188 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



lettuce, or some similar crop which will be cleared off the 

 ground before the soil is wanted for " earthing-up." 



General Treatment. The summer culture consists in keeping 

 the ground free from weeds by frequent hoeings, and copious 

 waterings are given, twice a week if the weather is very dry, 

 or once if it is dull. Suckers are removed as they appear. 

 A sharp look-out should be kept for evidences of the celery fly. 

 On the first appearance of the maggot, the affected portions 

 of the leaves should be picked off and burnt, and the plants 

 lightly dusted over with soot whilst they are wet with dew. 

 Dusting with soot occasionally acts to some extent as a preven- 

 tative, by making the plant distasteful to the fly, but care must 

 be used not to put it on too thickly or it may do more harm 

 than good. Other remedial measures are suggested in the 

 section dealing with Pests. 



Earthing up. The first operation in the direction of earthing 

 up should take place when the plants are growing freely and 

 are about 1ft. high. On a fine dry day remove all suckers and 

 small leaves, then chop up the earth at the sides of the trench 

 and after it has dried for an hour or two, working from the 

 opposite side, draw it gently with a broad hoe towards the 



bottom of the plant, but 

 leave a space for watering. 

 The next operation takes 

 place a fortnight after- 

 wards. When the spaces 

 between the rows are 

 cleared of plants, a horse- 

 Celery after the Second Earthing. hoe is run up and down 

 several times in the early part of the day, or the soil is well and 

 deeply hoed by hand, so as to get it fine and friable. After 

 lying for a few hours to get dried it is drawn to each side of 

 the rows, half-way up the stems, with a broad hoe, and pressed 

 well round the plants ; or a mould-board plough may be used 

 to do the work. The next earthing is the final one, and takes 

 place when the plants are fully grown, about a fortnight after 

 the second. On this occasion the whole of the stems are 

 covered, the soil being brought close up under the top leaves, 

 and the ridges being made firm and smooth, in such a way as to 



