The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-06-25

may say, Eyes, but it re-
quires experience to raise good
marketable celery, and this in
wolves time, labor and expense"
Years ago, before tse advent of the
elf-bleaching sorts, l will admit that
this was in a measure true, but since
the introduction of the Golden Self
Blanching White Plume, and Giant
Pascal land right here 1 would say,
there are no better sorts), 1t requires
but little more experience to grow a
good crop of celery than it does to pro-
duce one of cabbage or beet. First be-
gin properly by buying seed of some
reliable seedman. Now select plot
Of fine loamy soil; IL black, all the
better. Spade this to depth OF at
least one foot, as early in the spring
as the ground can be worked, then with
steel-toothed rake level off smoothly,
and lay out beds two feet wide, but
do not raise them more than can be
helped. If the ground is not very rich,
now Is the time to make 1t so, by ap-
plate, say a peck to each rod OF bed.
This must be raked in to depth OF
five or six inches, then again care
fully rake the beds lengthwise. This
done, draw marks crosswise. These
must be very shallow, and eight inches
apart; seed may now be sown quite
thickly and covered by sitting fine
earth over 1t so as just to hide the
seeds. Firm down, either with light
roller or otherwise. AS celery seed re-
quires long time to terminate, the
beds must be sprinkled once day II
the weather be dry. If this preiim-
mary work has been well done. In
about three weeks you will have a
fine bed of plants, which may be thin
ned to about one inch apart in the
row. All the attention now required
will be to keep the beds free from
weeds, and give water when dry until
about the first of July, when the plants
should be removed to the field. A re-
claimed swamp muck Is undoubtedly
the best and most natural ground on
which to grow celery. 1t should be
we'll drained and made very rich, and
be we'll fitted. The rows should be
made four feet apart, and 1t Is well
10 sink the rows an inch or two. Holes
for receiving the plants should be set
firmly and the soil, If dry, pressed
with the feet; the plants must be
watered until established. Nothing
more need be done for six weeks ex-
cept to keep all well cultivated and
Tree from weeds; by that time the
plants will have attained about one
foot of growth, and banking must be-
gin. This branch of celery culture has
until recently been slow and ted
lous operation. The push scraper is
now used by all progressive growers;
this is a simple tool and easily made
by any one in few minutes. Take a
board six inches wide, fifteen inches
long, three-fourths of an inch thick,
bore a hole in the center and insert
handle IA rake handle is just the
thing) slCping back at a convenient
angle; now brace it and you have
push scraper. 1t now requires two
men with push scrapers" one each
side of row; the earth should be push
ed gently against the plants, this makes
a banking Of about six inches, and gets
no more dirt in the hearts than the old
time handling, and is much more ex-
peditious; besides, the plants are in
better shape for banking properly,
which can be done with hoe or spade,
as the operator may see fit. The earth
should be drawn nearly to the top OF
plants, and if the self-blanching sorts
have been used, this will be all the
banking required, and in about three
weeks there will be a fine crop OF
celery.
Giant Fir of Washington.