VEGETABLE GROWING 369 



and Broccoli stems, after the heads have been cut, do not sprout, hence they may be 

 pulled or forked up and removed at once. 



Celery. This is the chief of winter salads, and, when well prepared, is in universal 

 favour. But its excellence depends so much upon culture and proper blanching that 

 Celery may well be classed amongst the best vegetables of a garden. It is a hardy, 

 cold weather plant also, yet sometimes suffers severely from hard frosts, because the 

 blanching of the stems serves to make them somewhat tender. Seed is cheap and a 

 very small quantity suffices to make a sowing for a small garden. Two sowings also are 

 ample. The first should be made rather thinly in a broad, shallow pan filled with light, 

 sandy soil. In a pan, 10 inches broad, some 200 seedlings can easily be raised, enough 

 to make quite a big planting for a small garden. Make that sowing about the middle of 

 March, standing the pan in a frame or greenhouse, and shading when the sun shines out 

 warmly. The seed of Celery germinates slowly, but comes all in good time. When the 

 seedlings are 2 inches in height they should be lifted carefully from the pan and be put out 

 3 inches apart on to shallow boxes of soil or into a frame or under a hand-light where 

 they can remain until 6 inches in height and quite strong, ready to plant out into trenches. 

 The second sowing, to give later plants, maybe made in the same way.or, if preferred, in a 

 shallow box, towards the end of April. The plants of this sowing, when strong enough to 

 lift, should be dibbled out on a well-prepared patch of ground, slightly shaded, in the 

 open garden. For such purpose throw off an inch thick of the top soil on a space 4 feet 

 by 6 feet, then lay on the space short manure, an inch thick, well patted down, and on to 

 that recast the soil previously thrown off and neatly levelled. Then dibble out the seed- 

 ling plants on to that, 4 inches apart each way, taking sixteen plants in a row, and if the 

 whole patch be thus filled it will hold upwards of 350 plants. When planted^ water freely, 

 and as it will then be June shade from strong sunshine for some ten days until the plants 

 are well rooted. Water freely each day if needed. In six weeks very strong well-rooted 

 plants will result. 



Trenches for the reception of Celery plants are desirable, not only because they 

 facilitate moulding up to blanch the stems later, but also enable liberal waterings to be 

 given, and where made side by side trenches should be fully 5 feet apart. Also they 

 should be thrown out 18 inches wide and 12 inches deep. If the bottom soil be good add 

 a dressing of well-decayed manure 3 inches thick, and well fork it into the bottom. If the 

 subsoil be poor, or gravelly, or clay, throw out 8 inches depth of it upon one side, throw in 

 so much of the top soil, then add to that and mix the needful manure dressing, and on 

 that fork in a couple of inches more of soil. Then the trenches will be ready to plant. Do 

 that with a trowel, lifting a dozen or so plants from the bed at once with good ball of 

 soil and roots, taking them in a flat basket to the trench, and then with the trowel planting 

 them well in a single row up the centre of the trench at 10 inches apart, fixing them 

 securely by treading with the feet as the planting proceeds. If at once a liberal soaking 

 of water be given the plants will not suffer much from the transplanting. No set time 

 can be fixed for this work, as much depends on when ground for trenches can be at 

 disposal. Usually for late Celery the end of July is soon enough to get it out, and by 

 that time some early Potatoes, Peas, or other crops have been cleared off and space 

 is at disposal. In the case of an earlier planting it is desirable if possible to reserve 

 a space specially for a trench or two, but that must depend on garden room, otherwise 

 the first ground cleared from some other crop must be used. 



Celery plants are gross feeders, and during dry weather need frequent liberal water- 

 ings ; and if once a week the plants can have a good soaking of liquid manure, made in 

 a large tub from horse, sheep, or fowl's manure, with some soot added, or failing these 

 things, then with some dissolved guano or other artificial manures, at the rate of i Ib. 

 to 10 gallons of water, great good will result. Fairly quick growth is always best. 

 Earthing should not commence until the plants have made strong growth, as after it has 

 begun watering cannot go on. This work should always be done in dry weather ; any 

 very short leaves or suckers about the bottoms of the plants should be first pulled off. 

 Moulding up is facilitated if the tall stems of each plant be tied up together, not 

 necessarily tight, as then with a fork or spade the soil can be placed about the plants 

 evenly, being gently pressed in about them with the hand. The first moulding should 

 not exceed 6 inches in depth, other mouldings, of some 3 or 4 inches in depth, being 

 added as the plants make growth, until finally they are well banked up with soil on 

 both sides, and patted down to throw off rain. Late Celery may be in very severe 

 weather saved from harm by shaking over the tops of the plants some fern or long 

 straw-litter. The chief insect-pest is the maggot, caused by the celery-fly, which deposits 

 its eggs in the leaves. These soon hatch and produce maggots, which subsist on the 

 green colouring matter in the leaves, and make brown blotches in them. As soon as 

 these blotches are seen they should be pressed firmly between finger and thumb, thus 

 killing the insect. Good Dwarf White Celeries best suited for small gardens are White 

 Gem and White Incomparable ; and of reds none are better than Standard Bearer and 



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