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PROFITABLE GARDENING. 



CHAPTER XVII. — CULTURE OF CELERY. 



Celery belongs to the artistic depart- 

 ment of profitable gardening. Like 

 asparagus, melons, cucumbers, and to- 

 matoes, it lias a high place in exhibi- 

 tion schedules, and there arc not a few 

 celery fanciers in country places where 

 arlizans enter into friendly rivalry in 

 the production of enormous samples. 

 As is the case with rhubarb, beet, 

 melons, and a few other similar sub- 

 jects, the largest celery is not always 

 the most acceptable at table, but being 

 a gross feeder, it is no difficult matter 

 to grow it to almost any dimensions, 

 provided the feeding materials are at 

 hand. The majority of our readers 

 will prefer to grow useful crops, and 

 for their benefit our notes on celery 

 culture will have reference to the 

 dinner-table rather than the exhibition, 

 but we shall add a few words of advice 

 to those who grow for competition. 



Celery [Apium graveolens) belongs 

 to a class of plants renowned for their 

 poisonous properties. It is a native of 

 this country, and its natural habitat 

 is at the sides of brooks and ditches, 

 and there it is neither a wholesome nor 

 an elegant plant. It owes its reputation 

 wholly to its improvement by cultiva- 

 tion. There are many varieties, but 

 more names in seedsmen's lists than 

 distinct kinds, for some kinds have 

 half a dozen names, and a few enjoy 

 a local celebrity, not so much because 

 they are better than the rest, but be- 

 cause, through being exhibited in fine 

 condition by skilful growers, fame has 

 followed them, and insisted on their 

 names being printed in capital letters. 

 We have grown some of the most 

 noted sorts side by side with varieties 

 whose names are almost forgotten, 

 and found the old to be as good as the 

 new, and in some instances the new 

 and the old were every whit identical. 

 Still, there is something in names, even 

 in the choice of celery, and the best 

 whites are Cole's Crystal, Incom- 

 parable Dwarf, and Seymour's Cham- 

 pion. The best reds are Cole's superb, 

 Ivery's Nonsuch, and Manchester 

 large. There are others nearly as 

 good, and if the seed be well saved 

 from a really fine crop, you cannot fail 



in getting a good return from it, if the 

 culture be liberal, no matter scarcely 

 what sort you have. For table use 

 the whites are, of course, the best ; 

 thej' are more elegant, and more deli- 

 cately flavoured. The reds arc for the 

 kitchen, and amazing good in soups. 

 Nevertheless, red celery, if a moderate 

 size, is acceptable on the table when 

 white is not to be got ; and white celery 

 will not spoil ox-tail or leg of beef, so 

 as to colours you need not be fastidious, 

 if one or two rows only are required, 

 and you do not keep a fashionable 

 table. But as there is no reason why 

 the peasant should not indulge in 

 celery equal to that served up to the 

 prince, choose two of the best sorts, 

 white and red, and grow according to 

 your wants a supply of each. 



Celery is a gross breeder, and from 

 the first should be grown in a rich soil. 

 Get the ground ready for it as early 

 as convenient ; if during winter it can 

 be ridged up to sweeten, all the better, 

 but as you cannot plant out till April 

 or May, it may very well take the 

 place where cabbages have stood the 

 winter, the ground to be got readv - as 

 fast as it is cleared. Instead of waiting 

 to turn over the whole plot, make a 

 piece ready for one or two rows, get it 

 ridged up, and let it remain exposed 

 to the weather till within a fortnight 

 of the first planting, then turn in a 

 liberal dressing of manure, and break 

 the surface fine, and let it remain to 

 settle, ready for planting, and the 

 plants will make a better start th an if 

 the ground is only got ready at the 

 last moment. Meanwhile get the rest 

 of the piece ready, and plant in the 

 same order, so as to have a succession, 

 for this is a crop that should never 

 come in a glut, but be in a condition to 

 supply a few heads any clay from the 

 1st of August until the crop is finished; 

 and it need not be finished in haste 

 because of frost, as means can easily 

 be devised for protecting it, and the 

 best can be stored in dry earth in a 

 shed or outhouse, and covered with a 

 little dry straw until wanted. 



The first sowing of celery should 

 be made in the south of England on 



