314 THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. [APRIL, 



fore and after the plants come up, which, being very essential, 

 should not be omitted. 



The best kinds to sow, are the 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 

 following 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 manure, and dig it carefully in, one spade deep at least ; 

 then at the distance of four feet, form trenches, north and south, 

 about ten inches deep, eight wide at bottom, and the edges sloping 

 outward regularly, towards the center 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 incorporate 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. 



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

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

 cularly, 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 bet- 

 ter. For the methods of doing the whole, see pages 184, 185, and 

 186. 



Beet Seed. 



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

 the kinds, and methods of sowing them, see page 187. 



Sowing Onion and I*cck Seeds. 



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

 the directions given in page 187, will arrive at a tolerable size for 



