432 
earthing up the soil ought to be put so that the 
tops are left above-ground. 
These directions are for the trench system; 
but the earthing up of Celery in beds should be 
on the same principles. The soil is best put to 
the plants by hand; but it has to be thrown in 
between the rows from the intervals between 
the beds, and, unless this is done with care, the 
soil will get into the hearts of the plants. It 
will therefore be advisable to use two boards, 
about 9 inches wide, and in length equal to the 
width of the bed. These can be placed between 
the rows, so as to guard the plants on each side 
whilst the soil is being thrown in between. | 
When a sufficient quantity is introduced, the | 
boards are taken up and placed between the 
next two rows, and so on. 
Celery may be blanched by means of sea- 
sand. Thus treated, it is clean, well blanched, 
and glossy; and when canker and other enemies 
attack the plant, sea-sand may be advantageously 
employed; or, if it cannot be had, clean river- 
sand, or pure pit-sand of any kind, free from 
oxide of iron, watered with a solution of salt, 
may be employed instead. In this case the 
sand should be turned whilst it is watered, in 
order that the salt may be equally diffused | 
throughout. In applying the sand, boards, or | 
the sheet-iron plates, will be very convenient; 
they can be placed on each side of the row at 
a little distance from the plants, and the sand 
can then be introduced between the plants and 
the boards or plates, which can be backed up 
with soil to support the sand when they are 
withdrawn. Sifted coal-ashes are sometimes 
used for blanching, but they frequently contain 
substances injurious to vegetation; fine soft 
ballast or charred soil is preferable. 
The French sometimes blanch by tying up 
the stalks, first near the base, next about the 
middle, and finally near the top. The whole is 
then closely covered with dry straw up to the 
cop of the leaves. By this mode Celery blanches, 
it is said, quickly and well. Semicircular drain- 
tiles, placed one on each side of the plant so as 
to inclose it, have been tried, but not very | 
successfully. If the whole plant is not covered, 
in at top as well as at the sides, the blanching 
will be imperfect; if it be completely covered, 
then the leaves previously healthy in the light 
will become languid in the dark, and will fail 
to supply elaborated sap, and a good heart for 
blanching cannot be produced. The power to 
do this must be derived from healthy, unblanched 
fohage. 
Planting on Raised Beds.—Very fine exhibition 
THE GARDENER’S ASSISTANT. 
Celery is obtained either by planting on the 
level or on raised beds. Trenches are naturally 
considerably cooler than soil on the ordinary 
garden level, while raised beds derive the full 
benefit of both sunshine and atmosphere. If, 
therefore, the Celery is supplied with all it 
requires in the way of food and moisture at the 
roots, coupled with a considerable increase of 
warmth and aeration, it is bound to grow toa 
greater size and more rapidly than it does in 
trenches. It would not pay to grow Celery for 
ordinary use on or above the ground-level, 
owing to the extra amount of trouble that must 
be expended in effecting a perfect blanch of the 
stalks. The exhibitor begrudges no time or 
labour if only he can win prizes, and his few 
dozen plants, grown under extraordinary con- 
ditions, usually more than compensate for the 
pains taken with them. 
When the plants are put out solid manure 
ought to be freely dug in and the soil got into 
a finely divided state, leaf-soil, burnt soil, and 
fine mortar rubbish benefiting the heavier 
ground. Those who adopt the plan of growing 
exhibition Celery on raised beds enclose a square 
plot of ground with stout boards, supported by 
stakes driven into the ground. The best of the 
top soil is then thrown out, and good rotten 
manure very liberally forked into the subsoil. 
When the top soil is returned, with it is mixed 
an equal quantity of fresh loam, with ashes from 
a garden smother or slow fire, leaf-soil, and 
well- decayed manure freely added, a light 
sprinkling of salt also acting beneficially. When 
well mixed this forms a compost that Celery 
quickly takes to. 
In order to have well-blanched Celery in the 
first fortnight in August, the plants must be 
raised in February and kept under glass, grow- 
ing strongly till near the middle of May. They 
will experience the least check if moved from 
the boxes in which they were first pricked out 
into 6-inch pots —one in each. They ought 
to be kept near the glass, a shelf. in a warm 
greenhouse suiting them after they are estab- 
lished in pots, and never be allowed to become 
dry at the root, or become badly root-bound. 
Plant out on the square, and about 18 inches 
apart each way. When growing on either 
raised beds or on the ground-level, an extra 
allowance of water must be given, liquid manure ~ 
also promoting vigorous growth, and a mulch 
of short manure ought to be given early in the 
summer. Obviously moulding up such tall 
Celery as can be grown in the manner just indi- 
cated is out of the question, nor is it necessary 
