84 CULTURE OF CELERY 



occupied, when properly earthed up the rain does not 

 run off, and in hard weather dry leaves can be packed 

 between all the plants even to the tops. A covering of 

 mats can also be used if a support of some kind be 

 placed over the bed. I have formed a span covering of 

 rods, banking with dry ferns and litter. In some parts 

 of England the frost will go through the ordinary single 

 or double row, and I have on many occasions found a 

 good deal of the crop rotten when the frost has gone. 

 I do not say that very large celery can be grown in this 

 way, but it is a plan worth adopting for late celery ; 

 of course a bed of five feet wide must be made, the 

 soil being thrown out about eight inches deep and plenty 

 of manure being dug in. The single row, however, 

 is the general plan, and good, well-rotted manure in 

 abundance will be required in its making. 



Of Manures, — The kind which I prefer is a mixture of 

 pigstye and farmyard dung, especially if there be a good 

 proportion of horse droppings with it. Rank, strong 

 manure cannot well be dug into the trenches, neither 

 would it be well for the plants. Therefore spread out 

 the manure, and over each cartload put about three 

 pounds of salt, and a peck of soot with half a peck of 

 lime. Then turn over well, mix, and form a heap. 

 This should be done in the early spring or winter. 

 The mixture when well rotted can be thrown open, and 

 left so that if worms are in it birds may visit the heap. 

 I have often mixed this in the winter, and in hard frosty 

 weather thrown it open, when the birds have worked 

 about it and cleared it of worms, which are most in- 

 jurious. Indeed many a good lot has been disfigured 

 by worms, and they should be guarded against in every 

 way. This will be touched on again later. 



In digging out the trenches much will depend on the 

 nature of the soil, also on its previous treatment. I 

 have sometimes had to deal with stiff clay land, with 



