BOOK I. CELERY. 6.59 



of each trench. Before planting, I reduce the depth of the trenches to three inches, by digging in suf- 

 ficient dung to fill them so much up. At the time of planting, if the weather be dry, the trenches are 

 well watered in the morning, and the plants are put in, six inches apart, in the row, in the evening, care 

 being taken by the mode above mentioned, to keep the fibres quite wet whilst out of ground ; as they are 

 drawn from the nursery-bed, the plants are dressed for planting, and then laid regularly in the garden-pan. 

 The trenches in which my rows of celery are planted, being so very shallow, the roots of the plants grow 

 nearly on a level with the surface of the ground : this I consider particularly advantageous ; for as con- 

 siderable cavities are necessarily formed on each side when the moulding takes place, all injury from stag- 

 nant water or excess of moisture is prevented. The trenches, when planted, are watered as may be 

 required." He adds, " that he prepares his ground for celery during the winter, and avoids putting much 

 of a crop in the space between the trenches, especially one that grows tall, as he finds celery does best, when 

 it grows as open as possible." 



4010. Walker makes his trenches at four feet distance, and eighteen inches wide, twelve deep, and filled 

 nine inches with a compost of fresh strong soil, and well rotted dung ; three fourths dung, and one fourth 

 soil. Old hot-bed dung-is the best. The plants should be taken up with as much dung as will conveniently 

 adhere to the roots, and the side shoots are removed from the stems ; they are then set with the hand at 

 nine or ten inches apart in the centre of each trench ; it is necessary to water well until they are ready to 

 be earthed up, but not afterwards. 



4011. Landing up. As the plants in the trenches rise from ten to fifteen inches high, 

 Abercrombie begins to land up for blanching, observing " to trim in the earth gently, 

 when first raised to the stems, with a hoe or spade, but mostly the latter. When the 

 plants are of more advanced growth, earth them up equally on both sides each row, 

 three, four, or five inches, according to the strength and height of the different crops. 

 Repeat this once a week or fortnight, till by degrees they are landed up from twelve 

 inches to two feet, in order to blanch them of some considerable length. Continue thus 

 landing up the different crops from July till February. As the autumnal and main 

 winter crops attain full growth, give them a final landing up near the tops, which will 

 increase the length of the blanched part, and also protect the latter crops more effectually 

 during the winter." 



4012. Judd, in landing up celery, does " not think it well to load the plants with too much mould^t first ; 

 the two first mouldings, therefore, are done very sparingly, and only with the common draw-hoe, forming 

 a ridge on each side of the row, and leaving the plants in a hollow, to receive the full benefit of the rain 

 and waterings. When the plants are strong enough to bear six inches height of mould, the moulding is 

 done with the spade, taking care to leave basis enough to support the mass of mould which will ultimately 

 be used in the ridge, and still keeping for some time the plants in a hollow, as before directed. The process 

 of moulding is continued through the autumn, gradually diminishing the breadth of the top, until at last 

 it is drawn to as sharp a ridge as possible to stand the winter. In the operation of moulding it is necessary, 

 in order to prevent the earth from falling into the heart of the plant, to keep the outer leaves as close 

 together as possible ; for this purpose, before I begin the moulding, I take long strands of bass matting, 

 tied together till of sufficient length to answer for an entire row ; and I fasten this string to the first plant 

 in the row, then pass it to the next plant, giving it one twist round the leaves, and so on, till I reach the 

 other end, where it is again fastened ; when the moulding is finished, the string is easily unravelled, by 

 beginning to untwist it at the end where it was last fastened." 



4013. Walker " having removed the lateral shoots, the leaves of each plant being held together with 

 one hand, the soil, pulverised, is drawn round with the other, taking care not to earth up too high at once, 

 nor too close. The heart should always be left quite free. This may be repeated about once a fortnight, 

 until the plants are ready for use." 



4114. Late crop. " For late spring celery to stand till the end of May in the returning 

 spring, without running considerably, it is expedient to make a small late sowing at the 

 commencement of May. The plants when six weeks old may be pricked on interme- 

 diate beds in rows, six inches by three asunder ; to remain till September or October ; 

 then transplant them into moderate trenches ; as they advance in growth, earth them up 

 a little in winter ; and, finally, in the spring, in February or March." 



4015. Occasional shelter. " On the approach of frost, take up a part of the crop, and 

 lay it by under dry sand for winter use. To preserve the plants left in the bed, lay some 

 long dry litter over the tops; which remove in every interval of mild weather." It is a 

 common complaint that very fine-looking celery is often found to be rotten at the base 

 of the leaf-stalks ; the fact being, that when celery is full grown and the blanching com- 

 pleted, it begins to decay, and will not keep good in the ground for more than a month 

 at most. Some, therefore, take up and preserve in dry sand ; but in that situation it 

 soon becomes tough and dry. The best mode seems to be that of forming successive 

 plantations." 



4016. Taking the crop. " It is best to begin at one end of a row, and dig clean down 

 to the roots, which then loosen with a spade, that they may be drawn up entire without 

 breaking the stalks." 



4017. Cultivation of celeriac. The times of sowing are the same as for the other sorts. 

 Celeriac requires a rich well manured soil, and, according to an account communicated 

 by Lord Stanhope to Sabine (Hort. Trans, iii.), the plants are raised on a hot-bed 

 under glass, and transplanted when two or three inches high to another hot-bed, and set 

 one inch and a half apart. " In the beginning or middle of June they are transplanted into 

 a flat bed in the open air, at the distance of fifteen inches from each other, and not in 

 trenches like other celery. They must be abundantly watered as soon as they are set 

 out, and the watering must be repeated every other day, or, if the weather should be 

 warm, every day. As they increase in size, they will require a greater quantity of 

 water, and they must be occasionally hoed. The roots will be fit for use in September 

 or October." In a note to this paper, Sabine states, that he has been informed, that 



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