78 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



CEL 



for market, has been the labor entailed in the 

 "banking" to whiten or blanch it; and with 

 the unskilled amateur growing a few hundred 

 for private use, the troublesome process of 

 " banking " has usually been detriment suffi- 

 cient to prevent him from trying. In the first 

 week of October, of 1882, the Celery banks in 

 Hudson Co., N. J., must have cost at least 

 $10,000 in labor to erect ; but a rain storm of 

 twenty-four hour's duration washed the banks 

 down and destroyed the work of weeks. Had 

 this new Celery been under process of blanch- 

 ing, no high banks would have been needed 

 and the storm would have been nearly harm- 

 less, as the "wash" would have done but a 

 trifling injury. But absolute perfection is 

 hardly to be expected in anything, and the 

 "White Plume" Celery has one drawback; 

 the very qualities that make its culture so 

 simple in the fall and early Avinter months, 

 unfits it for a late Celery that will keep until 

 spring, as its tenderness of structure causes 

 it to rot quicker than the old green kinds; 

 but, to be used during the months of 

 October, November, December and the early 

 part of January, we advise it to be grown, if 

 quality and the saving of labor is a consider- 

 ation. It is equally as hardy against frost as 

 the other kinds; in size and weight it is 

 very similar to those popular kinds : the 

 "Golden Dwarf" and "Half Dwarf" — in fact 

 it originated in what is known as a "sport" 

 from the " Half Dwarf ; " that is, a single plant 

 showed the whiteness of stem and peculiar 

 feathery leaves, which fortunately, permanent- 

 ly reproduced itself from seed and gave us 

 this entirely new type of Celery. Its culture 

 is in all respects the same as that directed for 

 the other sorts, with the exception that we are 

 saved the trouble of high "banking." It is 

 also we think, the earliest Celerj^ in cultivation, 

 and thougli fit to use long before other sorts, 

 is found to keep nearly as well as the best of 

 the older kinds, except perhaps the red which 

 though comparatively new in cultivation in 

 this country is fully equal if not superior in 

 flavor and crispness to the white, and is de- 

 cidedly more hardy and a much better keeper. 



A new variety known as the "Bouquet" 

 Celerj', with beautiful feathery foliage, intro- 

 duced in 1888, is very useful for table 

 decoration, as well as for all purposes for 

 which Celery is used, as it is equally as good 

 as any of the others. 



We are often asked for the cause of and 

 remedy for Celery rusting or burning. The 

 cause, we think, is the condition of the 

 weather, which destroys the tender fibers, or 

 what are called the working roots of the plant, 

 for we find it is usually worse in seasons of 

 extreme drought or moisture, particularly in 

 warm weather. 



We know of no remedy nor do we believe 

 there is any. We may say, however that it is 

 less liable to appear on new, fresh soils, that 

 are free from acids or sourness, than on old 

 soils that have been surfeited with manure, 

 and have had no rest. 



Although, under ordinary conditions, if 

 proper varieties of Celery are used, the crop 

 should never be pithy or hollow, yet we have 

 found that now and then even the most solid 

 kinds of Celeiy have become more or less 

 hollow when planted in soft, loose soils, such as 

 reclaimed peat bogs, where the soil is mostly 



CEN 



composed of leaf mould. In fact, on heavy or 

 clayey soils the Celery will be specifically 

 heavier than on lighter soils. 

 Cells. Cavities in the interior of a plant. 

 The cells of tissue are those which form the 

 interior of the elementary vesicles. Cells of 

 the stem, air-cells, etc., are spaces organically 

 formed by a peculiar building up of tissue for 

 various vital purposes. 



Cellular System. That part of the plant which 

 consists of cells or elementary vesicles. 



Celo'sia. From /cr?o.s, burnt; in reference to the 

 burnt-like appearance of the flowers of some 

 of the species. Nat. Ord. Amaranthacem. 



These are ornamental or curious plants. 

 Only one or two species, however, are 

 regarded as sufficiently ornamental to be 

 included in ordinary collections. One of these, 

 C. cristata, the common Cockscomb, is almost 

 universally grown. To be grown well, the 

 seed should be sown in March, in the green- 

 house or hot-bed. As soon as the young 

 plants can be handled safely, they should be 

 placed singly in small pots, filled with the 

 same kind of soil in which they are started. 

 In these they should remain until symptoms 

 of flowering appear, when they may be 

 changed into larger pots or turned out Into 

 the border, where they should have a rich 

 soil, such as loam and rotten manure, in 

 equal parts ; then, with a liberal supply of 

 liquid manure, flower-heads of enormous size 

 will be obtained. It is on this account that 

 small pots are recommended for the young 

 plants up till the appearance of the flowers ; 

 for if the roots be allowed much space at this 

 period, the stem naturally increases in height 

 without a compensating increase in the size 

 of the " comb." This species was introduced 

 from Asia in 1570, and from it florists have 

 produced a great number of varieties. The 

 other species differ from C. cristata in having 

 large plumes of inflorescence, which form 

 pj'^ramidal masses of color. Many sorts have 

 a graceful pendant habit, which renders them 

 objects of great beauty. When well grown 

 they are excellent subjects for table decora- 

 tion, and also for the green-house, or for cut- 

 ting during the autumn and early winter 

 months. 



Ce'lsia. A small genus of Scrophulariads, con- 

 sisting of hardy or half-hardy annuals or 

 biennials. C. cretica. a hardy biennial, is the 

 best known and by far the showiest of the 

 species. As cidtivated, it grows three to 

 four feet in height, with a long terminal spike 

 of large yellow blossoms, each of which arises 

 from the axil of a small leaf or bract. A 

 native of Crete. Introduced in 1752. 



Ce'ltis. Nettle Tree, Hack-berry, Sugar- berry. 

 An ancient name for the Lotus. The fruit of 

 the European Nettle Tree is supposed to have 

 been the food of the Lotophagi. Nat. Ord. 

 Urticacece. 



A genus of hardy deciduous, low, or medi- 

 um-sized trees, of an ornamental character. 

 Several of the species and their varieties are 

 common in the Southern and Western States, 

 where they have received the various popular 

 names above given. 



Ce'nchrus. Bur Grass, Hedge-hog Grass. From 

 Kegchros, the Oriental name of the Millet. 

 Nat, Ord. GraminacecB. 



