1130 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS celery 



thinning has been done, the crop will be 

 kept free from pests. 



The dusting is always best when done 

 early in the morning while the leaves are 

 wet with dew. 



Vabietibs. — There are only a few of 

 these, the best for general cultivation 

 being the Hollow Crown or Student, 

 Jersey Marroiu, Maltese, and Elcombe's 

 Improved. 



CELERY (Apium gkavbolens). — The 

 Celery belongs to tjtie same family of 

 plants as the Carrot, Parsnip, Parsley &c. 

 (Umbellif erse, p. 464) and is found in a wild 

 state throughout the British Islands and 

 the temperate regions of the Old World. 

 It is biennial in character like the Carrot 

 and Parsnip, and has a rather fleshy 

 fibrous root. The deep green leaves are 

 pinnately divided into numerous tri- 

 angular and more or less coarsely toothed 

 segments. 



Grown in a natural state the leaf 

 stems are far too bitter for consumption 

 as a salad, but when chopped up and 

 used for flavouring soups &c. they are 

 excellent. When, however, light (see 

 p. 40) has been excluded from them by 

 means of covering or ' earthing ' them 

 up with soil the formation of chlorophyll 

 (p. 40) is prevented, the stems assume a 

 whitish or blanched appearance, and have 

 a crisp and agreeable flavour, which ren- 

 ders themi one of the best of salads. 



Soil. — A deep rich loamy soil, of a 

 heavy and rather moist natiure, produces 

 fine Celery. Thorough drainage, how- 

 ever, is essential, and also plenty of rich 

 manure in a well-decomposed state. If 

 the soil has been well dug and trenched, 

 or ridged up during the winter months, 

 so much the better, as it will be cleaner, 

 sweeter, and more fertile by planting out 

 time. 



Raising Celery. — Seeds may be sown 

 in gentle heat about February and March, 

 and m April for later crops. Shallow 

 boxes filled with light rich sandy loam 

 and leafsoil may be used for sowing the 

 seeds. The soil should be well watered, 

 and the seeds sprout freely in a very short 

 time. 



Prichvng out. — When large enough to 

 handle comfortably the earlier seedlings 

 should be pricked out (see p. 46) about 

 4 in. apart into somewhat deeper boxes 

 filled with rich soil, or into cold frames 

 protected from frost. They are kept well 



watered and given plenty of light and air 

 when once estabhshed, so as to induce a 

 strong sturdy growth previous to trans- 

 planting in the open ground. The later 

 seedlings, however, may be transferred 

 direct from the seed boxes or pans to a 

 rich soU, preferably on a west border, as 

 a south one would be too hot and dry, 

 especially in southern parts. 



Making the trenches. — The trenches 

 in which Celery is to be planted should 

 run north and south it possible, and be 

 not less than 1 ft. wide and 1 ft. deep. A 

 distance of at least 4 ft. should separate 

 one trench from another, and where 

 space will permit, 5 ft. may be the limit. 

 The soil taken from the trenches with a 

 spade is spread evenly over the inter- 

 vening spaces. The bottom of the trench 

 may have a dressing of short well-rotted 

 mamn'e forked into it, at the same time 

 breaking the soil up finely. If the trenchest 

 have been made in winter or early spring, 

 the intervening space, 4-5 ft. wide, may 

 be utihsed for producing a crop of Lettuce, 

 French Beans, or early Peas, before the 

 soil is required for ' earthing up ' the 

 Celery plants. 



Planting Celery. — By the first or 

 second week in June, according to the 

 weather, it wiU be generally safe to plant 

 Celery in the trenches which have been 

 prepared, but the plants from the earlier 

 sowings may be transferred to the open 

 air in May. Dull showery but mild 

 weather should be chosen for planting 

 out if possible, but faiUng this the work is 

 best done late in the afternoon or evening. 

 Each plant should be lifted carefully from 

 the box or frame in which it has been 

 grown, with a hoUow trowel, retaining as 

 much soil around the roots as possible. 

 The soil around each plant should receive 

 a good dressing of lime and soot as a 

 preventive against slugs &c. 



Although market gardeners sometimes 

 grow 3 or 4 rows of Celery in one trench, 

 which is correspondingly wide, one row 

 of plants in each trench is the usual prac- 

 tice in private gardens. The plants should 

 be 6-12 in. apart in the rows along the 

 centre of the trench. A hole for each 

 should be made with the trowel and the 

 soil carefully and firmly pressed round 

 the slender fibrous roots. As the plants 

 are sure to be checked, no matter how 

 carefully transplanted, the strain upon 

 the injui-ed roots may be relieved by cut- 

 ting or pinching off some of the older 



