A P I 



A P I 



sessile or peduneled, with about fifteen unequal 

 rays at each axilla, supported by a frifid leaf: 

 the universal involucre is often wanting: the 

 corollasare small and white : the seeds very small. 

 Miller cultivated Sniallage many years, to try 

 if by art it could be brought to the same good- 

 ness as Celery ; but all That he could do was 

 to bring it to a larger size, and by earthing to 

 give it a whiteness : it would not grow tall, nor 

 rise with a straight stem, but suit out many 

 suckers near the root, and after it was blanched 

 retained its strong rank taste. But in more 

 southern climates this change has been effected 

 with success. 



The varieties according to Martyn are : Sweet 

 or Upright Celery, and Turnip-rooted Celery 

 or Celeriac. The London gardeners cultivate 

 two varieties : the Hollow Celery, which has 

 been long known, and the Solid, which is of 

 later introduction, and is preferred by some for 

 soups and stewing; but supposed by others not 

 so proper for the main winter crop, because 

 it will not endure the frost so well ; nor for the 

 market gardener, because it is very brittle, and 

 easily breaks in washing and bunching up. 



The Turnip-rooted Celery was formerly sup- 

 posed to be a degenerate variety from the com- 

 mon sort; but this opinion does not seem well- 

 founded, as from many } ears trial it has never 

 been found to vary. The leaves of this are 

 short, when compared with those of the other, 

 and spread open horizontally ; the roots grow 

 nearly as large as the common Turnip. The 

 difference proceeding from culture has been 

 chiefly in the size of the roots ; those properly 

 cultivated on rich ground being much larger 

 than those on poorer land, but the leaves and 

 outward appearance of the plants never alter. 



Culture. — In the first or Parsley kinds, the 

 propagation is constantly accomplished by sow- 

 ing the seeds ; the proper season for doing which 

 in the different varieties is any time from the be- 

 ginning of February till the beginning of May, 

 but they will grow at almost any time of the 

 year ; but to have the plants come into use by 

 the time the old Parsley begins to run to seed, 

 it is necessary to make the first sowing about the 

 time just mentioned. The best method for 

 this is in drills, on the sides of the beds; as it 

 is thus not only more conveniently kept clean 

 and more easily gathered, but has a better ap- 

 pearance. Where only required for the Dse of 

 a family, it may be put in single drills ; but for 

 the supply of markets, it is generally sown in 

 large plats, cither in broad-cast, raking it in, or 

 in shallow drills, at eight or nine inches distance 

 from each other, trimming the earth evenly over 

 it, to nearly the depth of half an inch, and 



then ralcing the surface, to give it a decree of 

 smoothness. This kind of seed is extremely 

 slow in vegetating, sometimes not appearing in 

 less than a month or five weeks from the period 

 of its being sown. The chief culture the plants 

 require while growing, is to be kept clean from 

 weeds ; and when they grow faster than wanted, 

 which is often the ease in private gardens, to be 

 cut down close. This should be constantly 

 practised in autumn, as about Michaelmas, or 

 in sufficient time for the plants to recover before 

 the winter sets in. 



In the management of this useful plant, great 

 care should be taken, as already observed^ al- 

 ways to sow such seed as has been collected from 

 the best curled-leaved plants ; and in order to 

 save the seed, some rows of the best one vear 

 old plants should be permitted to stand and shoot 

 up their stalks, which is done the May and 

 June following, the seed being ripened in July 

 and August. 



In the large-rooted variety the seed should be 

 sown in February or March, in situations where 

 the plants are to remain. For this purpose a spot 

 of light rich earth in an open exposure should be 

 preferred, the seed being sown broad-cast and 

 raked in, the plants generally appearing in about 

 a month after being sown, and in April or May 

 require to be thinned out to the distance of six 

 inches, and cleared of weeds, which may be 

 performed either by the hand or hoe; but the 

 latter is most eligible, as it stirs and loosens the 

 surface of the earth, which is beneficial to the 

 plants. About the latter end of July the roots 

 have mostly attained a proper size for use, and 

 may be drawn occasionally ; but they seldom 

 acquire their full growth till Michaelmas. This 

 is sometimes called Hamburgh Parsley, pro- 

 bably from its being much cultivated about that 

 place. It is chiefly cultivated and esteemed for 

 its large roots, which are white and carrot- 

 shaped, being long, taper, and of downright 

 growth, often attaining the size and appearance 

 of small or middling parsnips. They boil ex- 

 ceedingly tender, and are very palatable and 

 wholesome, being used in soups or broths, or 

 to eat as carrots and parsnips, or as sauce to 

 flesh meat. 



In the cultivated varieties of the second species, 

 the propagation is by sowing the seed in the 

 spring months, as from March till the latter end 

 of April ; and when the plants have attained 

 six or eight inches in height, transplanting them 

 into trenches, in the manner described below, in 

 order to be earthed up on each side as they ad- 

 vance in growth, and have their stalks blanched 

 or whitened, to render them crisp and tender. 

 As plants of this kind continue useful only one 



