CELERY. 



139 



8uds, rain, or guano water. Eartliing-up is necessary, in 

 order to blanch and sweeten the stalk. 



If you wish very large plants, or to preserve for winter 

 use, do not commence this until October ; but if you desire 

 a few, delicate and crisp, for early use, begin, when from 

 twelve to eighteen inches high, earthing up a little at a 

 time in fine dry weather, but not too often ; once in two 

 or three weeks is sufficient, as, if disturbed too much, the 

 stalks do not grow so large. Take care not to cover the 

 crown bud. At every earthing up, a very slight sprink- 

 ling of salt in the trenches is advantageous. Continue the 

 earthing up every two or three weeks, as the plant grows, 

 through the season. In earthing-up, care must be taken 

 that the mould does not get between and separate the 

 leaves, which induces decay. Hold the leaves tightly 

 with one hand, and with the other draw the earth care- 

 fully about the stems. The earth should be fine and 

 well pulverized. Draw it evenly in a sloping direction 

 from the base to near the top of the leaf-stalks, and beat it 

 compactly with the back of the spade to throw off violent 

 storms. In the whole process of raising celery, the 

 ground must be kept well pulverized and free from weeds, 

 and liberal watering in continued dry weather is very neces- 

 sary. Do not earth up celery while the plants are wet. 

 The French bind the plants with straw bands, previous to 

 earthing up, just as we do cardoons. 



Market gardeners do not prick out their celery at all ; 

 they let it grow pretty thick in the seed-bed, and if the 

 plants get too high before the time of setting out, they 

 cut the leaves off nearly to the crown. They make the 

 trenches with the turning-plough, and after the earthing- 

 up has proceeded so far by hand as to make the trenches 

 level with the surface, they use the plough between the 

 rows previous to earthing-up with the hoe. They also 



