88 THE FARM. 



a hot-bed or cold frame, as practiced in Europe, it is sown in the open 

 ground, as soon as it is fit to work, in April, and kept carefully clear of 

 weeds until the time of planting, in June and July. lu our warmer climate, 

 if raised in hot-beds, as in England, a majority of the plants would run to 

 seed. The tops are shorn off once or twice before planting, so as to insure 

 iistocky " plants, which suffer less on being transplanted. 



After the ground has been nicely prepared, lines are struck out on the 

 level surface, three feet apart, and the plants set six inches apart in rows. 

 If the weather is dry at the time of planting, great care should be taken that 

 the roots are properly "firmed." Our custom is to turn back on the row, 

 au'l press by the side of each plant gently with the foot. This compacts the 

 soil, and partially excludes the air from the roots until new rootlets are 

 /brmed, which will usually be in forty-eight hoiirs, after which all danger is 

 dver. This practice of pressing the soil closely around the roots is essential 

 In planting of all kinds, and millions of plants are annually destroyed by its 

 omission. After the planting of the celery is completed, nothing further is 

 to be done for six or seven weeks, except running through between the rows 

 with the cultivator or hoe, and freeing the plants of weeds, until they get 

 strong enough to crowd them down. This will bring us to about the middle 

 of August, by which time we have usually that moist and cold atmosphere 

 essential to the growth of celery. Then we begin the " earthing up " neces- 

 sary for the blanching and whitening of that which is wanted for use during 

 the months of September, October, and November. The first operation is 

 that of "handling," as we term it; that is, after all the soil has been drawn 

 up against the plant with the hoe, it is further drawn close around each 

 plant by the hand, firm enough to keep the leaves in an upright position and 

 prevent them from spreading. This being done, more soil is drawn against 

 the row (either by the plow or hoe, as circumstances require), so as to keep 

 the plant in this upright position. The blanching process must, however, 

 be finished by the spade, which is done by digging the soil from between the 

 rows, and banking it up clear to the top on each side of the row of celery. 

 Three feet is ample distance between the dwarf varieties, but when larger 

 sorts are used the ^vidth of the rows must be at least four and a half or five 

 feet. 



An Eaiy Method of Blancliing Celery. — The common and laborious 

 process of earthing up and winter storage of celery is doubtless a great ob- 

 stacle in the way of its culture by many busy farmers. The Counh-y Oeit/le- 

 man suggests this easy method of blanching, which does away altogether 

 with the necessity of trenches or banking, at least for moderate supplies: 

 "If intended for winter blanching, about the middle of November they are 

 taken up on a dry day and placed in water-tight troughs or other vessels in 

 a quite dark cellar, the plants standing erect and closely together. Enough 

 water is poured on the roots to cover them, and the supplj' is continued 

 through the winter as it evaporates. This constitutes the entire labor. The 

 stalks are gradually and handsomely blanched in the darkness, and many 

 new ones spring up during the -winter months, especially if tlie apartment in 

 not very cold, and these new shoots are remarkable for their dehcacy and 

 perfect freedom from any particle of rust, appearing like pohshed ivory. A 

 small separate apartment in the cellar, without windows, answers well for 

 this purpose. Boxes, tubs, or any vessels which will hold a few inches of 

 water may be employed. The plants, as grown in the open ground, need 

 not be earthed up at all, or they may be shghtly earthed to bring them into 



