The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1894-09-06
Celery,

seed or the roots of the tenderest and most de-
Slrable variety of,celery for profitable culture :
pest time Tor Planting whether it is best to
start with seed or roots; if with the latter,
what distance in trenches, and any other use
ful points you can offer pertaining to celery Gull
turefo profit. have just the place for it.
Answer by Hugh N. Starnes, Horti-
culturist: If you have 'Ijust the place
for it, the battle is more than half won
Celery requires a very rich, light, deep,
ed, and must in this climate, moreover,
be capable of irrigation. Irrigation
can be effected by hand for small gar
den plat, but must be readily effected
by gravltation for economical field cul
ture. Therefore, if your plat has a
spring branch on a hill side above it
SO that it can be diverted into the plat
and used freely when necessary, it will
pay you to make confident preparation
for celery growing. If you have no
such stream available, you had better
put your plat in something else.
There are two crops of celery made
at different seasons-not however, on
the same land. The summer crop is
perhaps the easiest to handle and the
surest. The old trench" system is so
laborious that it has been entirely SUI
perseded. For the early crop, begin the
first of January by sowing seed in. hot
bed or even in boxes indoors and sub
sequently ''pricking out" as it is termed
that is, transplanting to wider distan-
ces-say in rows three inches wide and
one inch apart in the rows, to give the
roots chance to expand and make the
plant stocky. Water well and keep
them lightly shaded for day or SO in
bright weather. Set out as soon as all
danger of heavy freezing weather is
over in rows two and one-half feet
apart and six inches in the row. Guilt
vate with hoe and Planet, Jr., hand
cultivator until the plants attain their
growth-say last of May or first of
June, Keep land on level. Bleach
by taking 1x12 plank and leaning up
against the row of celery from either
side. This will sufficiently bleach it in
week or ten days. OF course the
boards can be used over again from
season to season and are permanent
investment. Moreover, section can
be bleached at time in this way and
the crop be made continuous the entire
summer. The original cost of the
boards will thus not amount to great
deal and continuous supply be rem
dered possible.
White Plume celery is the only varie-
ty advised for this simple treatment.
and, while it is not of the best quality it
will sell readily when conveyed to e
market fresh and crisp, which is never
the case with Michigan celery.
The late crop is more difficult to han
die, and is not advised unless some ex-
perience in celery raising has been at
tanned. Giant Pascal is the best varie-
ty to use. Plant in open air bed, care
FULLY prepared, in May, and prick out"
as before in June. Transplant finally
in July, using twelve inch board lean
ed slantingly on stakes driven in the
ground, to shield the plants from the
southern sun. For this purpose the
rows must run east and west. Board
up for bleaching in September or Octo-
Der as in case OF early celery. Earth
ing up, however, will give better re-
suits, though more troublesome and
expensive. Still it enables celery to be
kept in our climate indefinitely and
marketed at leisure. Let two men
work on same row, one on each side,
drawing the earth with hoes up to the
plants, thus covering them deeper as
the season progresses. Time can be
saved by riveting wide piece of sheet
iron or an old crosS-cut saw blade on a
stub of hoe. If rows are planted
three feet wide, it would be best to en-
pioy the Planet, Jr. culuvator, with
celery hitler attachment and do the
work by horse power.
1t is possible that celery planted in
the bed in August, set in the field in Oc-
tober and kept through the winter
earthed up, would prove profitable in
Middle or even North Georgia, as it I'M
doubtedly is in South Georgia. This
experiment will be tried at the station
this fall, but it is not yet advised.
Full information on the methods
practiced at the north can be obtained
from t. Greiner's Celery for Profit" a
little book sold by w. Atlee Burpee &
Co., Philadelphia, for fifty cents. At
ter understanding fully the principle
underlying celery culture, its adapta-
ton to local situations must be mat
ter of experiment and judgment. Thus,
while water is not essential in the mois-
ter climate of Michigan, it is indispen-
sable in Georgia for the second crop,
though not absolutely necessary for the
first. At best the cultivation of celery
for profit is doubtful employment
anywhere, apd especially SO N this
state, except in few favored localities.
1t can, however, be made ON a small
scale, an adjunct to every kitchen gar
den, with reasonable attention.