MONTHLY CALENDAR. £59 



being forked over several times before the plants are put in. Frequent shift- 

 ing is found useful. 



1744. In order to avoid anything approaching a check to the plants, they 

 are taken up and eveiy root and leaf carefully preserved, the bottom of the 

 larger outside leaves carefully examined, and every bud and sucker carefully 

 removed with the point of the knife. Some cultivators go so far as to cut 

 the beds in •which the plants are growing into square pieces, and removing the 

 whole mass with the plant by introducing a trowel under it, and planting it 

 bodily to its new abode. Immediately after planting, a copious watering 

 should be given. In its wild state, celer}'^ delights in situations where it can 

 receive an unhmited supply of moisture, — and nature is always an excellent 

 guide where cultivationis concerned ; celery trenches should then, throughout 

 their growth, receive abundant supplies of water. When planted, the bed or 

 trench is usually a few inches below the neighboui'ing soil. The trenches 

 should have some means of shading from the glare of the noonday sun ; old 

 lights, bushes of firs, or other dense objects, for a few hours every day, will 

 suffice. Crops of peas are sometimes grown between the rows to afford the 

 required shelter, and there can be no more economical mode of supplying it, 

 provided the rows run from north to south, and are sufficiently apart to admit 

 of it. 



1745. The subsequent treatment of celery is very simple. Remove all side- 

 shoots and weeds, stir the earth frequently, and water whenever required, 

 occasionally with weak manure-water ; sometimes adding a little quick-lime 

 to the water for the benefit of worms and slugs. If the celery-fly appears, a 

 little soot, applied dry or in water, and sprinkled over the foliage, will be 

 useful. After these waterings, a thin covering of dry soil thrown over the 

 trench will check evaporation. As the time for banking- up approaches, it is 

 the practice in some places to tie the plants up with bass strings, partly to 

 keep the outer leaves in proper order, but partly also to assist in the blanching 

 process. When lightly tied up at the top, the centre is encouraged to rise 

 and swell. 



1746. It has been a question whether celery should be earthed-up at once, 

 or progressively, putting it on a little at a time. Mr. Judd, a very successful 

 grower, reports to the Horticultural Society, " that it is not well to load the 

 plants with toe much mould at once ; the two first mouldings, therefore, are 

 done very sparingly, and with the common draw hoe, fonning a ridge on each 

 side of the plants, and leaving them in a hollow to receive the full benefit of 

 the rain and waterings. When they are strong enough to bear water, the 

 moulding is better done with the spade, still keeping the plants in a hollow, 

 and continuing the process through the autumn, gradually diminishing the 

 breadth at top till it is drawn at last to a sharp ridge as possible to stand the 

 •winter." 



1747. In order to prevent the earth falling on part of the plants, Mr. Judd 

 took a long line made of bass, tied the end round the first plant in a row, 

 twisted it round the second, and so round each plant in succession, fastening 



