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THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Celery continued. 



trenches before planting. Another condition absolutely 

 necessary is a plentiful supply of water throughout the 

 growing period, withholding it as soon as the earthing 

 up is completed. If this is neglected, the plants are 

 more liable to " bolt," or prematurely run to seed. 

 Medium-sized heads are generally much more solid than 

 very large ones; consequently, they should be preferred, 

 the latter being often hollow-stalked and useless for any 

 purpose. Celery, when sent to table, should be quite solid 

 and crisp, well blanched, and of a sweet, nutty flavour. A 

 great deal depends on the earthing up and cultivation as 

 well as the variety grown. The soil is best to be rather 

 light, and, if possible, free from large lumps, as it can then 

 be worked much easier round the stems without displacing 

 them, and will at the same time exclude light better, and 

 BO hasten the blanching. 



Cultivation. At the beginning of March, sow a small 

 quantity of seed for an early supply, and at the end of 

 April, make the main sowings, placing the seed thinly in 

 boxes of light soil. Water carefully, and place the boxes 

 on a mild hotbed, or in a vinery or other warm glass house. 

 The seeds take a rather long time to germinate. A little 

 air must be admitted so soon as the seedlings are up, to 

 keep them dwarf, and water must be carefully applied. So 

 soon as the plants are large enough to handle, prick out, 

 about 4in. apart, in other boxes, or into a frame where there 

 is a little dung heat. Keep well watered, and gradually 

 harden off before planting out. The early batch should be 

 out by the end of May, and the main crop in June, plant- 

 ing all in properly prepared trenches, supposing this system 

 is adopted. 



There are various ways of growing Celery, some planting 

 in trenches, in single or double lines, and others growing 

 it in beds. The single line in trenches allows the plants 

 plenty of light, and it is much easier and better to earth 

 them up ; consequently, this plan has much to recommend 

 it. In the case of some of the small-growing varieties, 

 or where space is limited, one of the other plans might 

 be preferred; but care must be taken to keep the stems 

 quite straight when earthing up. For single line, mark 

 out trenches 4ft. to 5ft. from centre to centre, digging 

 them about 15in. wide and from 9in. to 1ft. deep, and place 

 the soil in the intervening spaces, which may be utilised 

 for some other vegetable that does not require a long 

 season of growth, such as lettuces, early cauliflowers, 

 &c. The crop from these would be cleared off before the 

 soil would be required for the Celery. In the bottom of 

 the trenches, place a thick layer of rotten manure, and 

 lightly dig it in Apply a heavy drenching of water, and 

 a day or two afterwards put in the plants, about 1ft. 

 asunder, along the centres of the trenches, again well 

 watering in. Be careful that each plant has a good ball 

 of earth adhering to the roots when taken up, and plant 

 with a trowel. 



The after cultivation consists primarily in supplying 

 plenty of water in all but showery weather, and in keeping 

 clear from weeds. When the plants are 1ft. high, fill in 

 sufficient soil to cover any roots that may be on the sur- 

 face, after which no more earthing will be needed till August 

 or the beginning of September, excepting in the case of the 

 earliest crops, which will have been more forward at all 

 stages. Remove all lateral shoots from the base, and earth 

 up when the foliage is dry, keeping the soil each time below 

 the middle leaves or crown of the plant. The best plan is to 

 have a boy holding the stems and leaves together, while 

 someone with a spade places the soil around the plants, or 

 a piece of matting may be tied round each plant and 

 removed when the work is finished. Earthing should be 

 completed in about three stages, proceeding by the same 

 method each time. When frost sets in, cover the ridges 

 with about Gin. of dry litter, or something of a similar 

 description, and a good plan is to lay a couple of 9in. 

 boards, nailed at right angles, over the litter, to keep out 



Celery continued. 



rain and snow water. Should Celery be taken up when 

 frozen, a condition that should be avoided if possible, it 

 must be submerged in very cold water, to thaw it; but the 

 frozen parts will often be quite useless. 



Sorts. These are somewhat numerous, but many are 

 coarse and deficient in flavour. Sandringham White is 

 one of the best varieties for early work, but the red 

 Celeries are generally considered superior, so soon as they 

 can be obtained. Major Clarke's Solid Red and Williams' 

 Matchless Red are two of the best for main crop, and to 

 stand the winter. Other good varieties are Manchester 

 Red, a strong growing and good variety to stand the 

 winter ; Sulham Prize Pink, and Leicester Red. The best 

 white varieties, in addition to Sandringham, are Veitch's 

 Solid White, Williams' Matchless White, and Grove White. 

 For the Turnip-rooted Celery, see Celeriac. 



CELERY PLY (Tephritis onopordinis). Celery Leaf- 

 miner. Of late years, the larvae of this destructive insect 

 have proved a great drawback to the culture of Celery. 

 They sometimes appear when the plants are quite small, and 

 eat out all the inner portion of the leaves as fast as they 

 are produced, thereby preventing the plants from growing, 

 and causing them to turn brown and often eventually to dio 

 away. Syringing the plants with tobacco water, followed 

 by clean water, is said to destroy them ; but the best and 

 only certain remedy is to carefully look over every plant so 

 soon as the small larvae are detected, pinch off the affected 

 part of the leaves, and burn them, or destroy the insects 

 between the finger and thumb. If this method be followed 

 from the first, at the same time keeping the plants grow- 

 ing as much as possible by applying plenty of water, the 

 insects will not be able to cause so much injury. They 

 attack the Celery for three or four months in some seasons, 

 and their destruction should be taken in hand immediately 

 they are detected. 



CELERY LEAF-MINER. See Celery Fly. 



CELOSIA (from kelos, burnt ; in reference to the burnt- 

 like appearance of the flowers of some species). Cockscomb. 

 OED. Amarantacece. Erect, glabrous or pilose herbs. 

 Flowers white or coloured, shining, hermaphrodite, brac- 

 teate and bracteolate, crowded in spikes or panicles ; peri- 

 anth five-parted ; the segments equal, spreading, glabrous. 

 Leaves alternate, petioled. We give cultural directions of 

 G. cristata (Cockscomb), and under the same treatment the 

 other varieties will thrive admirably, except that they must 

 never be kept dry, and must be encouraged by shifting as 

 often as necessary. It is useless to attempt growing this 

 with any success without heat. A good specimen plant 

 should be not more than 9in. high, and quite as wide over 

 the top of the flower-head, which should also be as thick 

 as possible, and of a dense colour. Seeds must be sown 

 in March or April, in pans of well-drained, rich, sandy soil. 

 After sowing, the pans should be placed in a hotbed, with 

 a night temperature of 65deg., rising to about 70deg. 

 with sun heat, and a moist, but not stagnant, atmosphere 

 should be maintained. As soon as the seeds germinate, 

 they should have plenty of light, and a little air; and 

 care must be taken that the soil does not become dry. 

 The pans must be kept near the glass. When the plants 

 are large enough to handle, they should be potted off into 

 small 60-sized pots, the cotyledons or seed leaves being kept 

 close to the soil. The pots must be placed in a position 

 close to the glass, in a frame where the same conditions are 

 maintained as above mentioned, allowing a rise of 5deg. or 

 6deg. in the daytime. They should be grown as quickly 

 as possible, and be kept rather dry, to induce flowering. 

 As soon as the heads show, so that the best-formed ones 

 can be selected, they should be shifted into 5in. pots, giving 

 a good soaking before repotting. They must again be placed 

 close to the glass, and the pots plunged to their rims in 

 ashes or cocoa-nut fibre refuse, on a hotbed. Water must 

 be sparingly administered, and more air admitted. If 



