THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 15 
: 4oo 
and as we plant later, we plant closer: the last plant¬ 
ing—say in the last week of August—about twenty-one 
inches between the rows; the plants being put still at the 
the same distance in the row. The line being placed to 
form an outside edge, an old practitioner goes along with 
a spade, and thrusts it full depth in a very slanting direc¬ 
tion, the spade edge inclining much inwards, in order to 
produce a side which will not readily crumble. The 
soil is now excavated a moderate spit in depth, and 
lodged on spaces between the beds, which are in parallel 
lines. Fivo feet beds require about three feet spaces. 
A good dressing of coarse manurial matter is now 
spread nearly three inches in thickness, and the ground 
dug, turning the manure well down. On this surface 
we spread another coat of manure, about an inch or 
more in thickness; and as the latter is somewhat pecu¬ 
liar in character I will describe it. We use great 
quantities of tree-leaves as linings to frames, pits, &c., 
for dung is precious, and we do not possess a bottom- 
heat of piping in these structures. After a summer’s 
use, and the occasional introduction of a little hot dung 
in the linings, this material becomos very mellow, and 
it is my practice to have it chopped into small particles 
i with a sharp spade. It is thus fine enough for potting 
purposes without riddling, and this, spread on the sur¬ 
face, falls into the soil around the plant in the act of ! 
planting. So, then, it is not in quality alone, but in 
texture, that this material is peculiar: audit is astonish¬ 
ing how quickly the plants thrive in the mixture. The 
plants which are very strong are removed, with balls of 
earth, by the trowel, and when inserted are well-watered 
in, using guano-water, and a sprinkling of clean water 
after. 
When the plants first begin to grow rather freely, they 
have one or two good sousings of liquid-manure; this 
hurries them on in earnest; after this they need little 
but earthing up, and water occasionally. 
I must now describe the soiling process. The first 
soiling, or earthing, is done by band in the most careful 
way; the operator gathers every leaf into its place , and 
holding the plant close and tight, draws the loose soil 
close to the plant, some three or four inches in depth, 
squeezing it to the stem; the soil should be rather 
moist, but the plant dry; the spade must instantly 
follow this operation, and as much soil must be levelled 
in between the rows as will support that squeezed to 
the stems. Nearly all subsequent soilings are done by 
the spade, a couple of light feather-edged boards being 
used; two men perform this best, one on each side the 
bed; the boards are set up with a little nicety, care being 
taken so to introduce and set them up as to enclose 
every leaf as upright as possible. A board being thus 
placed on each side, the soil is introduced, made firm, 
and levelled; the boards are then withdrawn, and the 
workmen proceed to the next row, and so on through 
the bed. ° 
Now, in all this there is no difficulty whatever; less 
trouble than in the single-row system; and as to 
quality, I can only say that I rarely meet with a com¬ 
plaint—I had almost said, never; but the contrary. 
But, doubtless, hundreds grow it thus, and can, if they 
like, bear testimony to the value of the plan. 
I will now beg to offer a few remarks on the seed-bed, 
for this is a most important affair. Most people raise 
their eailiest Celery on a gentle hotbed, and very 
necessary it is to do so; but, for all main crops, give 
me out-door Celery. A bed, in a warm situation, 
elevated one foot above the ground level—taking care that 
no water can stagnate, and well sheltered from the wind 
—if sowed towards the middle of March, will, with proper 
attention, produce first-rate plants for final planting by 
the end of June; which I consider a capital plantiim 
time, by the bed system, for crops to come to use from 
the middle of September until the early part of April 
after which few care to use it as salad. My practice is 
this: the bed is dug deep; on its surface afterwards is 
spread six inches of very old manure ; the best, if at 
hand, is the surface of last year’s melon beds—if the 
melons have been grown in strong loam—this material, 
half dung, half loam, chopped as fine as if riddled, is 
spread and forked into the surface of the dug bed until 
intimately mixed; the whole is then levelled carefully, 
and patted tolerably firm with the spade. The seed ‘is 
sown on this surface, and again lightly patted, and is 
then covered with finely-riddled strong yellow loam , about 
the thickness of a dollar. I have rafts, about nine feet 
long by four feet in width, for general protective pur- 
j poses, these rafts are light, and a mat is stretched and 
nailed tight over them. These I use considerably every 
spring over such beds; and as our way of making them 
to work on hinges is worthy of a backwoodsman, and 
quite efficient, I will exhibit it. At the two north 
| corners a stiff garden pot is placed, mouth downwards, 
and through the hole in the pot a short, strong stake is 
driven, against which the outer rail of the raft works as 1 
by a hinge. The raft is placed abutting against these 
two stakes; it cannot slip, and the front to the south is 
propped up by a stake or two capable of graduation ac¬ 
cording to season and weather. 
Such are used lor the Celery seed-bed ; and now I may 
observe, that all the seed-bed requires is regular water¬ 
ings when dry. As soon as the plants are getting a little 
strength, and are well developed, liquid-manure is sup¬ 
plied, and a degree of robustness ensues which is 
surprising. 
Pricking-out is a process known to everybody ; but I ' 
may point to two or three matters which demand atten- | 
tion. The reason I cover the seed-bed with a stiff loam i 
is, that the young plant may have permanent moisture: 
those who try this plan fairly once will never again 
change it, I am persuaded. It is of much importance 
that the young plant, at the period of pricking-out, be 
as sturdy as a young oak. Indeed, in all Celery-culture, 
from the seed-bed upwards, no severe check or stand¬ 
still should be known ; it is these capricious handlings 
that cause the “bolting” complained of. Those who 
desire deliciously crisp, yet tender, Celery, without 
fibre, must sow late and grow it quick; it is not the age 
of Celery which constitutes quality, but speedy growth. 
Of course, our great market-gardeners, and, perhaps, 
exhibition-men, pass lightly by these considerations; 
they are what I fancy Lord Palmerston would term men 
of tariffs and per centages ; but it behoves those who pro¬ 
vide for dainty and nicely-distinguishing palates, to look ; 
to quality. 
As to market-gardening, if I was in the line, and had j 
a score acres to crop with Celery, I would go boldly into j 
the bed-system. I may observe here, that I always dust i 
quick-lime into the hearts of the plants previously to the I 
first earthing. This is applied liberally, and well intro¬ 
duced to every part of the plant when very dry; it will 
so make havoc of the little slugs, and render the Celery 
so distasteful to them for many weeks, as to stave off all 
complaints about what is commonly termed “ worm- 
eaten” Celery. This season I shall try soot also. 
Robert Errington. 
STRAWBERRY-PLANTS IN POTS. 
Within the last twelvemonths a new race of growers 
has appeared. It is such a pleasure to have even a few 
Strawberries three weeks or a month in advance of those 
in the open ground, that many, with even a very little 
glass, seeing how easily the thing might be done, have 
resolved to attempt it. The very different modes in 
which this can be successfully attempted seems to 
puzzle and perplex many of our readers. “ In the mul- 
