I873-] CELERY -CULTURE. 183 



There is scarcely any vegetable that has been so much improved by 

 cultivation as this. It appears that, because it has been improved so 

 much, gardeners deem it incapable of being further improved, at 

 least so far as the mode of cultivation is concerned. I hope that few 

 have come to that conclusion concerning anything. I for one have 

 not. 



After all, I have nothing new to communicate ; all I am to do is to 

 give 07ie suggestion which I have often revolved in my own mind, and 

 which, I believe, if carried out with half the vigour which is applied 

 to less profitable things, will prove so successful that henceforth many 

 will adopt the plan ; especially those whose garden-ground is limited, 

 and who are loath to sacrifice a considerable portion for such a miser- 

 able return as has been afforded in too many cases this winter. 



How many amateurs have sown their seed, trenched their ground, 

 dug their trenches, applied a liberal dressing of manure, ay, have so 

 humbled themselves as to go down on their very knees to earth them 

 up carefully, and when at Christmas they went to " draw the pay " for 

 their labour, found first one, then another, rotten ; the third perhaps 

 — perhaps not — just fit for use and no more ! And how many gar- 

 deners will groan in spirit when they think of all their labour lost, and 

 the importunities of the cook or butler ! How few have sound Celery, 

 fresh, crisp, and untainted, now (March 8th) ! And how many might 

 have it now and long after this, superior even to that which is dug in 

 October or November ! 



Will anybody believe me when I say that all may 1 Or will anybody 

 listen to the humble suggestion of an iinder-gardener ? " There, the 

 murder's out." I suppose none of your readers will believe in the 

 sense of an under-gardener [Why not ? — Ed.] If no practical man will, 

 perhaps some amateur will. I can make no experiments on my own 

 account ; but I hope I will one fine morning find myself a " head-gar- 

 dener, and then I will prove all things ; " and then I may be listened to. 



Grow your Celery in pots ! that is something like the suggestion of 

 an unfledged "under-gardener." Pots indeed ! Celery in pots! ridi- 

 culous ! It will take less trouble, and be far more satisfactory in the 

 end — ay, far more profitable. 



Try one dozen plants for once. When you put out your plants in 

 your trenches select a few nice plants, pot them in a suitable compost, 

 in a proper pot, give them ordinary attention (don't neglect water), 

 and I venture to say that by the end of September or middle of 

 October you will have nice, strong plants, which if bound up moderate- 

 ly firm with bast, and placed in any dry dark place, will throw up 

 centre stalks, tenderer, sweeter, and in every way superior to those 

 manure-flavoured, half-decaying stalks from your stereotyped trenches. 



