The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-05-17
Celery.

Those who nave 1alleQ 10 raise plauls
can buy them of seedsmen or market
gardeners at low rates, and its cultiva.
ton has been much simplified in late
years. Instead of digging a trench, as
formerly, twelve to eighteen inches deep,
and setting the plants in the cold, life
less earth, our most progressive garden
ers transplant them. into rich, mellow
soil upon the surface of the ground. In
this vicinity low muck land is generally
selected for the celery crop, because it
is adapted to a cool, moist soil, but nearer
the large cities of the East, where land
is higher, it is generally grown as a
second crop, after peas, green onions,
lettuce, early cabbage, &c.
The taller varieties-once so gener-
ally cultivated-are being discarded,
and the newer dwarf kinds adopted
Turner's Incompatible Dwarf is the
most popular sort, but there are other
dwarf kinds that are probably nearly,
or quite, as good. s .....
The ground, after having been made
rich, and worked up deep and fine, should
be marked out in straight rows, three
feet apart for the dwarf kinds, four and
ahalf for the taller sorts, and the plants
set six inches apart in the rows. After
the plants are transplanted all the care
they will need will be ordinary cultiva
ton, hoeing and wedding, until the lat
ter part of August, when preparations
must be made for blanching that in.
tended for use in Autumn.-The old
practice of earthing up gradually every
few days has been superseded, and it is
all done by one operation, after the stalks
have attained their full height. The
first preparation for blanching consists
in drawing the stalks together, and
combining them SO as to prevent dirt
getting in between them, causing the
inner stalks to rot. This was formerly
done by tying them together with Irvine
or bass mating, but market gardeners
do it with earth thus: With pillow OF
hoe the earth is drawn near the plants
and then with the hands pressed firmly
around them, after which the earth is
banked up to the very top with a spade
In few weeks it will be blanched
enough to commence using.
That designed for Winters use need
not be earthed up at all, except so far
as is necessary to cause the salks tc
grow upright and compactly.
The best success we ever had in win
tering celery was in this way. We
allowed it to grow as long as it would
until we apprehended danger from frost
We then dug trenches about foot wide
and deep enough to receive the whole
plant-root, stem, and leaves. We then
dug up the plants. and slowed them
away as compactly as possible in those
trenches. As the cold increased we
covered the tops over with straw
lightly at first, then deeper until there
was foot or more in thickness upon
them. AS we wanted it from time to
time for the table, we removed little
of the straw, took out what we required
and returned it. 1t well blanched
and kept sound and fresh all Winter
There is still another way of growing
celery, more simple than any other, and
quite successful-in family gardens es-
pecially. Transplant into rows, one
foot apart each way, and simply give it
good cultivation until the time arrives
for taking it up and slowing it in
trenches, as described above Being
planted SO closely the leaves instead, Of
branching out, grow upright, and little
or no care is required to keep them
gether.-ExcHANeE.