The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-02-09
CULTIVATE CELERY.

crisp celery made its appearance
short time ago. 1t is evident that this
delicious and healthful VEGETABLE is
coming more and more into use, and
that market gardeners ere paying more
attention to it. Although the season
of cultivation is past, it is not amiss
to refer to it, as some readers who are
now deprived of it may resolve when
the proper time comes, they will take
steps to supply the deficiency another
year. We reproduce the following on
its cultivation from one of our eastern
exchanges:
ssSeveral different modes Of cultiva-
ton have been recommended by DIFF
terent writers. But the most approved
practice is to plow as deep as the sur
face soil will allow, laying of the lands
60 that the double furrows will he live
or six feet apart. In these double FUR
rows place double allowance OF well
,otted compost, of which wood ashes
form q component part. II the com
nost Is not too rich the plants may be
set ont directly upon it. Otherwise
baul in some of the plowed dirt before
setting the plants. These should be
nlaced six 70 ten incr es apart. the form
ar distance for the dwarf variety, and
the latter for the giant. If the trans
planting is done in a wet or cloudy day
no protection from sun will be neces
sary. But if in dry time water the
plants thoroughly and cover them with
a board. Few vegetables will bear
transplanting better than celery. In
two or three days the new roots Will be
pushing, and the boards can be re-
moved.
"Our fathers dug deep trenches,
which they filled partly with manure
and rich loan, and on this placed their
plants. The object of the trench was
to assist in the blanching process. But
digging trenches by spade power is
work. Besides, deep trench, unless
in q correspondiugly deep and rich soil,
will bring us to a barren subsol. OF.
which an artificial bed must be made
to place the plants. This involves ad-
ditional labor and expense. With every
heavy rain, also, the plants in the trench
will be liable to. be drowned or smoth-
cred with dirt washed over them. Land
can be scarcely too rich for celery, but
the richness should be rather from pri-
or manuriDg than the immoderate ap-
plication of fresh stable excrement, as
it inclines the plants to grow rank, soft
and hollow. Soft celery, in comparison
with solid, is as rag money compared
with gold. Although this vegetable
likes moisture, we would not advise
artificial watering. In deep and rich
land frequent STRINGS of the surface
are better than the watering pot, as
watering inclines the soil to break aud
form a crust thus excluding air and
moisture.
''Our practice is to plant celery as a
second crop, after early peas, putting
on thick coat of compost as soon as
the pea vines are removed, which We
plow in deeply, and in a few days gen
orally about the first of August, plow
again, thus incorporating the manure
thoroughly with the soil. and at this
second plowing laying out the lands
with double burrows, as before nen-
toned. Good stocky plants, six inches
long, set the first of August, will grow
till into November. A small crop for
early Fall use, can be started early in
the season. Many SOW the seed in a
hot bed as early as March. But hot
bed plants are apt to be slim, sickly
affairs, sometimes running up to seed,
while those sown in open ground, as
soon as the ground is warm and dry,
will be found to be more stocky and
luxuriant. In either case they should
be picked out and set in bed, two or
three inches apart, to become well root
ed and well ieaved before being trans
planted to their final home. 1t is i'm
portant that the plants should not be
checked in their growth az any stage OF
life. A stunted plant, like a stunted
animal, will seldom recover impaired
vigor.
1.-The blanching process may be com
menced when the plants are a foot
high or even sooner, and should
always be done on dry day, drawing
the earth carefully around the stalks,
which may be clasped and pressed
gently together with one hand,
while the dirt is hauled up in the
other. If the mold get between the
stalks it is apt to induce crust and
sometimes decay. Some cultivators
Recommend ommittiDg heaping up
the earth for blanching till the stocks
have nearly attained their growth, and
thus making short work of the blanch
ing. Butwe prefer to commence ear
lier, and bring up little earth at time
The stalks thus treated will be more
solid, and at the same time more tender
and delicate. Hoeing and earthing
once in ten days or fortnight will
make little more labor, but secure a