CELERY. 51 



week in March, or early in April, in rich mellow ground, 

 and in a situation where the plants could be protected from 

 the parching heat of a summer sun (a border against a north 

 aspect is the most suitable.) Some sow the seed broadcast, 

 but the plants will be much stouter if raised in drills. The 

 drills may be half an inch deep, and six inches apart, so that 

 a small hoe can be worked between the rows ; and if pro- 

 perly attended to, every ounce of seed so sown, will produce 

 ten thousand strong plants or more. 



The early sown plants should be pricked out in a nur- 

 sery bed of rich earth, as soon as they are two or three 

 inches long, there to remain about a month, after which they 

 will be fit to transplant into the trenches. 



Choose for this purpose a piece of rich ground, in an open 

 exposure, mnrk out the trenches by line, ten or twelve inches 

 wide, and allow the space of three feet between them, which 

 will be sufficient for the early plantations. Dig each trench 

 a moderate spade deep, laying the dug out earth equally on 

 each side, between the trenches; put three inches deep of 

 very rotten dung in the bottom of each trench, then pare the 

 sides and dig the dung and parings with an inch or two of 

 the loose mould at the bottom, incorporating all well toge- 

 ther, and put in the plants.* 



Previous to planting, trim the plants, by cutting off the 

 long straggling leaves, and also the ends of the roots. Let 

 them be planted with a dibble, in single rows, along the 

 middle of each trench, five or six inches between plant and 

 plant ; as soon as they are planted, give them a plentiful 



* Some gardeners are accustomed to cultivate Celery on the level ground; 

 others, after making their trenches in the usual way, have gone (o the 

 expense of carting peculiarsoil from a distance, with which they reple- 

 nished their trenches until nearly full. Those who have pursued th# 

 latter plan, say that they were rewarded for their trouble by gathering 

 roots of superior size and quality ; but it is doubtful whether it would prove 

 profitable to practice this plan on an extensive scale. It may, however, be 

 judicious in those gardeners whose subsoil, or under stratum, is inferior, or 

 il] adapted for the cultivation of Celery, to cultivate it in shallow drill.*, or 

 furrows worked out with a plough, by which means they may secure good 

 .il to plant in, and also to earth up with. In such cases the rows must bo 

 from four to five fret apart, and frequent ploughing between them would 

 promote the growth of the plants. 



