216 ox THE CULTIVATION OF CELERY. 



which had previously been heated, and from whicli cause ihey 

 will readily remain in flakes of some 6 inches in thickness, and 

 resist alike the action of frost or moisture. The covering over a 

 day's consumption is merely removed with a fork so much 

 further on to the bed, and this takes place from day to day. 

 When, however, severe frosts set in, the whole of the ridges are 

 covered over in the same manner, but the protection is removed 

 on the recurrence of favourable weather in order that the plants 

 siiould not sufter from being too closely excluded from the 

 atmosphere. 



It will be perceived from the system here recommended that 

 an enormous mass of vegetable matter can readily be obtained 

 from a very limited portion of ground — that from the mode of 

 arrangement the operations necessary for the cultivation of one 

 crop become subservient to thjt of another — that the soil, from 

 being so very frequently tvirned and aerated in fine weather, 

 becomes fully disintegrated, and finally mixed with so large a 

 portion of rich material, it is in a very favourable condition for 

 the succeeding crop — and that such a system carried through 

 any part of a garden must inevitably change its condition, how- 

 ever obdurate or sterile the nature of the soil may be. More- 

 over, this concentrated mode of cultivation economizes not only 

 labour, but manure and water also ; the plants too being in 

 close proximity aflford a mutual shelter, and consequently a 

 quicker growth ensues than under circumstances of greater 

 exposure, and on this altogether depends that crispness and 

 solidity so desirable in tliis esculent. 



A root crop is that which usually follows in the routine, being 

 not only of a totally different character to the crops of the pre- 

 vious season, but from the circumstance of the ground having 

 been culti\ated so deeply, and so frequently and thoroughly 

 aerated, it might be considered to be in a state well adapted for 

 tlieir growth, and more especially the tap rooted sections of that 

 class. I have this season, however, been induced to change that 

 routine from the circumstance of the site being very favourable 

 for a permanent crop, in much request here, and it is now being 

 planted with Wilmot's late red currant, with cauliflowers between 

 tlie rows, wiiich will be again interlined with the successional 

 ])lants on which the early crops of strawberries are growing so 

 soon as they have been removed from the forcing-houses. 



