The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1882-12-14
Details of Celery Culture.

About the 10Th of March we SOW our
seed in boxes of soil specially prepared,
| just such soil as any good gardener
would use in which 10 grow healthy,
vigorous and !ibrous-r rooted plants.
We buy from the grocers, boxes that
have had canned fruit shipped in
them, as the most suitable size, rip
them into three pieces, aud bottom the
middle-thus giving us plant boxes
about four inches deep.
After sowing the seed thiniy and
evenly in rows across the box, the soil
il pressed 10 half an inch below the
top, and light covering Of sifted
sphagnum and leaf-inold put on. For
the better purpose of shading and COW
ering, the boxes are at once put into
a cold frame-but left uncovered ex-
cept OH cold nights or severe weather.
Great watchfulness is needed until the
seed has germinated Ia see that the
soil is not dried out by wind OF sun.
Neglect at this point may cause fail
ure. II is sometimes necessary Ia
give partial shade during the hotter
part of the day This we do with
iath screens. When the plants are
up and strong enough tn be handled
they are pricked of. an inch each way
into similar boxes of very rich soil,
aud set again into frames and care
fully watched with regard To water
ing and partial shading When
grown tn two aud one-half or three
inches high they are again pricked off
this time into frames that have
grown only lettuce or radishes. which
having by this time been sold of.
leaves the soil in good condition for
the plants. In this latter transplant
ing. to make quick and uniform
work. We use marker made from a
piece oof wood five feet nine inches
long, two inches broad and one thick,
having in il twenty-eight wooden
teeth about three inches long and two
and one-baif inches between cenlers
Thus twenty-eight holes or marks
are made at once. which is just one
row across the frame. Nothing fur
ther is done until the plants are
wanted for the open field, except to
see that they get abundance of water
and perhaps shear off the tops. which
latter we do with a common sickle,
but il takes a skillful, steady arm t.
do IL right.
After our early crops of radishes,
lettuce. beets aud cabbage have been
cleared of, (pure bone dust having
been used for them at the rate of 3, 900 |
pounds per acre. the ground il cover
ed three or four inches deep with |
street sweepings. and plowed in.
Lines are made with a marker two
feet apart and the plants are set five
To six feet apart i'm the row. We have
an unlimited supply of water. and
have il arranged so il can be turned
in between every row of celery and
How the entire length of the garden,
which is $50 feet, with about ten
inches fall in 100 feet.
AS soon as the ground Is dry en-
,ugh. after flooding. il Is well hoed
with IA prong hoe, and the water start
II i'm again. This is continued until
Fall No banking up is done except
merely enough 10 keep the celery In
IN upright position. About the 18th
II October. for this section, we may
onk for hard frosts. We now take
lp two-thirds of the celery-allowing
very third row TO stand and be
'anked up to the top with soil. The
'ortion dug up Is stored In q shed
'uilt for that purpose. which Is sim.
'ly a wooden walled cellar mostly
hove ground.-Cbr. Seed Time and
ydrrest