Celery. 187 



cauliflowers, lettuce, peas, or early potatoes is taken off first, 

 so making Celery the second crop. Heavy soils should, when 

 possible, be prepared in autumn, by being manured and bastard 

 trenched, the surface being thrown up in ridges so that the 

 weather may bring it into good friable condition. As soon as 

 the soil is dry in the spring it is levelled and harrowed, and 

 trenches are thrown out a spit deep, 1ft. wide for single rows, 

 18in. for double rows, and 3ft. for four rows, with the spaces 

 between the trenches correspondingly increased, according to 

 the quantity of soil needed for earthing-up, and the kind and 

 extent of the intercropping in the alleys (if any) which is to be 

 done. Well-rotted manure is laid in the trenches Gin. deep, 

 trodden in firmly, and covered with soil almost to ground level. 

 Market gardeners never plant Celery in deep trenches, particu- 

 larly the late crops ; the position of the roots is so arranged 

 that when the crop is earthed up they are above the bottom 

 of the furrows between the ridges (see diagram, page 189). 

 When the position of the roots is below this level, late crops 

 are very precarious, particularly in a wet season, or on badly- 

 drained land. 



Planting Out. This operation should be performed in dull 

 or showery weather when possible, from the middle of May 

 for the earliest crops to the middle of July for the latest. 

 In single rows plant from Gin. to 1ft. apart, according to the 

 size and vigour of the variety grown. Where there are two 

 or more rows in the same trench they are put from Gin. to 9in. 

 apart, with lOin. to 1ft. between the plants in each row, those 

 in one row standing between those in the next, thus . *.*.'. 

 Each plant is set carefully with a ball of soil, watered in as 

 planted, and the soil round the roots well " firmed." If the 

 weather is hot and dry shade must be given for a few days, 

 and water given generously at least once in three days, but 

 if it is dull, watering once a week will be sufficient. The 

 strongest plants should be selected and planted by themselves, 

 as also should the weaker ones. In this way uniformity in the 

 size of the " sticks " is secured, and a whole row of plants 

 becomes marketable at one time. 



As soon as planting out is finished, the soil between the 

 trenches is levelled and planted with cauliflower, French beans, 



