218 CELERY. 



"be advantageously followed here, except that the plants can not 

 DOW be pulled out of the soil, but must be gently lifted out with 

 a transplanting trowel. In a couple of days they will have 

 thrown out new roots, and if they have not been allowed to get 

 wilted, will begin to grow vigorously. Nothing more is requisite 

 than to keep the ground free of weeds, until after the middle of 

 August, being careful, in hoeing, to draw the earth more towards 

 than from them, yet not to hill them up, nor by any means to 

 let any of the soil get into the heart of the plants. 



Towards the end of August, when the Celery has made some 

 eight or ten stalks, forming a good shield around the heart so as 

 to protect that part from the soil, the earth should be drawn up 

 to the plants as high as to the first leaves. It is well to hold 

 the stalks together in a bunch with one hand, while with the 

 other the earth is drawn around the plant, always being careful 

 that the soil is not drawn up so high as to get into the heart. 

 When the heart stalks have grown up to the height of the out- 

 side leaves, then the earth should be banked up against the 

 plant to very near the top. This is all the earthing up the 

 plants will need. Much of the labor of this may be done by 

 running a light plough with a steady horse between the rows, 

 throwing the earth towards, not on to the plants, and finishing 

 with hoe and spade. When the heart has again grown up above 

 the outer leaves, the Celery wiU be fit for use. 



By this method of growing Celery a much better article is 

 obtained and with much less labor than by the old mode of dig- 

 ging out trenches in which to plant it, and then earthing it up 

 gradually every few days. The best Celery is that which is the 

 most crisp, tender and sweet, and that can be best obtained by 

 securing a quick growth. By earthing up after the weather has 

 begun to get cool, at which time the plant grows most rapidly, 

 and doing it at two instead of a dozen operations, a quick growth 

 of the heart or centre stalks is secured. 



It is prepared for use by removing the outer stalks, washing 

 off all the adhering soil in clean water, cutting away the corky 



