THE VEGETABLE PATCH. 



207 



subsoil is nearly as good, but will not grow 

 if the subsoil is clay. Other soils will grow 

 celery if enough manure and water are used, 

 but it is too much of a fight against nature 

 to make the culture profitable. At least 40 

 tons of manure per acre must be applied 

 each year. There must not be any coarse 

 manure near the top of the ground or the 

 plants will die out when set out. Four or 

 five applications of nitrate of soda — 100 

 pounds at a time every ten days or two 

 weeks will hasten growth. 



GOOD VARIETIES. 



For early fall, summer and early winter 

 use, the following self-branching kinds are 

 used : Paris Golden, Rose Ribbed Paris 

 and White Plume. The Paris Golden is the 

 best ; the seed should be grown by the origi- 

 nator in France, as plants' from Californian 

 and Chinese grown seed become punky and 

 useless. 



For late winter use the red celeries are : 

 London Red, Bruce's Hamilton Red (Not- 

 tingham Red in England), must be earthed 

 up often, and Carter's Crimson, which has 

 narrow stalks. Green celeries include sev- 

 eral good varieties. The Giant Pascal is 

 brittle and rots at the heart, but its flavor is 

 the best. The Evans' Triumph is soft, but 

 blanches to a beautiful wavy line. It is a 

 great favorite. Perle le Grand much re- 

 sembles the Triumph. On some muck soils 

 it is very hard, while on other soils it is ver}-^ 

 punky. Kalamazoo is a perfect celery, with 

 the exception that it rusts. Ewing's Large 

 Ribbed White is much too short and needs 

 lots of earthing up to make it grow com- 

 pactly. 



For early celery, which is being overdone 

 in a limited market, sow thinly in February 

 in a warm greenhouse on raked soil. Pat 

 the earth with the back of a spade and cover 

 with a cloth; water frequently. As soon 

 as the seed commences to come up remove 

 the cloth. When the plants become 2 inches 

 high, prick them out in good hotbeds 2^2 or 

 3 inches apart each way. 



NEEDS PROTECTION FOR BEST RESULTS. 



Celery grows better if shaded by thin cot- 

 ton or cheese cloth. These plants are set 

 out in JMay with as much earth on the roots 

 as possible in rows 3 feet more or less apart 

 and 53/2 or 6 inches apart in the rows. The 

 plants should be sorted into two or three 

 sizes, because if a large plant is placed be- 

 side a small one, the larger will grow at the 

 expense of the smallec. After the ground 

 has been marked out, a furrow 50 yards or 

 so at a time may be plowed with an impro- 

 vised plow made out of a skimmer. This 

 makes a furrow just the depth required, and 

 only a short furrow is made at a time be- 

 cause celery must be set out only in fresh 

 moist earth. 



Seed for late celery may be sown in the 

 open field about April 20 or 25, with the 

 seed drill as shallow as possible, covered 

 with say a quarter of an inch of soil, in rows 

 one foot apart. The plants appear in 21 

 days, and ought to be thinned to about 100 

 to the foot. They will grow much faster if 

 sub-irrigated by tile one foot or so below the 

 surface, and will become stocky if mown 

 with a scythe when 5 or 6 inches high. 



(to be continued.) 



Mammoth Yellow Spanish or Prizetaker ground can scarcely be made too rich or 



onions should be sown as early in the spring 

 as the ground can be worked, in rows 15 

 inches apart. Cover the seed with about a 

 Yi inch of earth. When the sprouts are 

 well up, hoe and thin to 2 inches apart. The 



worked too much. By using well rotted 

 manure this crop can be growm continuously 

 on the same ground without rotation. — (D. 

 M. Ferrv, Windsor. Ont. 



