NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 33 



reached their second or third leaf, they should be trans- 

 planted into boxes, or a well-prepared bed, in rows six inches 

 apart each way ; water copiously, shading well till they have 

 recovered themselves. Care must be taken to keep the 

 roots moist while out of the ground ; shorten a little of the 

 long tap roots before planting. Celery may be grown on 

 the flat. The most general and perhaps the easiest method 

 is in trenches, which should be four feet apart. Throw the 

 soil out on each side to the depth of twelve or eighteen 

 inches, according; to the nature of the soil ; dig and fork in 

 four to six inches of the richest manure procurable. As 

 soon as the young plants in the transplanted bed have 

 become robust which will be in about a month they may 

 be lifted with a hand fork and planted in the trenches nine 

 inches apart. If the weather should be very dry and hot 

 after planting, the plants ought to be protected in the day 

 from the scorching sun till they start to grow ; water should 

 be given freely after sunset. As the plants advance they 

 will require to be earthed up a little at a time, once a fort- 

 night, taking care not to earth over the centre of the heart. 

 A mere pinch of celery seed will raise hundreds of plants. 



Cucumber. Rollison's Telegraph for the frame, and 

 the long and short prickly varieties for the open ground, 

 have proved themselves to be sure croppers. If it is 

 desired to have early cucumbers, heat must be provided. 

 A hotbed may be formed of stable litter, straw, and leaves ;. 

 the mass to be turned two or three times before finally 

 forming the bed, which should be four or five feet high at 

 the back, and three to four feet in the front ; the length and 

 breadth must be determined by the size of the frame at 

 hand. The bed cannot be trodden down too much, the 

 firmer it is made the longer it will retain the heat. The 

 bed should be made a foot wider all round than the frame 

 intended to be placed upon it. Place the frame on the heap,, 

 and fill in six inches of soil a fresh loam, the top spit of a 

 pasture three parts and one part of rich, well-rotted manure, 

 is, perhaps, as fine a soil as can be employed for the 

 cucumber. As soon as the bed has somewhat subsided the 

 seed may be sown, or the plants, which may have been 

 previously raised in pots, may be planted in August or 



