CELERY. 313 



be about six inches in length. But the best growers in Eng- 

 land have abandoned this method, and now set the plants, 

 roots and tops, entire. 



Blanching. " When the plants begin to grow (which 

 they will quickly do), hoe on each side and between them 

 with a small hoe. As they grow up, earth their stems ; 

 that is, put the earth up against them, but not too much at 

 a time, and always when the plants are dry ; and let the 

 earth put up be finely broken, and not at all cloddy. While 

 this is being done, keep the stalks of the outside leaves close 

 up, to prevent the earth getting between the stems of the 

 outside leaves and inner ones ; for, if it gets there, it checks 

 the plant, and makes the Celery bad. When the earthing is 

 commenced, take first the edges of the trenches, working 

 backwards, time after time, till the earth is reached that was 

 taken from the trenches ; and by this time the earth against 

 the plants will be above the level of the land. Then take 

 the earth out of the middle, till at last the earth against the 

 plants forms a ridge, and the middle of each interval a 

 sort of gutter. Earth up very often, not putting up much 

 at a time, every week a little ; and by the last of Septem- 

 ber, or beginning of October, it will be blanched sufficiently 

 for use." Corb. 



Another (more recent) method of cultivation and blanch- 

 ing is to take the plants from the temporary bed, remove the 

 suckers, and set them Avith the roots entire, ten inches 

 apart in the trenches. They are then allowed to grow 

 until they have attained nearly their full size, when the 

 earth for blanching is more rapidly applied than in the pre- 

 vious method. 



"Many plant on the surface, that is, marking out the 



size of the bed on ground that has been previously trenched ; 



digging in at least six or eight inches of rich, half-decayed 



manure, and planting either in single lines four feet apart, 



27 



