164 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 21, 1859. 
1st of January, and had scarcely a run-head), were pricked 
out when handleable, planted into an intermediate bed 
to encourage a mass of fibres, aud were turned out at the 
end of May, or the first days of June, into trenches or 
beds, well dug and moderately enriched with rotten dung. 
The plants, never suffering from want of water, grew 
away famously, especially if some higher crop shaded 
them from the very brightest of the sun. All look so 
well and promising that it is confidently expected there 
will be no bolters this year. But the growth goes on so 
well, that, to encourage and hasten them on, a little 
earthing up is given — say a couple of inches; in a 
week they get a couple more; in a fortnight four or 
six inches more; and, by-and-by, a few inches more; 
the soil being placed close to the plants, and the ridge 
left in somewhat of a conical shape, that it may look 
nice and throw past the most of the rain, if any should 
come. Now the first earthing up would do little harm, 
as a soaking rain, or a good watering, would pene¬ 
trate the two inches of loose soil. After the next earth¬ 
ing, watering would be unthought off. After the next, 
it would require almost a deluge to get to the roots, but 
water is the last thing thought about. All goes well 
until about taking-up time, when the flower-stems appear 
here and there along the rows, and in greater numbers 
when examined beneath the surface of the soil. 
The earthing has kept water from the roots ; the digging 
by the sides of the trench has placed the plants more on 
the top of a hedge bank than in the bottom of a ditch ; 
the large luxuriant leaves, in a dry July or August, have 
been perspiring pounds of water into the free atmosphere; 
and the poor roots are at their wits’ ends to gain a supply 
by absorption. When you dig them out, you find that 
they and the earth about them are as dry as an old wig 
fastened to a pole in a barber’s shop; and yet we wonder 
and wonder why the Celery plants throw up their flower- 
stalks when we give such a check to growth by our mode 
of treatment. The dryness at the roots, hardly ever 
thought of, is the cause of the disappointment. 
Reverse the process. Proceed as above in the first 
stages, only be careful to remove all suckers from the 
plant before planting. Use rotten leaf mould, &c., in 
moderation for enriching the soil, in order that the growth 
may be moderate instead of over-luxuriant; and thus the 
stalks sweeter and more easily kept, as very large heads 
are apt to be destroyed from water lodging in the centre 
and not being able to get out. Use plenty of water in 
dry weather; and, if short, resort to surface stirring and 
mulching, to prevent its too-free escape by evaporation. 
Examine the plants frequently, and remove everything 
like suckers. As they grow freely, after being well 
watered from one to two inches of earth may be placed 
round them, which will so far prevent moisture escaping : 
and this is all the earthing they should receive until 
about three weeks, or a month at farthest, before you 
wish to take up the plants for use. In the interval you 
can water the plants to keep up active growth; and the 
rains of heaven will have free access to the roots, with 
not more than from one to two inches of covering. I 
prefer the smaller quantity. Under this treatment 
the leaves will be apt to spread; and the centre of 
the plant will not rise so freely as by the bit and bit 
earthing up. To counteract these disadvantages, the 
plants are tied up either separately or by a string 
going the length of a row or bed; and which, passing 
from plant to plant, can be raised higher at pleasure, and 
be removed altogether if desired after earthing up. This 
tying keeps all the leaves upright and nicely together, 
encourages the centre of the plant to rise without bolting, 
and commences blanching in the centre almost as w’ell as 
several small earthings up, w r hile no check for want of 
water need be felt at the roots. After giving a good 
soaking at the roots, a fine dry day is chosen for earthing 
up. The earth may be piled at once as high as the tying— 
say from twelve to eighteen inches from the surface; and 
in three weeks White Celery, and in four weeks Bed, will 
be in first-rate order for table, and scarcely a run-head to 
be found. Owing to this simple precaution of preventing 
the roots getting dry, I have generally far less of run- 
heads in early Celery than among the later crops, and 
chiefly because the latter are often left to shift more 
for themselves. 
The same principle is adopted with the later crops as 
to not earthing up too soon, but not carried out as to 
the one earthing; for by the middle and end of October 
the force of the sun is more limited, evaporation from the 
foliage greatly reduced, or counteracted by heavy dews ; 
and, therefore, if the earthing up is done then at repeated 
times, there is less danger of perspiration from the leaves 
exceeding the power of absorption by the roots. Besides, 
the weather is often so changeable that we are glad to 
give all the Celery a help, instead of waiting until we can 
thoroughly finish as we go. Excessively high earthing up 
I consider worse than iost labour at any time, as from a 
foot to fifteen inches is generally as long as Celery is sent 
to table. 
The result of my limited practice and observation is, 
that whenever, from whatever cause, or at whatever time, 
the leaves of Celery perspire more moisture than the 
roots can easily absorb, there will be formed a disposition 
in the plant to throw up its flower-stalk, and thus per¬ 
petuate its kind, when it cannot gain increase to its size 
by mere luxuriance of growth. While none will be more 
ready to attend to the opinions of others, I confess I should 
be gratified if a number of readers would, in the coming 
season, try the plan that I have mentioned above, and 
tell us by Christmas the result of their experience, whether 
favourable or otherwise. B. Fish. 
OAEXANDS HOUSE. 
The Seat of Samuel Ashton, Esq. 
It is notorious that the culture of plants round Man¬ 
chester has made rapid progress within the last seven or 
ten years. I know no city or town away from the me¬ 
tropolis where plants are so well grown, and in such 
numbers, as they are by the gardeners to the wealthy 
Manchester gentlemen. One reason is evident—and that 
is, those gentlemen have a taste for good gardening, 
and spare no expense in carrying out that taste. 
They are, or have been, first-rate men in business, and 
bring the same indomitable will and enterprising spirit 
into their gardening recreations. They w ill have good 
houses properly heated ; they will have the choicest and 
rarest plants ; and, lastly, they w ill employ gardeners of 
the highest ability, paying them well to manage their 
gardens in the very best style. Is it then a matter to be 
wondered at that they succeed so well ? 
Amongst those spirited gentlemen, the one whoso 
name stands at the head of this paper is second to -none. 
He has formed a beautiful place close to the pleasant 
village of Godley, near the town of Hyde, which is a 
short ride of seven miles from the London Boad Station, 
Manchester. 
I have watched the progress of this garden for nearly 
twenty years. It has at length arrived at such a state of 
excellence as to warrant my giving a report of it. Mr. 
Ashton has made it entirely what it is. The mansion is 
a very handsome building, placed on a gentle eminence, 
and having pleasant views of the Cheshire and Yorkshire 
hills. The plant-houses are placed partly at the bottom of 
a valley, and partly on one side. The opposite bank is laid 
out in terraces, with gravel walks, grassy banks, and 
sloping shrubberies. At the lower end of this valley 
j there are some fruit-houses for Vines and Pine Apples ; 
at the other end is an extensive rockery covered with 
1 hardy Ferns. The side on which the plant-houses are 
placed is a grassy slope, which sets off the houses to great 
'advantage. Now, to get to this charming little valley 
