CELEEY. 115 



and leaves of Celerj' plants should be trimmed be- 

 fore setting out ; that is, the plants are taken in 

 handf uls, and, with a sharp case-knife, a portion of 

 the roots is cut off, leaving about two inches and a 

 half, and all the outside leaves are cut off even with 

 the top of the heart. Tliej ai-e then set firmly in 

 rows, with the dibble, from five to six inches apart, 

 and never any deeper than they were in the seed- 

 bed. The earth on either side of the plants should 

 be pressed with the feet ; this will, in a measure, 

 prevent its drying out. If the weather should set in 

 veiy dry and hot immediately after planting, nail 

 two boards together, the end-view of ^\'hich would 

 resemble the letter /^, and place this structure over 

 the plants in the row. It will keep the ground moist 

 enough to start them growing in a few days. 



There will be no occasion for this covering if the 

 g\"ound is moist at the time of planting, or the 

 weather keeps cloudy for a short time. This pre- 

 caution is oidy put in practice in case of continued 

 dry weather, which always more or less injures Cel- 

 ery when recently transplanted. 



During the early stages of growth, the only thing 

 to be done is to keep the spaces between the rows 

 disturbed frequently. In field-culture this can be 

 done at a much less expense by horse than by man- 

 power. In garden-culture, the hand-hoe and rake 

 are the only tools required for a month or six weeks 

 after planting. When the Celerj^ is twelve or fif- 

 teen inches long, the eai-th on either side of the row 

 should be loosened two or three inches deep with a 

 cultivator, sub-soil plongli, or liand-hoe. It is then 



