64 



THE CAN APIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



'©egdables. 



CELERY. 



How to Grow and Keep It in the 

 North. 



BV A. A. WRIGHT, RENFREW. 



How many readers of the Horticul- 

 turist have at this season of the year an 

 abundant suppy of beautiful, crisp, 

 ivory-like celery^ It is so healthful 

 and in the winter season especially, 

 such a desirable relish, that it seems 

 strange it so rarely appears upon our 

 tables. 



It is easily grown. Sow your seed 

 in the hot-bed — in this locality — about 

 the 1st of April. It will not come 

 up the same day nor the same week, 

 but if kept warm and damp will 

 come along in good time. Neither 

 will it astonish you with its wonder- 

 fully rapid growth, for at first it is a 

 iilow grower. When about an inch 

 high the plants, should be removed to 

 another portion of the hot-bed, and 

 there left until they have attained a 

 considerable size, when they are ready 

 for planting in the place they are to 

 occupy in the garden. Having pre- 

 viously enriched and prepared the 

 ground, by deep spading, I dig out a 

 trench about five or six inches deep and 

 as wide as the spade, throwing the earth 

 to both sides of the trench. I may men- 

 tion also that you need not fear having 

 your ground too rich, or too loose and 

 mellow. 



The plants are now taken from the 

 hot-bed and planted in your trench, sett- 

 ing them about six inches apart. This 

 being done, place little pieces of sticks 

 across your trenches say five or six feet 

 apart, and on these cross pieces lay inch 

 boards, say ten or twelve inches wide, 

 and any length. These will make an 

 excellent shade for your plants, and can 

 be easily removed when you are water- 



ing them, which should.be kept up for 

 some time after planting, unless you 

 have rain, when of course it will not be 

 required. As your plants grow, the 

 earth should be drawn about them with 

 one hand, while with the other the 

 stalks are held together, to prevent the 

 earth from getting in between, and in- 

 juring them. This earthing up should 

 be continued from time to time until 

 the plants are fully grown, care being 

 taken that it is done only when the 

 earth and plants are dry to prevent 

 rusting of the stalks. Your plants 

 being fully grown the next step will be 

 storing for winter. 



For this purpose I take boxes about 

 four feet long, a foot wide, and, say 

 eighteen inches high. The ordinary 

 boot and shoe boxes are admirable for 

 this purpose. 



Having procured one which is toler- 

 ably sound, if the top has been re- 

 placed you take it off, as you have no 

 use for that. You next turn it on its 

 side. Then take a sti-aight-edged board 

 and with your pencil draw a line 

 lengthwise of your box, and about 

 thi-ee inches from the bottom of it. 

 Now take your rip saw, and saw the 

 side of your box through from end to 

 end on this line. If the board that you 

 have just sawn was six inches wide, 

 you will remove the upper thi-ee-inch 

 strip. Next take your cross cut saw 

 and saw your end boai-ds in, about 

 three inches, and in a line with your 

 previous cut with the rip saw. This 

 done, make another cut with your saw 

 in your end boards reaching from the 

 bottom of the remaining top side-board 

 of your box to where your last cut 

 ended, and remove the V shaped piece 

 from the end. Now do the same thing 

 with the other end. You next take 

 the three-inch strip you had previously 

 taken from the side, and place it back 

 again. The toj) of it will now be in 

 line with the side of the box, but the 



