Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-01-19
The Culture Of Celery.

tempt 10 grow cclcTV, yet IL IS Hot
difficult matter; and it is an excellent
vegetable, not only as a sort Of condi-
mcnt, like pickle, colc-slaw, &C., but it
is nourishing food. And every far
mcr's wife who has taste for setting a
handsome table, either for her own FAM
ily or when she has company, will al
ways be glad to have handsome dish
of celery as table ornament, if it was
not touched as food. Where there is a
market for it, it is considcrcd.as good a
paying crop as almost any one that can
bc grown with so little trouble as this
garden vegetable. The Hoyticulturist
says:
"Ncarly all the Celery sold in the
New York markets is grown rs Il see
ond crop. The ground is first heavily
MANFRED in Spring for crops of early
cabbages, bccts or onions, which are
sold Oft usually by the first week in
July. The ground is then cleared off,
plowed, and narrowed, and ut once
planted with Celery, if the ground Is
moist enough to recr;rc it. The Celery
i, plantcd in rows four feet apart for
carly, and three feet for the late crop
plants IN each case six inches apart-al
on the surface of the ground. This is
what is technically termed the : flat
system. Never manure specially for
Celery unless the crop preceding it has
been neglected, and then manure over
the whole surface, rs any one of expo
riencc knows that the feeling ground
for the roots is not confined to six inches
OH each side of the plants, but that they
will meet in the center of four-fect
rows: hence the absurdity of manuring
only in the rows. The culture of the
crop by the fiat system is very simple.
In Il week or so after planting, the
ground is run through by the triangu-
lar hoe harrow; this is continued at
intervals often or twelve days through
OFT the season to keep down the weeds
and stir the ground. a man and horse
,an cultivate four acres per day. or
something near 1900 roots, which.
b. the trench system, would require all
70 be hoed by hand, involving at least
twenty times the amount of manual
labor.
AS soon as the Celery gets to be Is
or Is inches high, instead of tho hoe
harrow use a plough to throw slight
furrow to the Celery; then the & hand-
ling" or strai ghtcning-up process is
gone through with, and a heavier fur
r,w is then thrown against it. 1t is
then allowed to remain eight or ten
days to extend the hearts, when the
banking up process is finished by the
spade. This is the practice with what
is sold in September, October, and No.
vembcr That which is put away to
preserve for Winter Use is done the
same with in every respect, except that
it is not banked up by the spade nor
!lanched in any way before being put
away.
The crop being all strai ghtcncd up,
begin to put away what You want for
use through December on the first dry
DIV after the 25th of October Clatcs are
O" great Importance for Localities of the
same temperature, and so continue
until you finish, which may he about
the 18th of November; any later, in our
district, is dangerous for frost; earlier,
the Celery will whiten too quick, androt.
The best manner of preserving is to
choose sandy, or at least dry spot,
in an open exposure, stretch line, and
dig trench or drain 10 or y inches
wide, and of the depth Of the Celery to
lie put away. 1t is then dug up, the
earth we'll shaken from the roots, and
packed pr,pcndirularIy in the trench or
drain, just tight enough not to bruise
the stems. No earth is put to the roots;
the damp soil of the trench gives mois-
turc enough. You simply dig trench
and pack it full of Celery, and let it
stand until there is danger Of hard frecz-
ing; then throw strawy stable manure
on each side, leaving a strip of the
green leaves in the center uncovered.
This gives ventilation, and prevents too
rapid ripcning. This may he done the
first of December, and by tho middle
the whole may be covered six or eight
inches deep over the sides and top. 1t
can be drawn any time during Winter
for use or market. The near contact
of the stalks with the manure while
thus stored does not affect the Celery
any more than it does while growing
before it is taken up, any more than it
docs potatoes or any other vegetable
that we cat.
About topping the plants when trans
planting, large grower of Celery says;
"Imow off with the scythc 'somc three
inches of the tops of Celery twice Gin
tho season before transplanting."-
Tribune.