CULTURE OF CELERY. 
85 
questions, the most decided negative is given. The process of 
blanching, whilst the plants are in a vigorous state of growth, may 
be accomplished in three weeks, but when it has nearly ceased to 
grow, it will require a longer time for blanching; and, therefore, 
when time or circumstances require, let it be earthed up from twenty - 
eight to thirty-eight inches high at one time, taking care the plants 
are free from moisture, and the soil moderately dry. With respect 
to its growing stray and wild, it is admitted it would do so, were no 
precautionary measures taken, but in three or four weeks after plant¬ 
ing on the trenches, it will be necessary to hoe and hand-weed it; 
on which occasion dress off every stray leaf and stem, gather the re¬ 
mainder in the hand, and pass a shred of matting, or of untwisted 
hemp round each root, precisely at the junction of the leaves and 
leaf stalks, not too tight ,—but sufficiently so to keep them in a pro¬ 
per upright position, and also capable of admitting the successive 
shoots from the centre ; which will strike rapidly, and in a few weeks 
render it necessary to cut away the original shred, and replace it by 
one of larger circumference; and the second shred will subsequently 
require slackening, or renewing, to give room for the increasing di¬ 
mensions of the plants. 
Thirdly—after having set out the rows, five feet asunder, for a 
final planting or crop,—throw out a trench eighteen inches wide and 
twelve deep, laying the soil high in the centre, and sloping towards 
the trench, as a conductor of rain water to the roots of the plants. 
Fill the trench thoroughly to the top—that is—twelve to thirteen inches 
deep with the afore-mentioned compost, taking care to leave it moder¬ 
ately light;—and never tread it down with a heavy foot, if avoidable : 
—Just within, and on the centre range of the compost, insert the 
roots of the plants, with a ball of soil adhering to each, carefully ar¬ 
ranging the numerous fibrous roots, and fixing erect with a light pres¬ 
sure at fifteen inches apart in the rows this done give a moderate 
watering with soft water and if a leaf flags, or a perceptible check 
in growth takes place,—say truly the work is bunglingly performed. 
In a short time the fibres will pour themselves like a flood into, 
through, and over the whole mass of compost, extracting the needful 
aliment for the plants, which being thus copiously supplied, shoot 
forth in proud luxuriance. 
On close observation, in three or four weeks after the final plant¬ 
ing on the trenches, it will be perceived, that many minute fibres 
have emerged out from each root, and are skimming on the surface 
of the compost in quest of additional food ; therefore suffer not the 
hoe to approach nearer than a foot to each plant, but weed with the 
