The Canadian Horticulturist. 170 



M Tl?C K'^cbei) (i-apcl^r). ^^ 



CELERY GROWL\(;. 



^Vonld you kindly give very full directions for growing and blanching celery ? 



A Montreal Subscriber. 



In reply we cannot do better than give the following, from our contemporary, 

 TAe New York Herald : ' 



Celery demands good land, worked fine and made rich by heavy manuring 

 for at least two years previously ; it is idle to attempt growing it on land that is 

 poor and likely to suffer from drought ; choose only good, rich, mellow soil, that 

 does not suffer from drought easily, and if possible, provide a means of watering 

 it liberally in case of dry weather. It is most frequently grown as a second crop 

 after onions, but may be made to follow also early potatoes, cabbage or beets 

 and carrots. 



The seed may be sown at the same time with the onions in April, or very 

 early in May, putting it in with a drill in every fifth or sixth row instead of onion 

 seed. Some seed is usually started under glass, sowing it about April 5 ; when 

 sown earlier the plants are very apt to go to seed ; when sown under glass do 

 not sow too thickly : an ounce of seed is enough for two sashes ; cover the seed 

 very lightly by sprinkling over it a little sifted loam, and keep the surface moist 

 by occasional watering. 



In order to avoid too frequent watering, which pacjcs the surface, cover the 

 bed all over with about half an inch of peat moss, which will need to be removed 

 as soon as the seed begins to break ground, or the same result may be obtained 

 by shading the glass whenever the sun is bright. 



When the celery plants have four leaves, and before they begin to crowd and 

 become drawn, they should be transplanted or thinned out so as to give them 

 room. They may be set for a time at three inches apart in a bed, if the land is 

 not ready for them, from which they may be transplanted to the field as late as 

 August r. The portion of the crop set after July 10, however, seldom grows 

 large enough for sale in the fall, and is usually stored for sale in winter and 

 ■ spring. 



It is important to keep celery growing steadily. If stunted by a dry spell or 

 very hot weather it is very subject to a disease known as blight, which turns the 

 leaves brown in spots, after which they die ; this disease in bad seasons often 

 destroys a large part of the crop, but it is seldom very troublesome where the 

 celery can be watered and kept growing in dry weather. 



As soon as the early crop grown between the celery can be cleaned off, it will 

 help the celery very much to run a small plow between the rows, throwing the 

 earth first from the rows and then back again. This will make the earth mellow 

 and encourage growth. 



