MAY. 
97 
Pricking-out the Seedlings. —The great object of this operation is to 
get the plants strong and sturdy, with plenty of good fibrous roots, for which 
purpose, where only a superior article is tolerated, they must have ample space 
for development when pricked-out previous to transplanting. 
A good plan is to select a warm border, and remove the soil to the depth 
of 4 or 5 inches, tread the bottom down firm and level, and cover it with a 
couple of inches of fine sand, and fill up level with light rich soil, taking care 
to give it a good soaking of water some time previous to pricking-out the 
plants. The distance at which they should stand apart in these beds should 
never be less than 4 inches for general purposes; but, if required extra fine 
and large, 6 inches every way is not too much. They should never be allowed 
to want for water; drought is a great enemy, bringing rust, stagnation, curled- 
up leaves, and a train of ills highly detrimental to their perfect development. 
Preparation eor Final Transplanting. —Having at no little trouble 
secured fine strong plants, it would be a pity to spoil the whole for want of a little 
further attention, and therefore an equal amount of care and labour must be be¬ 
stowed upon the soil. In the first place it is advisable to select, if possible, a soil 
which is strong and naturally rather moist, or rather, I should say, so strong as 
to be retentive of moisture, because if the moisture proceeds from stagnant 
water owing to bad drainage, it is useless for the purpose. Strong soil usually 
requires considerably less watering than light sandy soils ; it moreover produces 
better flavoured and crisper Celery, and is, therefore, to be preferred where 
choice is possible. In the next place the convenience for watering should be 
taken into consideration, the principal object being to arrange matters so that 
this most important operation can be carried on with the least possible 
expenditure of labour. If it were only a casual operation, it would not so 
much matter; but, as it requires to be constantly followed, up in dry weather, 
it becomes a serious question at a busy time. For the same reason it is 
desirable that the system of cropping should be such as to allow of the whole 
crop being together in one piece. The space set apart for the purpose should 
be thoroughly well trenched-over during the winter. This will insure an eaual 
drainage throughout, and will also reduce the soil to the proper working con¬ 
dition for all future operations, as well as disturb the eggs and larvae of insects 
likely to be injurious; and, still further to secure this desirable object, after 
the ground is thus roughly thrown up, I would strongly recommend that the 
whole of the surface should be drenched with amuioniacal liquor from the gas 
works, and that, the first dry day afterwards, the surface should be roughly 
forked over, and then left to become consolidated. About a month previous 
to planting, dig out the trenches either for single, double, or treble rows, 
according as the consumption is large or small. In treble rows more plants 
can be grown on a given space, but single rows produce the largest-sized sticks. 
Previous to wheeling in the manure, let the bottoms of the trenches be again 
saturated with ammoniacal liquor, and the trenches filled up nearly level with 
manure, and left in that state for a few days. 
It is important to observe that the manure should be thoroughly decomposed. 
No half-decayed matter will ever produce superior Celery ; there is too much 
bulk for fattening matter, and it soon becomes exhausted; but the rich mud 
which sometimes settles at the bottom of horseponds, as they are often called 
—that is, little pools which are impregnated with the drainage of farmyards— 
will bring it to very great perfection, probably on account of the saline matter 
contained therein; but, whatever is used, it must be in a condition to be taken 
up by the plants at once, and should be thoroughly incorporated with the soil, 
which is best performed by first turning it in roughly with a spade, and then 
back again with a digging-fork, by which it will be sufficiently mixed, and the 
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