Turnip - rooted Celery 



379 



CELERIAC 



Celeriac is a form of the celery species, in which the 

 root is enlarged like a small tuber, and this tuber is the 

 edible part. It is used either as a salad or as a cooked 

 vegetable. The plant is dwarf and celery-like in appear- 

 ance, but requires no blanching. It is grown as cel- 

 ery in so far as seed-sowing, transplanting, and tillage 

 are concerned. Sometimes the seed is sown where the 

 plants are to stand, but since the seeds are as slow to 

 germinate as those of celery, this is usually not the best 

 plan. The plants are given 6 or 8 inches space in the 

 row, and the rows are only far enough apart to allow of 

 convenient tillage. The roots may be kept in winter 

 by being packed in sand or moss, as other vegetables 

 often are. 



Celeriac is much prized abroad, but it is little known to 

 native-born Americans. It deserves to be better known. Several 

 varieties are offered by American seedsmen ; six were advertised 

 in 1889. Goff described five types in 1887 (6th Rept. N. Y. Exp, 

 Sta., pp. 215 217). Sturtevant writes of its history in Amer. Nat., 

 August, 1887, pp. 703-4. It is known to botanists as Apium 

 graveolens var. rapaceiim. It is sometimes known as turnip- rooted 

 celery. A good root should be 3-4 inches in diameter. In seed - 

 ing, calculate quantity of seed as for celery. 



