# The Family Kitchen Gardener (1856)/Celery

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CELERY.
A’pium gravèelens.—Celeri, Fr.—Sellerie, Ger.
The Celery is a native of Britain, and is found in marshy ground, ditches, and such situations. In its wild state, it has a rank, coarse taste. The effect of cultivation is remarkably displayed in producing the sweet, crisp, mild, stalk of Celery, generally very palatable to all, from a wild, detestable, and apparently worthless weed.
This vegetable is yearly gaining repute, and is cultivated to a great extent, though in our market far from being in perfection.
Use.—The leaf-stalks, when blanched, are used raw as a salad; they are also stewed, and used for seasoning soups; an agreeable conserve can also be made from the stalks when perfectly blanched.
There are several sorts in cultivation, but they may be set aside to give place to the two following:—
White Solid, which is most generally prefered, on account of the color, and is considered by some as the most crisp; and Red Solid, which differs from the former only in color, though it withstands the frost better than the White, showing, at least, that there is a constitutional difference. Manchester Red is another name for this variety. There are also sorts sold as Giant Red and Giant White, Seymour’s Red and Seymour’s White, all corresponding with the varieties known as the Red and White Solid Celery. There is another variety known as the Lion’s-Paw Celery, pure white, but in our opinion inferior to the White Solid. As for giant sorts, they are attained purely by culture, and astonishingly so too. Seed from the same plant, in the hands of some growers, will produce stalks four feet long, blanched to a silvery whiteness; with others, a meagre stalk of a few inches high, with its base of a dirty ​rusty, greenish-white—which, of course, will be pronounced an inferior sort, and the blame attached to the seed.
Culture.—To procure early Celery, the seed should be sown on a gentle hot-bed, from the first to the middle of March Collect a load or two of warm horse-manure. Put it in a form eighteen inches thick, to be covered with a frame and glass sash. When the violent heat has subsided, cover it with six inches of light soil, whereon sow your seed. Press it down, and rake it lightly, giving a gentle watering. Put on the glasses; shade from severe sun; give a little air from 11 to 2 o’clock; and as soon as the plants are up, air freely. Thin them out to half an inch apart. When they are three inches high, plant them out into a well-prepared bed of rich, light soil, which will be from the first to the middle of April—cover at night with mats or boards, to protect from cold or frost. By the first of June, they will be sufficiently strong to plant out in trenches for blanching. However, where extreme earliness is not an object, sow the seed about the first of April, on a rich, dry, warm border; when up, thin them out. About the middle of May, transplant them, three or four inches apart, into another piece of ground, to stock and harden, till they are finally planted into the rows for permanent culture.
The regular way is to select a level and rich piece of ground; dig the trenches a foot wide, ten inches deep, and three feet from each other; if convenient, from north to south, though any other aspect will do. Let the earth be regularly thrown out on each side of the trench, and sloped off. Five or six inches of well decomposed manure should then be worked full half-spade deep into the bottom of each trench. The plants which were transplanted into the beds or frame should be carefully lifted, and prepared for planting, which is done by cutting off the extremity of the roots; shortening their tops or leaves, but not so low as to injure the young centre leaves; and divesting the neck of the plant from suckers. This done ​they may be planted into the trenches, at the distance of four or five inches apart; after which, give the whole a good soaking of water, and shade from the sun for a few days. Their after-culture, is to stir the soil frequently, with a small hoe, and giving a copious supply of water in continued dry weather. About the middle of August, or first of September, tie the leaves together, or hold them tight with one hand, while with the other the earth is carefully drawn up round the stems, but not so high as to allow the earth to get into the centre of the plant, which causes it to rot or rust. The soil for this purpose has to be broken, and well pulverized with the spade. If the weather be dry and hot, Celery should not be earthed up so early in such case, a row for early use may be blanched, by placing a board on each side, and throwing the earth along the bottom edge of the board, to prevent the air from getting under. By this means it can be very well blanched, and ready for the table by the middle of September. I am aware that writers on the subject say, “earth it up every few days as it continues to grow;” but with such a practice in warm weather, it will not grow long, but rot off and decay. About the first of October, earthing up may proceed without injury; but let it be done firmly and evenly, and in a sloping direction, from the base to nearly the top of the leaves. In that state, it will remain sound for a long time. If continued frost be apprehended, dry litter should be spread over the plants, and a quantity lifted and laid in a bed of sand or earth in the vegetable cellar, in which it will keep fresh for several weeks.
When planting, it is a very convenient method to mix both Red and White together: you will thus obtain both sorts in use, from the opening of one trench. Large fields of Celery can be pretty successfully cultivated with the plough, for supplying the market. It is a crop that generally makes a good return to the grower.