370 THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. [MAT. 



month) and even in the middle states, if the season is anyway back- 

 ward. For the proper soil and method of sowing them, Sec. see 

 pages 182 and 313. 



Cleaning and thinning Carrots and Parsnefis. 



Carrots and parsneps will now be advancing fast in their growth, 

 and should be properly encouraged : clear them from weeds, and 

 thin the plants out to due distances. 



This work may be done either by hand or hoe ; but, for extensive 

 crops particularly, small hoeing is the preferable method, as being 

 the most expeditious, and by loosening the surface of the ground 

 with the hoe, it will greatly promote the free growth of the plants. 



Whatever method is pursued, it will be necessary to free the 

 plants from weeds, and to thin them to proper distances, that they 

 may have full liberty to grow and enlarge their roots. The gene- 

 ral crops of carrots should be thinned to about six or seven inches, 

 plant from plant, and the parsneps to from eight to ten, in order 

 that each kind should attain its utmost perfection. 



Such crops of carrots, however, as are intended to be drawn gra- 

 dually for the table, while young, need not be thinned at first, to 

 more than four or five inches distance, as the frequent pulling up of 

 some, for table use, will in a little time afford the others sufficient 

 room to grow large. But 'the main crops, should be thinned at 

 once to the proper distances. 



Pricking out and Planting Celery. 



Some of the early celery plants, from the seed-beds, should now 

 be pricked out, to obtain strength previous to a final planting in 

 trenches ; by this mothod those left in the beds will have room to 

 grow strong and stout. They should be planted at the distance of 

 three inches from one another, in beds of rich loose earth, watered 

 immediately, and afterwards occasionally, till growing freely : when 

 they have acquired sufficient strength in these beds, they are to be 

 planted in trenches for full growth as directed in June. 



Let those remaining in the seed-beds be watered, to settle the 

 earth about their roots, which had been loosened in the act of pull- 

 ing out the others. 



When of sufficient size and strength, plant out into trenches, some 

 of your earliest sown plants, as directed in the Kitchen-Garden for 

 June. 



For the best method of obtaining celery, in early perfection, with- 

 out the assistance of a hot-bed, see page 314. 



Sowing Celery Seed. 



Sow more celery seed, for a principal later crop ; let this be done 

 as directed in page 313. In hot sunny weather, the shading of the 

 bed with mats, from ten to four o'clock, would greatly facilitate the 

 growth of the seed ; occasional waterings also, will be very service- 

 able, and in a dry season indispensible. 



