506 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 21, 1886, 
days afterwards made tlie soil as firm a3 he could ram it. When 
looking over the boxes some weeks afterwards, the great differ¬ 
ence in the size of the young Celery plants was very noticeable, 
the inferior plants being in the light soil Firm soil is always 
sweeter than loose material, and the roots produced in the former 
are more numerous, robust, and close-growing than in the open 
soil. 
Early plants which have been raised in a vinery or Cucumber 
pit should be placed in a cool frame with the lights on after being 
brought from the house. In a short time the lights may be 
removed during the day, then at night, and finally planted out. 
We have just finished planting our early Celery. From the time 
the young plants appear until they are placed in the trenches 
they should not on any account be allowed to suffer for one 
moment from dryness at the roots, and just before planting they 
should be drenched, so that the soil may adhere to the roots in 
quantity. Before planting, however, trenches must be made for 
the reception of the plants. These may be made in much the 
same way for both early and late plants. When we want to grow 
Celery for exhibition and prizetaking, we only put one row in a 
trench. When it is merely for the requirements of the kitchen 
or use in the pantry, we grow from two to five rows in a trench. 
The trenches for the single rows are made from 1 foot to 18 inches 
wide, and a space of feet or 3 feet is left between them. The 
latter are thrown out to a depth of from 8 inches to 1 foot, and 
the soil is banked up on the wider space between. This is cer¬ 
tainly a good deal of space for Celery, but large plants cannot bo 
grown in small space, and we always like to allow of plenty of 
space for earthing and other attentions. In the case of wide 
trenches for several rows we allow about 8 inches to each row, a 
trench for two rows being 2 feet wide and one for six rows 4 feet. 
The same space is allowed between the trenches, and this holds 
all the soil that is thrown out in reserve for earthing. We have 
tried trenches from 6 inches to 18 inches in depth, and the medium 
ones have given most satisfaction. Our kitchen garden extends 
to five acres, and during the last dozen years we have tried the 
Celery crop in various parts of it. In the heaviest soil very 
large plants were produced, but three parts of them were not 
sound when fully grown. They appeared all right, but when the 
stems were pressed hard they gave way and proved pithy or 
vacant in the centre. Much Celery does this, and it is most 
objectionable Such produce may do for seasoning in the 
kitchen, but it will never do for introducing with cheese or any¬ 
thing in this way, and those who have grown pithy Celery ought 
to change their practice at once. We had to do so from the 
heavy ground, and we found it succeed best in light soil For 
more than six years we have grown the whole of our Celery in 
the lightest part of the garden, and pithy plants are never met 
with. Every one of them are sound and robust, and we are 
very much gratified with this. The advantage of having it in 
rather a light soil is not confined to how it grows, but in earthing 
up the light material suits admirably. A soil half sand or half 
ashes is excellent for earthing up. The worms do not work in it 
much, and it blanches the stems beautifully. We do not change 
our soil for Ce'ery, it is grown on the same piece year after year, 
and will be so as long as it turns out as good as it has done. 
Agree, then, to make the trenches on the lightest of soil in the 
garden and get them ready. We always form our trenches in 
March or April, that we may use the ridges and plant them with 
Lettuce, Spinach, or other quick-growing crop that will gain 
maturity and be cleared away by the time the plants require 
earthing up. 
The question of manure comes next. After trying all sorts, 
■natural and artificial, we prefer that from earth closets to any. 
It is astonishing how very well this suits Celery, and the plants 
it produces are first rate. The way we apply it is this. Dry soil 
is mixed with it; as it is taken out it is spread along the bottom 
of the trench to the depth of 4 inches, then it is forked in, and 
•after that a layer of good soil and old Mushroom bed refuse or 
something of that sort is spread on to the depth of about 3 inches, 
and the Celery is planted in this. It is some little time in finding 
its way into the manure that has been foi-ked down into the 
bottom, but when it does it makes astonishing progress. In 
planting, each one is lifted very carefully, and the hole for the 
roots is made large enough to admit them without any cramming 
into a small space. As soon as the soil is put back, and when 
the Celery has been planted, the soil is trodden down as firmly as 
it is possible to make it, then the plants are watered thoroughly. 
Should the weather be dry it is watered again in a few days, and in 
a fortnight or so the soil is again trodden and watered. The plants, 
we find, root much better and grow more quickly when the soil is 
firm in the trenches than when quite loose, and we attach very 
greaf importance to having the soil firm. The early batch should 
he put out in the way indicated at once; and those who wish to 
possess late plants, as well as others who have no means of 
raising them in a hothouse, should give them attention now. If 
any rough frame is nailed together and put down in a warm 
corner, and the interior filled with lawn mowings, leaves, manure 
from the stable or pigsty, a slight hotbed will be the result, and 
if the seed is sown very thinly on this the young plants will soon 
appear, and by thinning out some of them the bulk may remain 
until transferred to the trenches A quantity of rich soil should 
be spread over the manure in which to sow the seed, remem¬ 
bering to make it firm, and if this seed is sown by the middle of 
May the plants will be ready for the trenches by the end of June 
or early in July. This represents the case of those who have no 
glass in their gardens. Where there is a frame or glass house 
of any sort, the pot system of sowing the seed should be practised 
for main crop or late plants, and as soon as they can be handled 
make up the slight hotbed and plant them on the top of this for 
a few weeks. They need not be protected on the top, and if put 
in about 2 inches apart in good rich firm soil they will soon make 
excellent dwarf plants. As a rule, there is never enough rain at 
the time Celery is planted to dispense altogether with artificial 
watering, and this should be practised very frequently until the 
plants have been earthed up once, when the extra soil put on 
the top of the roots in doing this will keep them cool and 
moist. 
Premature seeding is a fault often experienced in Celery 
culture, especially during the early stages of its growth ; but for 
years past we have not lost a plant in a thousand from this cause, 
and we attribute this success to the firmness of the soil in which 
the roots are growing and never allowing them to suffer or be 
checked by want of water. It is only careless culture and 
neglect that cause plants to “ bolt.” Where watering cannot 
have the attention it requires in very dry weather the surface of 
the soil between the plants should be mulched over with short 
manure to prevent evaporation and keep the roots cool. Celery 
planted in May will require earthing up early in July, but this is 
an important operation often neglected, especially in small 
gardens. When the plants are not earthed they spread out, and 
the largest of the leaves are apt to weigh down down and break 
over. The first and second earthings would prevent this, and 
they at least should be applied. We begin earthing when the 
plants are about 1 foot in height. The smallest of the side 
leaves are taken off before beginning to add any soil, and the 
earth is broken very fine before putting it amongst the plants. 
It is pressed firmly round each with the hands, and when all is 
put round it is trodden down with the feet. The main point to 
avoid in earthing is never to allow any of the soil to fall into the 
centre of the plants. A piece of matting tied round each 
plant before earthing will generally prevent this. When we 
wish to secure sticks of unusual quality we earth them with 
finely sifted coal ashes mixed with light soil and a little lime. 
—A Kitchen Gardener. 
ORCHID NOMENCLATURE. 
It has been announced that a part of the programme of the Royal 
Horticultural Society at the Liverpool Show will be a conference of 
orchidists respecting nomenclature, and as this is likely to be of some 
importance a few preliminary observations may be appropriate. 
No official statement has been made as to what is the special 
object of the Conference, but it may be assumed that it is intended to 
point out the defects of the present system and to substitute some 
preferable method, or to draw up regulations to guide those who name 
Orchids. There is plenty of room for the improvement of horticultural 
nomenclature generally, and in the case of the Daffodils the con¬ 
sideration given to the subject by the committee appointed for the 
purpose has had good results. It may, therefore, be hoped that some¬ 
thing equally satisfactory will follow the Orchid Conference, but the 
subject is a more difficult one, and last year no progress was made 
in the matter. Mr. W. Lee and Mr. Harvey then thought that 
nothing could be done without the presence of Professor Reichenbach. 
Mr. F. W. Burbidge, Mr. R. 1. Lynch, and Mr. James O’Brien were 
of opinion that the subject might be discussed by the Conference 
committee, but it was ultimately agreed that the question should be 
deferred. The assistance and opinion of the great orcbidist would 
undoubtedly be most valuable in deciding what course to take, but 
in his unavoidable absence the committee must depend upon them¬ 
selves, and there is no reason why they should not at least be able to 
clear away some difficulties. 
The general system of nomenclature in the Orchid family should 
be formed in a similar manner to that adopted for other plants, which 
is now clearly defined and accepted by most botanists. The best and 
most authoritative exposition of this subject is to be found in the 
“ Lois de la Nomenclature Botanique,” by M. Alphonse De Candolle, 
