CELERY 



229 



each plant, which destroys all slugs, 

 which are often destructive to Celery 

 during the winter in damp soil. A 

 sprinkling may also be used when 

 proceeding with the earthing. 



Celery may be grown in single 

 rows or as many as may be thought 

 fit, making the trenches wide enough 

 to receive the number of rows in- 

 tended. One row is the most con- 

 venient in private gardens, and even 

 market growers adopt single rows 

 more than double ones. When the 

 earthing is finished, and before 

 severe frost sets in, cover the tops of 

 the ridges with dry straw, or better, 

 if at hand, some dry bracken, which 

 prevents the frost from injuring the 

 tops of the leaves and keeps the 

 hearts of the plants dry. Perfect 

 specimens of Celery must have the 

 following good points — viz. the leaf, 

 or stalk, must be broad, thick, crisp, 

 free from ridges and stringiness, 

 and the heads good in form and 

 weight. — W. C. 



Market-Garden Culture. — 

 The valley of the Thames is well 

 adapted for Celery culture, and many 

 acres of land in the Fulham fields 

 and elsewhere are occupied by it. 

 The sowing for the first crop of 

 Celery is generally made early in 

 February ; a large main sowing is 

 made in March, and for the latest 

 crop sowing takes place in the 

 middle or end of April. The early 

 and main sowings are usually made 

 in frames on hot-beds, but for a late 

 crop the seed is sometimes sown in 

 the open air on manure-beds or in 

 similar positions. The seed is sown 

 at all times rather thickly, in moist, 

 light soil, and is but lightly covered. 

 When up, the seedhngs, if too thick, 

 are thinned out to i in. or so apart. 

 Some dig out trenches and fill them 

 with fermenting material, on which 

 they place a few inches thick of hght 

 rich soil, and after sowing the seed 



cover the bed with mats or rough 

 litter until the seed has germinated, 

 when the coverings are removed 

 during the daytime and replaced 

 at night should the weather be 

 unfavourable. 



In all cases the beds on which 

 Celery-seed is sown are made firm 

 either by treading or rolling, and 

 a little light soil is sifted through a 

 fine sieve over the seed after it has 

 been sown. The seedlings in all 

 cases are freely exposed to light and 

 air in order to render them stout 

 and stocky. Those from the first 

 sowing, when large enough, are 

 pricked out in frames on a bed of 

 rotted manure, and those from the 

 main and later sowings are pricked 

 out in May and June on beds simi- 

 larly prepared on a sheltered border 

 out of doors. In these positions 

 they receive abundance of water in 

 order to keep them growing, for a 

 check at any period in the growth 

 of Celery-plants is very detrimental. 

 The plants are usually pricked out 

 in rows from 6 to 8 in. apart, about 

 half that distance being allowed be- 

 tween the plants in the rows. When 

 planting time has arrived a spade is 

 run between the rows and a good 

 soaking of water is given, after which 

 nothing more is done for a few days. 

 A spade is then pushed under the 

 plants, which are thus carefully 

 raised, separated, and taken on 

 hand-barrows or in boxes direct 

 to the trenches. When planted, a 

 good watering is given them, and 

 thus they sustain a very slight check 

 through removal; but market-gar- 

 deners seldom plant Celery in double 

 rows, as is done in private gardens, 

 one row in each trench being con- 

 sidered the most profitable way. 

 The strongest plants are in all cases 

 selected and placed in trenches by 

 themselves, and the weaker ones 

 by themselves. In that way a 



