116 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
Turnip-rooted Celery or Celeriac. 
This fine vegetable, for a long time ex¬ 
clusively grown and used by the Germans, is 
now becoming generally known and appreciated 
here. It is a variety of celery, the short stem of 
which swells out into a kind of tuber, as shown 
in the engraving; this is the eatable portion, 
and if well grown, is tender and has in a mark¬ 
ed degree, the flavor of celery. It is sliced and 
stewed, and served with drawn butter. It is 
also boiled, and when cold, sliced and dressed 
as a salad; it is used also in soups. Celeriac 
as found in the markets is from two to three 
inches in diameter, but it is said that on the 
Continent in Europe, It frequently grows to 
weigh three or four pounds. Sow the seeds 
early in a seed bed, and then transplant to 
a light, rich soil, setting them in rows 18 inches 
apart and about a foot distant in the rows. Wa¬ 
tering occasionally with liquid manure while the 
plant is growing, is essential to success. It is 
not planted in trenches like other celery, but 
upon the surface, taking care to set the plants 
rather shallow. In transplanting, take off some 
of the outside leaves, and if there are any strong- 
lateral roots they should be removed. In culti¬ 
vation, care should be taken not to earth up the 
plants. The bulbs are taken up in October, and 
preserved during the winter in sand. The 
seeds may be had of all regular seed dealers. 
The Cauliflower. 
Frequent complaints come to the Agriculturist 
of want of success in cultivating the cauliflower. 
Having raised an abundance for several years 
with no more pains than were taken with early 
cabbages, we are inclined to attribute the fail¬ 
ure, where it occurs under good culture, to the 
poor quality of the seed. Perhaps there is no 
planfin cultivation more changed from its nat¬ 
ural state than this, and any cause which may 
interfere with this unnatural condition, may 
show itself in deteriorated seed. A well grown 
cauliflower is one of the triumphs of good gar¬ 
dening, and it is so delicious and delicate upon 
the table that it is worth risking several failures 
to secure one success. The Early and Half- 
Early Paris, Thorburn’s Nonpareil, Large Asi¬ 
atic, and an American sort of which the name is 
lost, have all given fine crops. For the early 
crops the two Paris sorts are preferable. The 
seeds should be sown in a hot-bed or cold frame, 
and treated just like cabbage plants. If the 
plants become of proper size to transplant be¬ 
fore the weather becomes suitable, they may be 
put into small pots and kept under a frame un¬ 
til safe to set them out. Plant in very rich, 
deep soil, two and-a-half feet apart each way; 
hoe very often and deep, water in dry weather, 
give an occasional taste of liquid manure, and 
when large, draw the earth up around the stems. 
If these directions are followed, and insects kept 
off, there is no difficulty in raising cauliflowers 
provided the seed be good. 
Cultivation of Sea Kale. 
“A. L.”, of Green Co., Wis., writes that he 
has a plant in his garden raised from seed sent 
out by the Patent Office, for which he cannot 
find any name, and of which he cannot learn 
the use. The plant is described as enduring 
the winter and having leaves like the cabbage, 
only narrower and very heavy. We suppose 
the plant must be the Sea Kale, a vegetable 
much prized in Europe, and one which is but 
little known in this country. The seeds are 
sown in drills, in a seed bed, thinning the plants 
to 6 inches and keeping them well cultivated. 
The following spring a rich bed is prepared by 
trenching and manuring as for asparagus. The 
plants are to be set in rows, 3 feet apart and 18 
inches in rows. Cultivate them through the 
season and in the fall when the leaves die, ridge 
the earth up over the crowns of the plants to 
the depth of 8 or 10 inches. The following spring, 
SEA KALE. 
the young shoots, which are the eatable portion, 
will push up through the ridge of earth, and are 
to be cut off while still crisp and tender, remov¬ 
ing the earth for the purpose. The engraving 
represents one of the shoots. After the crop has 
been taken, the earth is levelled and manured, 
and a strong growth encouraged to prepare 
shoots for next spring. Each autumn the ridg¬ 
ing is repeated. Good plants can be raised from 
cuttings of the roots about 4 inches long. The 
shoots are cooked and eaten like asparagus, and 
are very highly esteemed by many persons. 
Okra—An Excellent Vegetable- 
This garden vegetable is little known, ex¬ 
cept by those living near cities, but it is one 
which most people soon become very fond of 
when they use it. It is an annual, growing 
from two to six feet high, with rather coarse 
leaves, and light yellow flowers having a dark 
center. The plant belongs to the same family 
as the hollyhock and cotton, and the flowers of 
all three bear a strong resemblance. The young 
pods are the eatable portion. They are from 
four to eight inches long, and about an inch in 
diameter, angled, or several sided and tapering 
toward the upper end. These when tender 
are very mucilaginous, and are used for thicken¬ 
ing soups and stews. The dish called gumbo at 
the South, consists of chicken stewed with 
these pods; and the same name is sometimes 
applied to the plant itself. The pods boiled in 
water and dressed with drawn butter, after the 
manner of asparagus, are much liked by many. 
Being of southern origin it requires a long sea¬ 
son, but lately a dwarf and early variety has 
been introduced, which is adapted to northern 
climates. One ounce of seed will sow one hun¬ 
dred feet of row. The Improved Dwarf is the 
best variety; it should be sown when the ground 
becomes warm, in rich soil, in drills three feet 
apart, and the plants should be thinned to one 
foot in the row. During the summer the plants 
should be kept clean of weeds and be slightly 
hilled up in hoeing. The pods are cut when 
nearly grown, but still tender. The green 
pods are sliced and dried for winter use. The 
ripe seeds are among the many things which 
have been used as substitutes for coffee, and 
have been advertised as “ Illinois Coffee.” 
Try Some Dwarf Peas.— Those who find it 
too much trouble to furnish the tall growing 
peas with brush or other support, should try 
some of the dwarfs, of which there are several 
varieties. They grow from 8 to 18 inches high, 
and are quite desirable for small gardens. Tom 
