening that which is wanted 

 for use during the months of September, 

 October, and November. The first operation 

 is that of "handling," as we term it, that is, after 

 the soil has been drawn up against the plant 

 with the hoe, it is further drawn close around 

 each plant by the hand, firm enough to keep 

 the leaves in an upright position and prevent 

 them from spreading, which will leave them 

 as shewn in fig. i. This being done, more 

 soil is drawn against the row (either by the 

 plough or hoe, as circumstances require), so 

 as to keep the plant in this upright position. 

 The blanching process must, however, be 

 finished by the spade, which is done by digging 

 the soil from between the rows and banking 

 it clear to the top on each side of the row of 

 celery, as in fig. 2. Three feet is ample distance 

 between the dwarf varieties, but when " Sey- 

 mour's Superb," " Giant," or other large sorts 

 are used, the width between 



be at least 4^^ or 5 feet, which entails much 

 more labour and loss of ground. For the 

 past eight years I have grown none but the 

 dwarf varieties, and have saved in conse- 

 quence at least one-half in labour, and one- 



the rows must the process is yet quite local, being confined 

 almost exclusively to the Jersey market gar- 

 deners, I will endeavour to put it plain 

 enough, so that my readers " may go and do 

 likewise." In this locality we begin to dig 

 up that which \<t intend for Avinter use about 



