48 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



favorite kinds ; nevertlieles?, I will venture to re- 

 commend ihc white solid, and the rose colored 

 solid celery, to be grown, niiher for the market or 

 ibr private family use. The second iveek in April, 

 il' there is a cucumber frame at work, pref)are two 

 or three shallow boxes, and fi.l them with fine 

 rich soil, and sow the seed 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 earlh ; this done, give the whole a gen- 

 tle watering, and piaoe the boxes in a I'rame, close 

 to the front. 



When the plants make their appearance, give 

 them air everyday, if possible, by propping up the 

 sash, at the front, where the boxes are placed. As 

 Boon as it is perceived that the plants have the 

 least tendency to grow up weak, they must be 

 removed from the frame, mimediately to the open 

 air, choosing some well sheltered spot. On the 

 approach of foul weather they may be removed to 

 some place under cover, and taken out again after 

 the unfavorable weather is over. If no frame, as 

 spoken of, be at hand, sow the seed on a rich 

 moist piece of ground, the last week in April, in a 

 sheltered situation ; the ground must be well en- 

 riched Ibr 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 cover it over, 

 about a quarter of an inch, with fine soil. 



As soon as the plants are about two inches high, 

 they should be transplanted into a nursery bed — 

 but, previous to this, the ground must be well 

 manured and dug over ; then lay a board on the 

 ground, in order to stand upon, and set the plants 

 ojt in regular order, at least three inches apart, 

 plant from plant. Some may think this last pro- 

 cess too much trouble ; but I can assure all who 

 have such an idea that it is a process indispensably 

 necessary, 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 making their appearance 

 around the base of the plants, and cut off' i he ends 

 of the roots, il' it is desired to produce first rate 

 celery. 



About the first or second week of July the plants 

 will be ready (or the final planting out — their 

 strong, robust appearance, by this time, I imagine, 

 will give great encouragement to the grower, to 

 go on and end the good work ; but on the contrary, 

 il" the plan's had not been removed from the seed 

 bed, as belbre advised, what a miserable appear- 

 ance 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 flat upon the 

 ground. When this is the case, the remedy is, 

 to cut off the tops, and leave three or four naked 

 stems sticking up — a disgrace to any person who 

 has the least pretensions to its culiivation. The 

 plants being so weak, it will be found necessary 

 to shade them from the sun through the middle of 

 ihe day, for some time, until nature has made a 

 fresh edort, and the plants start to grow ; not so 

 with those that have been transplanted ; for by 

 removing iheni with a trowel, on a damp day, 

 they will scarcely (eel the change. This is the 

 gain — tor whilst the others will require shading and 

 nursing, these will be iriaking u rapid growth j 



[ and however well the former plants are nursed, it 

 is rare that they ever make such good heads as 

 those that receive no check. 



If the cultivator has a peat meadow, that is at 

 710 time overHowed with water, he will find it the 

 best situation of any, Ibr the growth of celery ; but 

 as there are but ihw, comparatively speaking, 

 who have such 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, al- 

 ways 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 defi- 

 ciency of moisture, the growth will be stunted. 



In preparing the trenches Ibr the final planting, 

 if the soil is deep, dig it oiit to the depth of eighteen 

 inches by fifteen inches in width ; and the length 

 as far as is thought proper tbr 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 should never be used. 

 After 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 fbr the plants, which 

 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 he the first or se- 

 cond week of September, or sooner, if necessary. 

 I have two reasons fbr following this process. The 

 first is, that the roots of the plants are already cov- 

 ered as much as they ought to be, if we suppose 

 the 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 growth, and will 

 he very much superior, both in size and quality, to 

 that which is earthed up every week or ten days, 

 as is generally done. Good celery ought to be 

 solid, thoroughly blanched and of large size, and 

 perlectly clear of any blemish, such as rust or canker. 



J. W. RUSSKLL. 



Mt. Auburn, Cambridge, December, 1839. 



ADDRESS, DELIVERED BEFORE THE MASON, 

 CABELL AND KANAWHA AGRICULTURAL 



SOCIETY, By Gen. P. H. Steenbergen. 



Gentlemen of the j^gricultural Society : 



As your presiding officer, I am required to lay 

 belbre you such communications as I believe con- 

 ducive to your interests and prosperity. 



1 could have wished that some other gentleman 

 had been selected to address you on this occasion — 

 one who is better qualified than I am ; but as your 

 friendship or partiality has assigned me this duty, 

 I will proceed to the task, requiring at the same 

 time all the indulgent feelings you possess towards 

 an agriculturist, who feels himself more compe- 

 tent to manage well his own estate, than to advise 

 oll'.ers how they should conduct theirs. 



In the execution of this duty, I must necessa- 

 rily take a review of the character of our soil, the 

 present stale of farming in this valley, and in the 

 neighboring country ; and in its progress, contrast 



