236 



Cultivation of Celery. 



Vol. IV. 



and the rose coloured solid celery, to be 

 grown, either for the market or for private 

 family use. The second week in April, if 

 there is a cucumber frame at work, prepare 

 two or tliree sliallow boxes, and till them 

 with tine rich soil, and sow the seeds on the 

 surface, with a liberal hand; then press it 

 down pretty solid, with a piece of board, and 

 cover it, lightly, with very fine sifted earth ; 

 this done, give the whole a gentle watering, 

 and place the boxes in the frame, close to the 

 front. 



When the plants make their appearance, 

 give them air every day, if possible, by prop- 

 ping up the sash, at the tront, where the 

 boxes are placed. As soon as it is perceived 

 that the plants have the least tendency to 

 grov/ up weak, they must be removed from 

 the frame, immediately to the open air, 

 choosing some well sheltered sjwt. On the 

 approach of foul weatlier they may be re- 

 moved to some place under cover, and taken 

 out again after the unfavourable weather is 

 over. If no frame, so spoken of, be at hand, 

 eow the seed on a rich, moist piece of ground, 

 the last week in April, in a sheltered situa- 

 tion: the ground must be well enriched for 

 this purpose, and the older the manure is, the 

 better. Dig it over, and rake the surface 

 very fine and even ; then sow the seed pretty 

 thick, on the surface, and with a clean spade 

 beat it lightly down, nice and even, and co- j 

 ver it over, about a quarter of an inch, with i 

 fine soil. 



As soon as the plants are about two inches ^ 

 high, they should be transplanted into a nur- 1 

 sery bed — but, previous to this, the ground i 

 must be well manured and dug over : then j 

 lay a board on the ground, in order to stand, 

 upon, and set the plants out in regular order, [ 

 at least three inches apart, plant from plant, j 

 Some may think this last process too much; 

 trouble; but I can assure all who have such! 

 an idea that it is a process indispensably ne- 

 cessary, and the utility of it will be presently 

 seen. When the plants are taken up from 

 the seed bed, before proceeding to transplant 

 them, do not neglect to rub off all the side 

 shoots, which, it will be seen, are just mak- 

 ing their appearance around the base of tiie 

 plants, and cut off the ends of the roots, if it 

 is desired to produce first rate celery. 



About the first or second week of July the 

 plants will be ready for tlie final planting out 

 — their strong, robust appearance, by this 

 time, I imagine, will give groat encourage- 

 ment to the grower, to go on and end the 

 good work : but, on tiie cuntrary, if the plants 

 had not boon removed from the seed bed, as 

 before advised, what a miserable appearance 

 would they now make, so much so, that the 

 stems being too weak to bear up the tops, 

 now that they stand singly, they would lie 



fiat upon the ground. When this is the case, 

 the remedy is to cut off the tops, and leave 

 three or lour naked stems sticking up — a dis- 

 grace to any person who has the least preten- 

 sions to it^' cultivation. The plants being so 

 weak, it will be found necessary to shade 

 them from the sun, through the middle of the 

 day, for some time, until nature has made a 

 fresh eflbrt, and the plants start to grow : not 

 so with those that have been transplanted; 

 tor by removing them with a trowel, on a 

 damp day, they will scarcely feel the change. 

 This is the gain, — for whilst the others will 

 require shading and nursing, these will be 

 making a rapid growth : and however well 

 the former plants are nursed, it is rare that 

 they ever make such good heads as thi^e 

 that receive no check. 



If the cultivator has a peat meadow, that 

 is at no time overflowed with water, he will 

 find it the best situation of any for the growth 

 of celery; but as there are but few, compara- 

 tively speaking, who have sucii facilities, the 

 next best location would be where the soil 

 is deep and moist, with the sub-soil clay. 

 One sure guide to go by is, always to prefer 

 deep moist soil, whatever the sub-soil may 

 be, for it matters not, however rich the ground 

 is made with manure; if there is a deficiency 

 of moisture, the growth will be stunted. 



In preparing the trendies for the final 

 planting, if the soil is deep, dig it out to the 

 depth of eighteen inches by fifteen inches in 

 width; and the length as far as is thought 

 proper tor the number of plants ; six inches 

 of the trench must be filled up with the best 

 old rotted manure that can be procured ; as 

 long strawy litter is not suitable, it sliould 

 never be used. Alter the manure has been 

 thrown into the trench, it should be dug over, 

 in order to mix the soil at the bottom of the 

 trench, thoroughly with it; this done, cut a 

 little of the soil from each side of the trench, 

 for the purpose of covering it about an inch, 

 and it will then be ready for the plants, 

 wliich should be set out six or eight inches 

 apart, in a straight line, down the centre. 



Keep the celery free from weeds, and earth 

 a little, at different times, until the trench is 

 nearly filled up; then earth it up no more, 

 until it is done for the last time, which should 

 be the first or second week of September, or 

 sooner, if necessary, I have two reasons for 

 following this process. The first is, that the 

 roots of the plants are already covered as 

 much as they ought to be, if we suppose tiic 

 sun and air has any effect on them, or is of 

 any benefit to them. My second reason is, 

 that the celery will make a stronger growtli, 

 and will be very nmch superior, both in size 

 and quality, to that which is earthed up every 

 week or ten days, as is generally done. 



