THE CELERY CROP. 



THE culture of celery, either for the 

 family garden or more extensively 

 for market, has been so simplified 

 that every home should have its 

 supply the season through and well 

 along into winter. From extensive and 

 careful tests the past season with dif- 

 ferent varieties and the new and old 

 methods of culture, we conclude that 

 while the so-called self-blanching sorts 

 are more easily grovn and more profit- 

 able for the market gardens, they have 

 not the crisp, nutty flavor, nor the long 

 keeping qualities that will recommend 

 them for the home garden. For this 

 the " one " variety is Giant Pascal ; it 

 is the king of celeries. Paris, golden 

 self- blanching, is the best of its class, 

 and New Rose the best red variety. 



Regarding culture, the old trench 

 system is done away with, and the cel- 

 ery plants are set on the level surface, 

 about 6 in apart in rows, from 3 to 4 

 ft. apart. After the celery has attained 

 to a growth of 10 or 12 in it. should.be 

 " handled ; " that is, the earth should be 

 drawn up firmly for a few inches around 

 the base of the plants to cause the erect 

 or upright growth necessary for celery. 



According to the most approved method 

 now in use, this handling is all the 

 celery gets ; all the subsequent bleach- 

 ing is done with boards 10 to 14 in. 

 wide, and of any desired length, placed 

 close up to the plants on each side and 

 held together by stakes. These blanch 

 the celery perfectly, keep the plants free 

 from dirt, and after the first cost are the 

 cheapest of any method of culture. 



The old theory that contact with the 

 ground was necessary to blanch celery 

 is exploded. For the benefit of novices 

 it may be best to state briefly that for 

 early celery, the plants may be grown in 

 spent hotbeds, about April, and trans 

 planted about June, will furnish celery 

 for the table all the fall. Early celery 

 hardly ever escapes blight or rust. For 

 winter use sow seed in open ground and 

 you get stocky plants to set during July 

 and on into August. Celery needs cool 

 weather to grow its best, and the later it 

 can be left out before being winter 

 packed the better it will save. Mind, 

 however, when preparing celery for 

 winter not to handle or pack when wet 

 with dew or rain. — [E. V. Albany Co., 

 N. Y.] 



NOTES FROM SIMCOE COUNTY. 



THOUGH the past winter was a 

 pretty severe one, and we read of 

 extensive damage to tender fruits 

 in southern Ontario, yet every- 

 thing in the fruit line has come through 

 fairly well here. I quite expected to 

 find a number of the more tender varie- 

 ties killed or badly injured. But very 

 little damage has resulted. All the 

 tree fruits with the exception of a few 

 Dwarf Duchess pears, have come through 

 all right. The Purple apricots had a 



close shave, but seem to be coming all 

 right now. 



Of the small fruits, strawberries have 

 been badly winter killed where not pro- 

 tected. Early King and Erie black- 

 berries are killed down to the snow 

 line, while Agawam and Eldorado are 

 alive and healthy down to the ends of 

 the tips. Raspberries have come through 

 well. Even the Cuthbert better than 

 usual. I have had this year a very in- 

 teresting example of the wonderful 

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