chap, vl] celery, water-cress. 155 



seed-bed should be formed of equal parts of 

 fresh dark loamy soil and old rotten duno - . 

 "When the plants are about two or three inches 

 high, they are pricked out into another bed 

 made of very rich soil, six or seven inches 

 deep, on a hard bottom ; and, when they are 

 about a foot high, they are transplanted into 

 trenches for blanching. The trenches are made 

 four feet apart, eighteen inches wide, and twelve 

 inches deep; and they are filled nine inches 

 high with a rich compost of strong fresh soil 

 and rotten dung. The plants are taken up with 

 as much earth as will adhere to the roots, and 

 the side-shoots or offsets are removed from the 

 central stems ; they are then set by the hand, 

 nine or ten inches apart, in the centre of each 

 trench, and well watered. As the plants in the 

 trenches grow, the earth is gradually drawn up 

 to them, a little at a time, taking care never to 

 let the earth rise above the heart of the plant; 

 and this earthing up is repeated five or six 

 times, at intervals of about ten days or a fort- 

 night, till the plants are ready for use. Thus 

 treated, a single plant of celery of the solid kind 

 has been known to weigh nine pounds, and to 

 measure four feet in length. 



Water-cress is generally gathered wild, but 

 it may be cultivated in gardens where there is 

 a clear running stream, on a sandy or gravellv 

 bottom. The plants are disposed in rows parallel 

 with the stream, about eighteen inches apart, in 

 shallow water; but four or five feet apart if the 

 water be very deep, as if nearer together they 

 will check the stream. Thus treated, the plants 

 mav be cut at least once a week during the 



