The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-31
HORTICULTURE.
Some Timely Hints From Vick's Blu.
rcau-Ncw Methods of Growing
Celery ut Minimum Cost.

b Il
The old methods OF growing celery
make Its culture so expensive that there
Is but little profit In growing It for mar.
ket. well remember when ] began to
grow celery how ] dug trenches four
feet apart. and then got down In the
trenches to set the plants. and how at
fer heavy rain. would have to 80 and
remove the soil that had washed over
the plants. Then came the laborious
process OF banking the. celery with
earth. The earth would cause the
stalks to rust when 1t came In contact
with them, especially during warm
weather. and the worms and Insects
would get Into the hearts of the celery,
so as to make It undesirable for market.
The work Of digging 1t out OF the
trenches and washing 1t for market was
so great that 1t made the crop cost me
so much there was no profit In growing
Il. I decided II was to make any
profit In celery culture above the cost
OF growing 1t. must adopt other meth
DDS OF culture.
FIRST EXPERIMENTED
with what Is known as the new celery
culture" 1. e.: the method OF growing
celery In rows six inches to one foot
apart, and branching 1t by its own
shade, and now do not believe that
large. well blanched punches OF celery
can be grown by any method that dis
penses with the use OF blanching boards
for the early celery. On my celery
fields, after many experiments. I have
developed some methods which think
reduces the labor 10 minimum neces-
sary to grow good article. and the fact
that they have made some money for
ne Is evidence of their value. I sup
pose the amateur in celery culture will
want the whole process described. from
the sowing OF the seed until the celery
is ready for the table. For the early
crop sow the White Plume and Golden
Self-Blanchlng varieties under glass
the last OF March. For winter use 1
SOW Giant Pastal or Golden Heart in
the open ground as soon as 1t can be
worked in the spring. a
THE Seeded
for celery needs TO be very finely pull
verified and kept continually wet until
the seed terminates. When sowing in
hot-bed. sift about one-half an inch
Of the surface soil with wire sieve,
then SOW the seed in drills about two
Inches apart II the plans are to be
transplanted from the hot-bed directly
10 the field. The method more usually
practice is to sow the seed very thIckly
In the hot-bed, and sift a little fine soil
or sand over them, and cover the sash
with sacking until the seed terminates
In this way the moisture Is easily re-
tanned in the bed. Never allow the bed
10 become dry at any time The early
celery is less liable to boitsnnd run to
SEED stalks If the plants are. kept con-
tlnua!ly growing, and they ;Ehould not be
lett IN the seed-bed after they become
crowded. When the small seedlings
need transplanllng, l prepare a cold
frame for them by making depressions
In the surface about two Inches deep
ahd Six inches apart. The plants In the
het-beG are cut out In. blocks so they.
can be lifted with the spade and carried
ont 10 the cold frame. With large
knife l cut slices from the blocks OF
plants about one-half an inch wide, and
Place them in the depressions for them
IN the cold frame and press the soil
close around them. apply water, and
SHADE the plants for n few days. This
Work is usually done early In April, and
early In May the plants will be ready
10! transplanting 70 the field. This plan
much faster than pricking the plants
ou' one by one. and seems to give as
good results.
WHEN SOWING SEEDS
III Inc open ground. spade in we'll rot
'Fa manure. then rake the surface and
20" In drills eight inches apart, and
Ufad In the seeds II the ground Is dry.
I+I cover slightly by drawing the back
:. ~ me rake lengthwise OF the rows over
.e oed' cover,the ground with sack
."s 10 retain the moisture until the
sHstHhss appear. and water the bed
4 oer! Gay during the dry weather with
4 Wy removing the covering. The best
4 ssis'y IS grown on deep. moist, loamy
~. m' ana Stable MANURE IS the best fer
utNAer' as II nils the soil with the humus
, MAY retains the moisture. Large guam
"Nss OF manure are required to grow
sDou celery. and l would cover the
s'oGnd about three Inches deep with n
so'u quality of manure. When the ma
aIte has been spread on the ground, 1t
sasGod plan to harrow the ground be-
..r, PIowing with i heavy harrow that
""t pnlverize the manure and surface
, ,.I. lnen pillow It In, putting In layer
I u "ae surface soil and manure that has
\ I'm well pulverized several inches
- iof the roots OF the plants to feed
1,oa MS they grow downward, instead
u me hard humps as left by the pillow.
USE the Acme harrow and pulvcrIze
W. surface very fine, removing all OBJ
,,'Ucuohs to the use OF the garden I'm
.g"ehts. then level and firm the soil
y, %''a me plank drag. II one Is unable
W. HtiShte the leld. would advise
il,'H!'0g In rows two and onc-half feet
cGr1Ft and six Inches apart In the rows.
~" ny farm. where irrigation Is prac-
lu' plant In alternate rows. ten and
rsn,ten Inches apart. This plan
,.s.a"eS double row for convenience In
..s Use OF boards for blanching the eel.
49,; nave an implement for marking
s,.1 making holes for the plants, made
S3""thins like %heelbarrow. The
,a 'E" IT, that Instead OF using n dibbel
= T rI1ke holes by hand for the plants. to
rlac. several dIbbels on revolving
4, ~ OF sufficient weight to drive them