St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-08-13

the stream or principal drain, anC
from 10 to "a inches deep. The inter
mediate space between these ditche,
is then thoroughly dug up by hand, OIL
| by blowing in some instances, cover
] ing underneath the wild coarse grass
weeds, flags and PUSHES, preparatory t.
setting out the plants. Horses shOd
with broad wooden shoes made of two
inch pine plank have sometimes been
used i'll blowing certain portions also
where wet and miry, a capstan set Oh
the upland with long cable attached
to pillow is occasionally used and q
wooden tramway is laid for light cal
to take the pillow and cable back to the
starting point and for the transpOrta-
ton of manure, boards, tools, plants,
etc, to the field. (The volume of
water in the streams having decreased
in the later years, the lands have be-
come drier, and the foregoing methods
are not now practiced to any extent.)
Most Of the labor in the celery gar
dens is done by Hollanders, men,
women and children who, in wooden
shoes, bid defiance to malaria, massas-
angas, and diptheria, and seem to be
perfectly at home, as they delve in the
mud and water aud plod over the moist
celery fields.
In winter, when the marshes are
frozen, large quantities of straw and
stable manure are drawn ont to the
celery gardens for spring and summer
nse. Manure, which has appreciated
largely in value within the city limits
and adjoining country since the devel-
Opment of this enterprise, is an essen
tial feature of success. 1t is used here
literally at each successive planting,
as it is found that artificial fertilization
cannot proftably be dispensed with.
Celery seed is quite small, like pop
Ply seed, and slow to terminate. Some
gardeners raise their own seed but the
larger number purchase it each year at
varieties Of celery, with scarcely essen
tial differences. The most popular
named varieties at Kalamazoo are the
Golden Dwarf, White Plume and White
Walnut. Seed is sOwn i'll February
and March in hOt-beds, later on in
shallow boxes and "A finely prepared
seed bed outdoors. The seed should
be sOwn in straight rows, so that the
young plants may be kept free from
weeds. When about two inches high
they should be thinned out and trans
planted two inches apart, and when
four inches high the tops should be
shortened in, which will cause them to
grow stOcky.
Thorough cultivation is implied
where celery has been raised upon any
given tract the previous year. In
planting out, well MANFRED, broad,
shallow trenches about six inches deep,
parallel tn each other, and five feet
lpart-in some instances these trench
rs are three and One-half and four feet
apart-are usually prepared and the
young plants as previously trained are
set in these trenches at intervals of six
inches apart, the outer leaves cut off
md the soil pressed closely around the
cots. Early plants are set in May, as
permits, second crop in June,
and third and last planting the last of
August aud first of September, for
winter use. Onions, peas and potatoes
are extensively planted between the |
trenches of the first crop, to be har-
vested before the celery needs killing.
In about six weeks from setting out,
lhe plants may be handled" one man
gathering the leaves together tightly
in his hands while another draws the |
earth from between the rows up about
5he plants One-third their height. The
process is repeated in dry weather
every few days until the plants are
grown and bleached ready for use. |
Care must be taken in billing that dirt |
lOes not fall between the leaves, AS
'ust and rot may ensue.
The killing of the first crop exca-
Yates Il trench along which the second
planting" is set, before the first is
harvested. The first crop is usually
ready for market by the 10th of July |
aud all gathered by the first of August. |
The soil is then taken from the first
row for killing the second crop. If the |
season is favorable, third crop is
planted out the first of September up
On the first line of trench.
Branching III the field for market is
lone, either by killing up the plants
with earth, as previously described, or
Dy foot wide boards set edgewise close
upon each side of the growing plants,
and held together in place by iron
books OF clamps. Where boards are
ised there is less liability to rust but
the celery, in quality, is said not to be
equal to that which is killed with
earth.
At maturity, the celery is dug, trim
med. washed in sluices running through
he fields, securely tied in bundles of
Twelve heads-boys and girls being
usually employed in this work-and
delivered every day promptly at the
agencies fresh from the fields
N quantities to suit the demand, just
prior to departure of express trains
oast and west, north and south.
At the agencies, the celery, as it