1132 



PB ACTIO AL &UIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



PAESLEY 



crisp and fine in flavour ; Henderson' s 

 White Phmie, an American variety vi^hich 

 requires very little earthing up, as it is 

 inclined to blanch naturally, and has 

 vai-iegated foliage ; Sandrimgham Dwarf; 

 and Wright's Giant White, one of the 

 best grown, and of fine flavour. Among 

 the Eed forms are Leicester Bed, Ivery's 

 Nonsuch Pinh, Major Clark's Bed, 

 and Stamdard Bearer, the latter having a 

 sturdy compact habit, and a good heavy 

 cropper. 



CELERIAC (Apium graveolbns 

 eapaobum). — As may be seen from the 

 botanical name, this is a variety of the 

 ordinary Celery. Instead, however, of 

 producing long sturdy leaf-stalks and 

 leaves, the lower portion becomes very 

 much swollen and Turnip-like, and hence 

 is often called Turnip - rooted Celery. 

 These swollen stems are cut and sliced 

 and are used in salads, for flavouring soups 

 ,&c., especially on the Continent. 



Culture Sc. — This is practically the 

 same as detailed above for ordinary 

 ■Celery. The seeds are sown in March 

 and April in boxes, pricked out when 

 large enough, and transplanted to the 

 cpen ground in June, each plant being 

 about 1 ft. from its neighbour. 



As the stems are not required, it is 

 lumecessary to blanch them, and the 

 plants therefore need not be grown in 

 trenches as with ordinary Celery. All 

 side shoots and side roots should be 

 removed during the season, and also some 

 of the outer leaves if necessary. The soil 

 also may be drawn away from the tuberous 

 stems occasionally during the above 

 operations, but when nearly mature in 

 autumn may be covered with soil so as 

 to blanch them. 



The stems may be left in the ground 

 for the winter if not too wet, but should 

 be protected with a covering of litter or 

 leaves against the frost. Or they may 

 be lifted and stored in dryish soil like 

 Carrots and Parsnips (p. 1128). 



PARSLEY (Caeum Peteosblinum). 

 The Parsley is a hardy biennial belonging 

 to the Umbellifer Order (p. 464) and is 

 said to be found in a truly wild state in 

 the Mediterranean region. In a cultivated 

 state it is very popular for garnishing, 

 flavouring soups &o., and is in great 

 demand practically from one year's end 

 to another. 



Soil. — Any good garden soil, not too 

 light nor too heavy but well drained, is 

 suitable for the cultivation of Parsley. 

 It does not, however, always succeed even 

 with the best attention, and may be re- 

 garded as a fickle grower. It will flourish 

 for some seasons, but afterwards will make 

 only a miserable display of fohage. On 

 the whole a partially shaded but exposed 

 and well- ventilated position seems to suit 

 it best. As a rule, however, excellent 

 results may be obtained by making two 

 main sowings in the year — one the first 

 week in March, and the other in August 

 or September. 



Sowing. — To keep up a good supply of 

 plants seeds may be sown at intervals 

 firom February to August, in drills about 

 half an inch deep, and afterwards covered 

 with fine soU. The seed beds should be 

 well watered and never allowed to become 

 parched. The earliest sowings should be 

 on a warm sunny border, and should be 

 protected with litter, fern &c. in case of 

 frost. Or the seeds may be sown in 

 shallow boxes on a hotbed or in a green- 

 house, and afterwards planted out. 



Transplanting. — When two or three 

 inches high, the young plants may be 

 transplanted in showery weather firom 

 the seed-beds, or thinned out from the 

 rows, leaving the remaining plants about 

 6 in. apart. If the soil is suitable the 

 seedlings may be dibbled in all round the 

 edges of the garden walks. They will 

 thus secure a variety of aspect, and at the 

 same time make a very ornamental 

 edging, besides which the leaves are easily 

 picked when required. 



General treatment. — This consists 

 chiefly in keeping the weeds between the 

 plants down with the hoe, and liberal 

 waterings during the evening in dry hot 

 weather. Yellow or decaying leaves 

 should be removed and a little dvisting of 

 lime and soot around and over the seedlings 

 when transplanted will serve as a, check 

 to insect pests. One of the worst of these 

 is the Onion maggot {Anthomyia ccpa- 

 rum) which sometimes plays great havoc 

 with roots. Mildew is brought about 

 chiefly by great heat and drought, and 

 may be remedied by watering. Some- 

 times, however, it is due to rapid changes 

 of temperature accompanied by moisture. 

 The mildewed leaves should be picked oif 

 and burned, and a dusting of sulphur over 

 the foliage will check the disease. 



Vambtibs. — There are several of these 



