82 
Practical  IJints  on  Vegetable  Farming. 
in  each  bed.  Under  the  latter  system  considerably  more  sticks 
of  Celery  are  obtained  from  the  same  sj>ace  of  ground.  The 
beds  are  marked  off  four,  six,  eight,  or  ten  feet  wide,  and  as 
many  yards  in  length  as  the  ground  will  ])ermit,  or  as  is  desired. 
Six  or  eight  inches  only  of  the  toj)  soil  are  removed  to  each  side 
of  the  bed  for  earthing-u])  purposes  ; a heavy  dressing  of  manure 
is  given  and  carefully  forked  in,  and  the  (,!elery  is  planted  nine 
inches  aj)art  in  straight  lines  both  ways  of  the  bed. 
Three  boards,  nine  inches  in  width,  and  as  long  as  the  bed 
is  wide,  are  used  to  facilitate  the  earthing-u})  process.  The 
boards  are  placed  across  the  bed,  and  leaning  against  the 
Celery  ])lants,  each  board  opj)osite  to  the  other,  and  having 
a vacant  space  between  them.  Into  this  vacant  s))ace  the  two 
, men  engaged  in  the  oj)eration,  one  on  each  side  of  the  bed  of 
Celery,  throw  with  the  s])ade  the  soil  to  be  used  for  earthing- 
up.  One  man  then  slowly  and  carefully  draws  one  of  the  boards 
towards  him,  whilst  his  colleague  follows  it,  and  carefully 
places  the  soil  around  the  ])lant  with  one  hand,  and  holds  the 
leaves  conn)actly  together  with  the  other  hand. 
Whether  Celery  l)e  early  or  late,  two  recpiii'ements  must 
be  supplied  at  all  times  if  good  and  crisp  Celery  is  desired, 
viz.,  suitable  food  and  sufficient  wat(*r. 
Sow  seed  in  January  and  February  for  early  crops,  and  in 
March  and  April  for  late  crops.  From  the  time  the  seed  is 
sown  until  the  Celery  is  fully  grown,  the  soil  in  which  the 
plants  are  should  Ix^  (piite  moist.  Drought  promotes  the 
formation  of  the  flower  stem  ; too  much  rank  manure  causes 
soft  and  inferior  Celery.  The  former  is  often  ])roduced  during 
the  early  childhood  of  the  plant ; the  latter  through  over 
anxiety  to  produce  something  “big.”  Give  more  top-soil  to 
Celery  and  less  subsoil,  which  is  too  often  the  only  soil  left  for 
it  at  the  bottom  of  foolishly  deep  trenches,  and  there  will  be 
available  more  crisp  and  nutty  Celery. 
Cucumbers. — The  common  Cucund)cr  is  very  easily  grown, 
either  on  ridges  or  mounds  in  the  open  air,  in  frames,  or  in 
hothouses.  A grower  of  the  ridge  variety  called  “ Stock- 
wood  ” has  informed  me  that  the  average  value  is,  or  has  b(*en, 
45/.  J)er  acre,  and  that  he  has  known  them  to  make  as  much  as 
90/.  per  acre.  I have  had  very  good  crops  from  an  open 
border,  with  a south  aspect,  and  without  any  extra  ])rej)aration. 
For  this  system  three  or  four  seeds  may  be  sown  in  a small  pot 
three  inches  in  diameter,  covered  with  an  inch  of  very  light 
soil,  and  nlaced  in  a warm  frame  durinir  Anril.  When  the 
