General Notices. 127 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



Art. I. General Notices. 



Cultivation of Celery. — It is well known, in these exhibition days, that 

 much of the gigantic celery which finds its way to market, or appears at 

 our public exhibitions, is (although so specious in appearance,) exceedingly 

 coarse and fibrous. It moreover has a constant tendency to " run to seed," 

 before even winter sets in : and then, of course, 1 ises that delicate tender- 

 ness of texture, for which celery is so much esteemed. Now, although it 

 is quite commendable to encourage size, at an exhibition, it does not follow, 

 that the mode employed to produce such enormous stalks, must be implicit- 

 ly followed by those whose office it is to provide choice salads for the weal- 

 thy, whose taste, in matters of the kind, is not always identical with that 

 of the inhabitants of busy towns; the latter, in their marketing matters, not 

 unfrequently prefer bulk to quality. 



I presume it will be readily conceded, that rapid growth is the principle 

 which most conduces to tenderness in vegetables; and that any mode of 

 culture, which produces an unusual bulk of material, through very early 

 sowing, must, in a proportionate degree, deteriorate the character of the 

 production. One of the first points to which I would respectfully direct at- 

 tention, in order to obtain tender, crisp, and good-keeping celery, is to sow 

 it much later than usual, and to cultivate it very highly afterwards ; never, 

 if possible, suffering it to receive a check of any kind. A very small sow- 

 ing, to obtain a little very early celery, may be made in the early part of 

 February; but, for the principal supply, the beginning of April will suffice, 

 provided the maxim be put in full practice. 



This plant is such a gross feeder, that mere soil in the seed-bed, be it 

 ever so good, will not suffice alone to carry out these principles. It should 

 always be sown in contact with a thin layer of very rotten manure ; and, 

 above all things, kept constantly moist. It is, moreover, generally sown 

 much too thick ; and this frequently arises from the want of frame-room ; 

 most gardeners preferring to sow it in a hot-bed frame. There is, however, 

 no absolute necessity to rear it in a frame, if sown as here recommended ; I 

 have raised my main crops for years — even in this northern climate — on open 

 but elevated beds, in the open garden. True itis, the young plant requires 

 some nursing, and much attention in guarding it from the snails and slugs ; 

 this, however, presents no obstacle worth consideration 



My practice is to apply liquid manure occasionally, to this late sowing , 

 or, at all events, to keep the beds constantly moist. The importance of an 

 abundant supply of moisture, is pretty well known — especially during hot 

 weather, when it is barely possible to keep it too wet. This was long since 

 shown by the late Mr. Knight, who, taking into consideration the circum- 

 stance of its being, as to its native habits, a ditch plant, shaped his course 

 of culture accordingly. 



