THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— October 14,1850. 20 
it grows wild ; therefore, for the Heath, lie must obtain 
his soil from the moors, where our common Heaths grow 
the best. He must beware of the common, black, bog 
earth, though one species of Heath, the Erica tetralix, 
grows best in it. That kind of soil will not grow the 
Cape Heaths without an immense amount of care and 
a large admixture of white sand. No : the best heath- 
mould comes from, our dry heaths, where the common 
Erica vulgaris grows plentifully and freely. Cart this 
home, chop it up, picking out roots, weeds, and large 
stones. Then put it through an inch meshed sieve, and 
mix it freely and thoroughly with pure white sand till it 
has a grey, silvery appearance; it is then lit for use. 
Many other soils and manures require a long prepara¬ 
tion and frequent turnings to sweeten and pulverise; 
hut heath mould is much better used immediately fresh 
from the moors. Besides this soil, materials for drainage 
must be provided. The best and cleanest are broken 
garden-pots. They should he broken into three sizes; 
largish ones for the bottom to cover the hole ; rather 
smaller to lay upon them; and, lastly, a small size, 
not larger than peas, to he next to the soil. Upon this 
last place a layer of rough pieces of the soil, not larger 
than a hazel nut, for small plants. The soil and 
drainage may then he said to he well and duly prepared. 
T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. —Mr. 
Sheriff Mechi has kindly consented to preside at the 
Anniversary Dinner of this Institution, to he held at 
the London Tavern in June next. 
CELERY AND ITS CULTURE. 
History and Habitat. —Like many others of our 
most useful vegetables, the parent of this popular 
salad herb is a native of Britain, although it is possible 
we may he indebted to the foreigner for bringing it into 
notice, and most likely introducing it as a production 
from other climes. The wild Celery (Apium graveolens) 
grows in many places, but I have always found it in 
the greatest luxuriance in the salt marshes, or in ditches 
contiguous to salt water. From this we may learn that 
salt in moderate quantities is likely to be relished by 
this plant. Water, also, seems essential to its well¬ 
being. 
Varieties. —Like all other popular vegetables which 
have to he sown every year, there is no deficiency of 
names ; but the principal characters are Red and White, 
and of late years a pale-coloured variety has been 
added, called Walnut-leaved. It is not distinct enough 
for a separate class; it will, therefore, be annexed to the 
Red, and, as all growers are advised to have at least two 
kinds, 1 mention a few for them to select from. 
Seymour s Solid White. —This is rather a dwarf-grow¬ 
ing Celery, with but few leaves, broad-ribbed stalks, 
which blanch and become very tender. This is now an 
old variety, but is nevertheless good. 
Crystal White. —This is more robust than the last- 
named, and, in some respects, is superior, being larger, 
the stalks lying closer together, and, as a whole, looking 
better; but it does not excel Seymour's in crispness, 
neither does it stand the winter so well. 
Lions Raw. —This much resembles the last-named, 
only in some of the heads I have noticed a tinge of red, 
but whether my seed was impure or not I cannot say ; 
nevertheless, it is a good, useful Celery, and one likely 
to suit the purpose of the amateur. I could never 
ascertain any reason for giving it the name it is known 
by, but many others aro equally inexplicable. 
Manchester Large Red. —This, under the name of 
Giant, Goliah, and somebody’s Mammoth, is all much 
the same, and, when true, is very good ; but I have more 
than once been deceived with this kind, it being liable 
to pipe, as it is called, its stalks being hollow, its main 
points, when good, aro its size and hardihood, and 
those who like the aromatic flavour that unblanchcd 
Celery presents will find it exist in this kind in greater 
! abundance than most others, the blanching process not 
entirely destroying it. 
Dwarf Red. —To this are appended the names of 
several growers who have, or are supposed to have, im¬ 
proved it. It is certainly advisable to try these new 
kinds, as old ones have a tendency to degenerate. The 
Dwarf Red is, perhaps, the hardiest of garden varieties, 
and is otherwise a useful, good Celery, and by some 
more esteemed than the White- 
Pink or Walnut-leaved. — This is an intermediate 
variety between Red and White, and, like both, is in¬ 
fluenced by the season and situation it is planted in, 
and other circumstances. I have seen it very good, and 
have also seen it very indifferent. 
Time of Sowing —Celery is such a general favourite 
that few people can have it too early, nor yet too late. 
In fact, having it for a long period is one of the greatest 
points in Celery culture. A little seed, therefore, had 
better be sown in a pan or box, and set in some hotbed 
where there is a mild bottom-heat. The middle of 
January is not too early for this first crop, and later in 
the season, say the end of February, another batch may 
be sown, the seed in all cases lying some time in the 
ground before germinating. The main crop need not 
be sown before the beginning of March, and that, in 
most cases, I would advise being sown out of doors on 
some old hotbed, and if there be a little heat it will 
germinate the quicker; but in most cases in the south of 
England it will do very well, when sown at this time, 
without any such aid, the spot chosen being open and 
sunny, and the soil being a light, rich, sandy one, made 
very fine, and a good proportion of leaf-mould at top, 
to prevent the heavy rains and subsequent dry weather 
hardening it. The seeds must be only very slightly 
covered, as the plant comes up with such small seed- 
leaves as not to be able to force its way through a mass 
of earth. Care must be taken to preserve it from the 
attacks of slugs and other enemies at the period of its 
germinating, which is, perhaps, best done by surround¬ 
ing the bed with a small barrier of lime, and scattering 
some of it or wood-ashes on the plants, or rather, over 
the surface of the ground at the time the plants are 
likely to be coming up. A still later sowing than the 
last-named may be made about the first week in May ; 
this will do for the latest crop the ensuing spring. Its 
treatment will be precisely as for the other crops. 
Pricking-out. —This term, not very intelligible cer¬ 
tainly to the denizen of a large town, signifies that the 
young seedlings are planted out somewhere to improve 
before they are finally planted out for good. For the 
earliest crop some place under glass must be provided ; 
but a general hotbed is not the best place, as the roots 
are quickly amongst the dung, and, luxuriating there at 
a rapid rate, are so much the worse to removo when the 
time comes. Pans, therefore, or boxes aro better, wherein 
there is some check to the downward tendency of the 
roots, and if the plants be not too much crowded, 
they can be separated with a good large ball to each, 
and planted out in the trenches at the proper time. 
When a good proportion of dung or leafy matter is 
mixed with the soil in the pans or boxes, the balls ad¬ 
here to the plants so much the better. For the main 
crop some well-enriched bed out of doors is best, open 
to the sun, but if it be dry weather at the time of plaut- 
ing, the plants must be shaded some little time; but 
advantage ought to be taken of dull or showery weather, 
