258 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 22, 1892. 
of Veronica) Anderaoni variegata, and 5-inch pots of Marguerites 
were some others I had in view. If too many are planted at first 
it is impossible to effect any alteration ; but should there be any 
lack of plants it is a very simple thing to put more out as soon as 
a blank spot is noticed. — R. P. Brotherston. 
CELERY NOTES. 
There is no disputing the fact that more Celery is spoilt during 
what may be termed a favourable Beason than during a hot and dry 
summer. This at first sight may appear incredible, but it is by no 
means so difficult to account for as may be imagined. Celery is a very 
moisture-loving hungry plant, and when once the trenches are well filled 
with roots there is little likelihood of too much water being supplied 
during the growing season. Showery weather and comparatively heavy 
rains are most misleading. Either the one or the other very frequently 
has the effect of stopping all watering operations, whereas nothing short 
of a thorough soaking rain, extending say over several hours, is sufficient 
to moisten the soil and manure about the Celery roots, and that only for 
a short time. When, however, the weather is hot and dry the watering 
pot is freely and frequently used by those who are anxious to grow good 
Celery, the consequence being that the latter gets all it requires. 
The summer of 1892 cannot be said to have been favourable to the 
growth of good Celery, yet I can truthfully assert I never saw so many 
superior samples of it during one season in my life. It was not merely 
at one or two isolated shows that it was good, but I saw and tested 
exhibition Celery in various parts of the country, at cottagers’ shows, as 
well as some of the most pretentious exhibitions, and it was the same 
everywhere. At the great Co-operative Festival at the Crystal Palace it 
was part of my duty to assist in adjudicating on the merits of two 
classes of Celery—one for white and the other for red forms. There 
were twenty-five entries in each, and out of the whole lot there were 
only two bad samples, bolting in all other cases being conspicuously 
absent, while the quality generally was good. In this instance, and also 
at several other shows, the Celery was exceptionally fine, and it is 
equally worthy of note that this remark does not apply to any particular 
variety or varieties, quite a number of so-called distinct forms being 
equally well represented. 
The foregoing only goes to corroborate assertions that I have pre¬ 
viously made in these pages—viz., that much Celery is spoilt or caused 
to bolt prematurely on account of dryness at the roots, and this not so 
much during the hottest part of the summer, but rather during Sep¬ 
tember and October. When once the first moulding up has been given 
few think of watering Celery, yet it requires it as much then probably 
as at any period of its growth. This assertion can be easily proved or 
disproved. All that is necessary is to probe deeply and somewhat 
roughly, some of the soil and roots to a good depth being brought to the 
surface. If it is found to be in a thoroughly moist state all well and 
good, no harm being done either way ; but if, as is more likely, it proves 
to be very dry, a good soaking of soft water, soot water, or liquid 
manure ought to be given at once, even if it is raining at the time, this 
being repeated once or twice before more mould is banked up around 
the stems. 
Those who follow the good old practice of laying a pipe drain along 
the trench are the least likely to neglect to give autumn waterings, 
pouring large quantities in at the highest end being a simple and, I 
might say, a tempting proceeding. In very many soils and positions 
Celery roots are found to be very dry when dug at midwinter or later, 
and it is questionable if a soaking ever takes place after once moulding 
up is well advanced. The other extreme would most probably be even 
more injurious, frost proving destructive or more penetrating when 
it can act upon moist soil ; but there is no likelihood of any 
moisture applied during September or the succeeding month long 
remaining unappropriated by the abundant and absorbing Celery roots 
in trenches. 
Sites of old Celery trenches are supposed to be very suitable for rows 
of Peas during the following season, but, as far as the manure is con¬ 
cerned, there is not much left of that after the Celery has done with it. 
If my advice then is taken the Celery rows will not be neglected, but 
should receive occasional moistenings at the roots for some time longer, 
the last being given, if need be, just prior to the final moulding-up. 
Much of what would otherwise have been good Celery is also spoilt in 
the moulding-up. Not only must the stems and hearts be well 
blanched, but it is of equal importance that these be kept as intact and 
clean as possible. The grower for exhibition, if he is wise, effects 
perfect and cleanly blanching by means of several folds of brown paper, 
or even ordinary newspapers, the latest Celery also having an additional 
bandage of canvas or sacking to preserve the paper and keep out frosts. 
Any not so carefully blanched stands but a poor chance of winning a 
prize, the contrast in favour of that not moulded-up being most marked. 
In the case of the bulk grown for ordinary purposes there is less need 
for resorting to extraordinary blanching processes, good presentable 
Celery being the most simply produced in the ordinary way—that is to 
say, by gradually moulding-up. 
In heavy soils, more especially, slugs are very troublesome, greatly 
disfiguring the outer stalks, and not unfrequently the hearts, after the 
soiling-up has been completed. A free use of fine ballast, charred clay 
or other burnt soil, and ashes, the stalks being surrounded by either of 
these, effectually excludes slugs, and the Celery keeps well in it. It is 
not so very much of this that is needed, the way to use it being to place 
boards on either of the rows, filling-in with the slug-preventiDg material, 
and drawing out the boards after some of the ordinary soil has been well 
banked up to them. A little fine soil added is also of good service when 
the garden soil is hard and lumpy, the method of proceeding being 
exactly the same as that just described. Our ground being in fairly 
good order, and slugs fewer in number than usual, all that is being done 
by way of keeping away the latter consists of using soot very freely about 
the Celery each time more soil is added. Cooks and butlers sometimes 
object to the sooty Celery, but the soot washes off readily enough if only 
a little trouble is taken, and soot and Celery certainly agree well 
together. 
It is possible to be either too early or too late in moulding up Celery. 
If the soil is placed around the stems much in advance of heart growth, 
the latter is liable to be pinched for room, bulging and splitting as a 
consequence taking place at the base. If left too long before Boiling up 
commences the outer stalks open out badly and cannot be brought up 
together neatly without many of them splitting. It is also possible to 
be too late in completing the moulding up, sharp frosts catching a good 
length of unprotected tops, early decay resulting. If well banked up 
before severe frosts are anticipated only a little more than the tips of the 
leaves being left out, no further protection is often needed, the Celery 
keeping well without it. At the outset the smaller lower leaves, suckers, 
and weeds should be cleared away from the plants, the outer leaves 
being then drawn well and neatly up together, and either temporarily 
tied or held by a pair of hands while one or two other assistants break 
down the soil and place about 8 inches in the trench. Then as the 
centre fills up take the same precautions as to holding or tying the outer 
stalks well up together, so as to effectually exclude soil from the hearts, 
and add another 3 inches or rather more of soil, avoiding unduly pressing 
against the stalks. 
After an interval of three weeks or so the final moulding up may 
take place, and this time it should terminate in a neat ridge, so as to 
throw off heavy rains and snow water, as it is not about the stalks that 
moisture is needed, and it is also advisable to pack the soil somewhat 
firmly about the leaves.—W. Iggulden. 
POTTING WINTER-FLOWERING PLANTS. 
No time should be lost in pottiDg the various kinds of winter¬ 
flowering plants which were planted out in prepared holes or trenches 
towards the end of May or early in June last, lest they should get 
nipped by frost, which they would run a risk of doing if left in the open 
for a week or two longer. 
The first to require attention in the direction indicated is the 
Bou vardia, which is one of the most useful as well as the most easily 
cultivated winter-flowering plants we have. Having decided on the 
size of pots into which the plants are to be placed, and which, in a 
general way, range from 9 inches in diameter to 6 inches, place in from 
2 to 3 inches of potsherds, putting a large piece over the hole, and 
making up the depth indicated with two or three smaller sizes, putting 
the smallest on the top and over them a handful of half-decayed leaves, 
a layer of moss, or coarse loam. This done, ring round the plants with 
a spade at from 4| to 3 inches from the stems, according to the size of 
the plants and the pots into which they are to be placed. Before potting 
cut off all straggling and damaged roots. 
Use a compost of four parts light friable loam and one of leaf mould 
and peat, with sufficient sharp sand to render the whole porous, working 
it well in between the ball and the pot with a flat rammer, making the 
soil moderately firm at the top and sides, and leaving a space of an 
inch at the top for water. Then stand the plants on sifted coal ashes in 
a cold pit or some other suitable place where they should be shaded 
from sunshine for a few days, and protected from frost. Give water 
at the roots to settle the soil about them, and afterwards repeat the 
application as occasion may arise. Syringe the plants lightly on bright 
afternoons for about a week, until they have quite re-established them¬ 
selves. After this the shading should be discontinued and a free cir¬ 
culation of fresh air be admitted to the plants during bright days, draw¬ 
ing up the sashes in the evening and covering them with mats until 
the time for putting the plants into a forcing house arrives. This 
must be determined by the time they are required to be in full 
flower. If at Christmas it would be advisable to put a portion, if not 
all, of the plants into heat towards the end of October. From that date 
until the flowering period arrives weak applications of tepid liquid 
manure should be given, together with occasional surface dressings of 
Thomson’s or some other approved plant manure immediately before 
applying clear tepid water. Plants thus treated, assuming that they 
had been well attended to in the way of stopping and giving water at 
the roots during the past three months, will yield a profusion of 
deliciously scented flowers in due time. When put into the forcing 
house a minimum temperature of 55° to 60°, according as the weather is 
cold or mild, should be observed, afterwards increasing it four or five 
degrees if necessary to hasten the plants into flower. 
Richardia (Calla) aethiopica should next receive attention in the 
manner described above. The compost in this case should consist of 
four parts sound fibry loam (where obtainable) and one of horse droppings, 
with a dash of coarse sand. The large fleshy roots will soon push into 
this mixture, and, being a gross feeding plant, liberal supplies of tepid 
liquid manure should be given at the roots during the forcing and 
flowering period in order to obtain a good succession of large well- 
developed flower-spathes. Occasional fumigations on calm evenings 
with tobacco paper will be necessary to rid the plants of aphis, to the 
