1876.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



163 



CELERY. 

 lApitini yravfolvna.) 



No vegetable not iced in this volume has been 

 move strikiiigl}- iinin-oved by cuUivHtion th;iii 

 our gariU'n celorv. It seems to have been de- 

 rived tVoiu a rank, worthless weed, known by 

 the name of .Smallage, which is fomul ;,'i-owinK 

 in marshy places, and on the banks of <litches, 

 in (ireat ISrilain. Tlie two |)lants are very 

 dissimilar in their Lfeneral apiiearance anil 

 haliits, and while one is the favorite on the 

 table of every epicure, the otlier is shunned as 

 poisonous and disagreeable to the taste. The 

 lonp, crisp stalks, and tlie ndld, delicate llavor 

 of the imiiroved celery, remind the gardener 

 how much has been done, and how much can 

 hereafter be done, in his occupation, by skill 

 and perseverance. Kveiy such fact should 

 stimidate hini to increased dilii;ence ami en- 

 terprise. Tliere are several varieties, the best 

 of which are, i)rol>alily, the Wliitc t^olid and 

 the Hid Solid. Many other kinds to be found 

 in cataloRues, are highly recommended for 

 their monstrous size, a quality that seems to 

 depend altogether uikui a favorable soil and 

 unremitted attenti<ni. 



Cl'f.TUitK. — The celery prefers a soil that is 

 deep, light, moist, and rich in vegetabU^ mould, 

 but not rank from the avplicatiou of fresh 

 duug. The situation ought to be open, and 

 free from the inllncnce of trees. 



Early plants are often raised on a small hot- 

 bed, made somewhere alwnt the iirst of March. 

 Only enough heat is refpiired to bring them 

 forward to a suitable size tor removal to the 

 open ground as soon as the weather will per- 

 mit. For this reason the heap of dung need 

 not be over eighteen or twenty-fom- inches 

 in height, and the depth of moidd should be 

 just sutHcieiit to prevent injury to the roots by 

 the heat and rank steam. Water is to be ap- 

 plied in moderate ([uantities, shade given dur- 

 ing the middle of the day, and air admitted 

 freely in all pleasant weather. When the 

 plants are four inches high, remove them to a 

 bed of rich soil having a warm situation. Here 

 they are to be set in rows, four or live inches 

 apart each w^ay. They should be watered and 

 shaded as before, and at night receive the pro- 

 tection of mats or cold fraiiies until all danger 

 of fro.st is over. In this place, thev will ac- 

 quire size and strength for their tina'l removal. 

 The principal sowing may be delayed until 

 the first fortnight of April. The best position 

 for the seed lied is a warm, sheltered border, 

 but having a northern aspect so as to be free 

 from the powerful effects of the noon-day sun. 

 The ground should be finely pulverized, 'as the 

 seed is so small that one ounce will afford ten 

 thousand plants. We prefer sowing in drills 

 six inches apart, and perhaps one-quarter of 

 an inch dee]!. In very dry weather it is ad- 

 visable to give a little water, both before and 

 after germination commences. When the 

 plants are three or four inches high, they are 

 to be thinned out to foiu- inches apart in the 

 row, and those pulled up to be in another bed 

 at the same distances. Water should be given 

 until tlie roots become established. 



Preparations for transplanting the early 

 crops into trenches, must be made in the be- 

 ginning of June, at the time when the leaves 

 are about eight inches in height. The removal 

 of the principal crop may be delayed some four 

 or five weeks later. As before remarked, the 

 celery prefers a rich .soil, with an open expos- 

 ure. The trenches should be at least two and 

 a-half feet aiiart, ten inches wide, and fifteen 

 inches deep. That they may be straight, it is 

 a good way to stretch the line, and to mark 

 out the sides by thrusting down the spade 

 previous to digging the earth, whicii is thrown 

 equally on either hand. In the bottom of each 

 trench is to be placed four inches of well-rotted 

 dung, together with about four inches of good 

 loam, the whole being intimately mixed by 

 the spade. The plants are carefully taken up 

 from the nursery beds, and have their roots 

 and leaves trimmed, besides being divested of 

 loose straggling leaves and side slioots. They 

 are then set six iiiches apart, in a row through 

 the middle of each trench. Where they have 

 been taken up by the trowel, with balls of 



earth attached, they seldom fail to do well. 

 The work is most successful when [lerformcd 

 in an evening, or in a damp, cloudy day. A 

 bountiful supply of water should now be given, 

 and, subsequently, from time to time until the 

 roots become accustomed to the change of lo- 

 cation. During the day, in order to prevent 

 injury by the hot sun, the trenches must be 

 covered, or rather shaded, by boards, brush, 

 or corn-stalks; the gardener being careful to 

 remove everything of the kind ui)on the aji- 

 I>roach of evening, that the regular deposit of 

 dew may not be interrupted. 



The soil ought to be often stirred byasmall 

 ho(u)r a sharp-pointed stick. When the])Iants 

 have attained a height of ten or twelve inches, 

 it will be time to conunence "earthing up," 

 as it is called. On a dry day, when tlurieav'es 

 are free from moisture, tliey are to be gatlutred 

 together in the left han<l, and held in an up- 

 right position, while the right one is engaged 

 in drawing some of the line soil uji against them. 

 At first, this ridge must be slight, and have 

 the top rather hollowed, so as to catch the rain. 

 The dirt should be rendered very flue before 

 it is brought in contact with the stems, and 

 drawn up in such a manner that none gets on 

 the centre shoots so as to cau.se decay. This 

 |)rocess is to be repeated every ten days or 

 fortnight while the i)lants continue growinsr, 

 and the quantity of dirt drawn up at a time to 

 be gradually increased, until only about six 

 inches of the leaves are expo.sed above the 

 ridge. The stalks will be good for the table, 

 when blanched to the height of twenty inches. 

 With the croj) intended for winter and spring 

 use, the " earthing up" process must be cotu^ 

 nienccd rather later in the season, because, 

 when performed in extreme hot weather, pre- 

 mature decay is apt to follow. In taking ui> 

 the cro]), dig with the sjiade quite down to the 

 roots, so that the stalks can be raised without 

 being broken, which would diminish the beauty 

 of their ai)pearance upon the table. 



Celery may be kept in the open air through 

 the winter, by having boards, nailed together 

 like the roof of a house, placed over the 

 trenches. Another way is to take it up, when 

 frosty weather sets in, and put it in a pit in 

 some dry, elevated part of the garden. It is 

 placed in rows about three inches apart, with 

 the tojis of the leaves just above the suiface, 

 and covered with a thick layer of straw to 

 keep out frost, and a roof of old boards to 

 shed the rain. A large bank of earth should 

 be on the outside. By removing the straw, 

 the stalks can be dug up with ease, at any 

 time when they may be wanted for use. The 

 plants are s<mietimes packed in a box of sand, 

 and kept in the cellar; they will continue good 

 and fresh for several weeks, liut afterwards 

 become wilted, losing that delightful crispness 

 for which they are esteemed. 



For seed. — The cultivator must either leave 

 a few of the best plants — those which are solid 

 and of a middling size— in the place where 

 grown, or set them out in the spring, in rows 

 two feet apart each way. The loose hanging 

 leaves and side-shoots should be previously re- 

 moved. The seed-stalks, if not supported by 

 stakes, will be likely to suffer injury from vio- 

 lent winds. Water may be apjilied with ad- 

 vantage after the flowers have opened, at least 

 as often as every second or third evening. The 

 seed ought to be perfectly ripe before being 

 gathered, and be stored in a cool, dry apart- 

 ment. 



Use. — The celery is a grateful addition to 

 the winter table. Its tender, sweet and crispy 

 stalks are general favorites. They are eaten 

 as a salad, or simply with salt, or used in soups, 

 stews, and sauces. They should always be 

 freed from sand and dirt, before being carried 

 to the dining-room. In Italy, the unbleached 

 leaves, or seeds when bruised, are considered 

 excellent for flavoring soups. 



Celery sawefor boiled fowls, Ac. — Wash the 

 stalks, and cut them into thin slices about two 

 inches long. >Stew them till tender, in a little 

 weak gra\-y or water. Season with powdered 

 mace. i)epi)er and salt. Then add the juice of 

 a lemon, and thicken with a piece of butter 

 which has been kneaded in tloiu-. 



To Stew. — Strip off the outer leaves of six 

 hea<ls, and cut the bleached parts of the stalks 

 into lengths of about four indues. Stew the 

 pieces In broth until they become ipdle tender, 

 when you may add two tablesiioonfuls of cream, 

 together with a lump of floured butter. Sea- 

 son to the taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg, 

 and let the whole sinuner gently for a few 

 monu'nts. — .S/i()i/-\-j ddrduers' Text, Hook. 



I " Celery .sauces " and "celery stews " are 

 not as conuuon as ihey (lught to lie among the 

 eonnuon people; indeed, tlu' larger nnmlier of 

 till' people have no conception what<'ver in 

 i-eference to this vegetable, other than to eat it 

 raw, or in a hot or cold salad, or in chicken 

 salad, in which it constitutes a conspicuous 

 part. It is bound, however, at no very distant 

 day, to occupy a more prominent position iu 

 our rok of culinary preparations. — Eu. | 



THE CENTENNIAL. 



The closing c(n-enu)nies of the great Expo- 

 sition will find a place in the December num- 

 ber of the Fau.mkh ; in the meantime the 

 following condensation of the proceedings of 

 the ',)th, which we find iu the coknuns of the 

 Ledijer, may not be inappropriate, and may 

 also be of interest to our readers. Long and 

 exciting as the Exposition has been, and 

 draining as it has been upon the pecuniary re- 

 sources of many of the people, especially those 

 located in the vicinity of the lines of public 

 travel, now that it has come to a close, we feel 

 a sort of regret to nmnber it with the past : 



"As a fitting preliminary to the close of 

 the Centennial Internatiomil Exhibition to- 

 day, the Foreign Commissioners, with their 

 staff ofbcers, were entertained at dinner by 

 the Cenlenniai Hoard of Finance and the 

 Centennial Commissioners. The foreign Com- 

 missioners were accompanied by the >iinisters 

 of their respective Governments to the United 

 States, and by their Consul (fenerals and Con- 

 suls. The ban(iuet was given at the beautiful 

 hall of the Society of the Sons of St. George. 

 The President of the United States presided. 

 He was accompanied by the Secretary of 

 State and several other members of the Cabi- 

 net. There were also present as invited guests 

 the Chief Justice and several Justices of the 

 Supreme Court of the I'uited States, the Sena- 

 tors and Members of Congress present in the 

 city, the Governors of Pennsylvania, Massa- 

 chusetts, Delaware and New Jer.sey, the 

 Mayor of the city, the Presidents of Councils, 

 the Park Commissioners, and the Centennial 

 authorities, with their heads of bureau.s. 

 While the last cour.se was being served. Gen. 

 Ilawley, who was delegated for the duty^ 

 called the roll of the nations represented at 

 the Exhibition, beginning alphabetically with 

 the Argentine Republic. This was followed 

 by Austria, Africa as represented by tlie 

 Orange Free State, Brazil, China, Chili, Den- 

 mark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hawaii, 

 Japan, Liberia, Luxembourg, Me:;ico, Nether- 

 lands, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, 

 Switzerland, Siam, Tunis, Turkey, and Vene- 

 zuela. The United Kingdom of (ireat Britain 

 and Ireland, and the colonies of that kingdom 

 in America, Asia, Australia and Africa, were 

 reserved for the clo.se. As each nation was 

 announced, with ai>propriate and cordial in- 

 troductiou, there was enthusiastic ap|)lause, 

 and each of them rcs]ionded through a Com- 

 missioner or diiilomatic re|)resentative of the 

 country called. The ceremony and the occa- 

 sion were most impressive, and both were well 

 calculated to live for a long period in the 

 memories of those present. 



THE CROPS. 



The digest of crop rotinns for Octoljer, a.s 

 prepared at the Department of Agriculture in 

 Washington, indicates a reductiiui in theyield 

 of the whe.at crop of nearly oui'-sixth, while 

 the (piality is somewhat sujierior. More ac- 

 curate statistics may iiossibly be given after 

 the results of threshing are niore fully known. 

 Every section of the I'nion indicates a reduced 

 product except the middle States, which in- 

 creased about 2 per cent. The New England 



