Celery. 185 



night with mats. As soon as the seedlings show give a little 

 air if the weather is mild, at first very cautiously, but more 

 freely as the weather gefs warmer. Keep the bed moist. By 

 the middle of April the lights may be taken off the frame on 

 mild days, but must be replaced each night. When the plants 

 are about 2in. high they must be pricked out, Sin. apart, in a 

 cold frame, either on a bed of old decayed manure or on one 

 of light rich compost. Water well ; keep close and shaded for 

 a few days to induce root action, then grow as much as possible 

 in the open-air, but cover with lights each night for fear of 

 frost. Keep the bed uniformly moist. 



For the main-crop make another sowing, of white and pink 

 varieties, on a similar hot-bed, in the middle of March. When 

 these seedlings are ready to prick out, if the number is not 

 very large, cold frames are used as before, but where the 

 quantity is considerable a piece of ground in a sheltered 

 position is trodden down firmly and then covered with Gin. of 

 well-decayed manure, which is also trodden down, and then 

 covered with 2in. of fine compost. Here the seedlings are 

 pricked out in rows Gin. apart and 3in. apart in the rows, and 

 watered in well. The most forward should be selected and 

 pricked out first, then the next strongest, leaving the smallest 

 to get a little stronger, and so securing three successive batches, 

 each of equal size. Some form of protection, such as old lights 

 or mats, should be provided, so that the earliest batches can be 

 covered each night for a week or two. 



For the latest crop sow on a sheltered border in the open, in 

 the second week of April. The soil should be rich and light 

 and made firm by treading or rolling. ,Give protection during 

 cold weather. From this bed also, three selections for pricking 

 out should be made, on a bed prepared in a similar manner to 

 the preceding, the last being in an exposed position, so as to 

 ensure a prolonged supply in regular succession. The seedlings 

 must always receive abundance of water, so as to keep them 

 growing steadily, a check at any period of their growth, either 

 in the plant bed or in their permanent quarters, being very 

 detrimental, and causing them to run to seed or the stems to 

 grow hollow. 



When the time for planting out has arrived a sharp spade 



