APRIL] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 331 



after the plants come up, which being very essential should not be 

 omitted. 



The best kinds to sow are the white solid and red-stalked celery, 

 both of which are very fine and blanch delightfully. 



Those who have not the convenience of a hot-bed, to raise early 

 plants, and wish to have celery as soon as possible, will find the fol- 

 lowing method of some importance. Make choice of a piece of very 

 rich, light loam, that lies well to the sun ; give it a good coat of ma- 

 nure, and dig it carefully in one spade deep at least ; then at the dis- 

 tance of four feet form trenches, north and south, about ten inches 

 deep, eight wide at bottom, and the edges sloping outward regularly 

 towards the centre of the ridges formed by the earth thrown up, the 

 better to admit the sun to the seeds and plants ; in the bottom of 

 these trenches lay three inches of very old horse-dung; cast over 

 this the same depth of earth, and with your spade dig and incorpo- 

 rate both well together; cover the whole with mould previously 

 made fine with the rake, and draw a shallow drill with your finger 

 in the centre of each trench, not more than a quarter of an inch 

 deep, in which sow your seed very thin, and draw the earth lightly 

 over it, just to cover the seed and no more. This should be done as 

 early in this, or the preceding month, as the ground can be got to 

 work freely. 



When the plants are up they must be kept free from weeds, and 

 when grown a couple of inches, thinned to the distance of five from 

 one another, always leaving the strongest and most promising. 



When about eight inches high draw to their roots, on each side, 

 three inches deep of mould, and let them grow on till of sufficient 

 size to earth them up for blanching ; then they are to be earthed in 

 the general way. Plants thus treated will arrive at perfection three 

 weeks earlier than those managed in the common method. 



ASPARAGUS. 



The forking, dressing, sowing, and planting of asparagus, if not 

 done last month, should be performed the first week in this, particu- 

 larly the forking and dressing; for the shoots will be advancing 

 rapidly, and if not done in time they will be greatly injured, either 

 by omitting it altogether, or performing it at an untimely season. 

 New plantations ought to be made in the early part of the month ; 

 the seed may be sown at any time therein, but the earlier the better. 

 For the methods of doing the whole, see pages 201, 202, and 203. 



SOWING BEET SEED. 



Beet of every kind may now be sown with good success. For 

 the kinds and methods of sowing them, see page 203. 



SOWING ONION AND LEEK SEED. 



Onion seed, if sown in the first week of this month, agreeably to 

 the directions given on page 204, will arrive at a tolerable size for 

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