May.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 379 



Cleaning and thinning Carrots and Parsneps. 



Carrots and parsneps will now be advancing fast in their growth, 

 and should be properly encouraged; clear them from weeds, and 

 thin the plants out to due distances. 



This work may be done either by hand or hoe; but for extensive 

 crops particularly, small hoeing is the preferable method, as being 

 the most expeditious, and by loosening the surface of the ground 

 with the hoe it will greatly promote the free growth of the plants. 



Whatever method is pursued, it will be necessary to free the 

 plants from weeds, and to thin them to proper distances, that they 

 may have full liberty to grow and enlarge, their roots. The gene- 

 ral crops of carrots should be thinned to about six or seven inches, 

 plant from plant, and the parsneps from eight to ten, in order that 

 each kind should attain its utmost perfection. 



Such crops of carrots, however, as are intended to be drawn 

 gradually for the table, while young, need not be thinned at first to 

 more than four or five inches distance, as the frequent pulling up of 

 some for table use, will, in a little time, afford the others sufficient 

 room to grow large. But the main crops should be thinned at once 

 to the proper distances. 



Pricking out and Planting Celery. 



Some of the early celery plants from the seed-beds should now 

 be pricked out to obtain strength previous to a final planting in 

 trenches; by this method those left in the beds will have room to 

 grow strong and stout. They should be planted at the distance of 

 three inches from one another, in beds of rich loose earth, watered 

 immediately, and afterwards occasionally, till growing freely; when 

 they have acquired sufficient strength in these beds, they are to be 

 planted in trenches for full growth, as directed in June. 



Let those remaining in the seed-beds be watered to settle the 

 earth about their roots, which had been loosened in the act of pull- 

 ing out the others. 



When of sufficient size and strength, plant out into trenches 

 some of your earliest sown plants, as directed in the Kitchen Gar- 

 den for June. 



For the best method of obtaining celery in early perfection, with- 

 out the assistance of a hot-bed, sec page 322. 



Sowing Celery Seed. 



Sow more celery seed for a principal later crop; let this be done 

 as directed in page 322. In hot sunny weather the shading of the 

 bed with mats, from ten to four o'clock, would greatly facilitate the 

 growth of the seed; occasional waterings also will be very service- 

 able, and in a dry season indispensable. 



Jlsparagus. 



Asparagus is in the best state for cutting when the shoots are 



