The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-05-29

get fra4l the books a successful way
for blanching What | have grown. |
had q beautiful plot of celery last
year which | lost in blanching. |
covered ii with boards by building a
rough sort Of close shed over it to-
wards the end of October. 1t simply
wilted away. Was this due to its get
ting overheated or to the lack OF air.
If 50, why is not celery affected the
same way in trenches covered With
boards as recommended in the books?
| put some in trenches. but it refused
to breach property. and Il good deal
OF it became hollow and worthless.
Could this have been due to the lack
of moisture or to the lack OF air?
The celery referred to was covered
with boards and was put into the
trenches towards the last of Novem-
ber. | believe the old plan of earth
ing up is the best. but where it is
three feet high as mine was it is hard
to get the earth to stay the,e. The
chief trouble with out friend is that
he has been reading books written
for Northern conditions, and which
detailed plans utterly valueleSS in our
climate. From Baltimore southward
the best way to grow celery IS in
up as they grow, and let remain
where they grow in winter or until
used. We plant such beds b. stretch
ing line along one side Of where the
bed is to be. ! then have 4 board cut
one foot wide and six feet long and
made perfectly square at the ends.
Notches are cut in tins board six in
s.hes apart beginning six inches from
the end. TO plant. the board is set
square with the line and plants are
| set al each notch on both sides OF the
| board. The board is then moved an
! other Width and another row set and
so on as long as the bed is desired.
always keeping, ne end Of the hoari
| square with the stretched line. This
| viii result in 4 bed with ROWS one
foot apart. and eleven plants in the
+! row-siX inches apart. The pfan.in n g
| is done the first of September. pre-
| ferabIv on land that has been heavily
/ manured for some early crop. rs 1t
now stands the bed is five feet >.:.!e.
/ Nothing more is done but to keen t
Well cultivated and to avoid touching
| it when wet with dew or rain. by
the middle of October the plants Will
: have grown considerably and Will
| need STRENGTHENING up. We now use
| two pieces of ordinary cotton cord
| with Il wooden peg IN each end. BE
| ginning at the first row we stick q
peg in the ground 4 foot from the
| end Of the RON. and then gather the
| leaves Of each plant in the row to
/ oether and give one turn OF the
string around it and finally stick the
| other peg in the ground 1T tae iUrt IL
er end of het ROW. The second ro<N is
treated in the same way With the
other string and pegs Now having
the plants held upright | shovel ~
the earth between them to about nall
their heiohth. and six inches beyont
| the end of the rows on each side. ano
then press it down firmly TO the
plants. Then remove the strings ant
treat the next two rows iii he same
way After all the rows have reeN
gone over the celery is Nha tho 2al'
deners call "handled. is he packing
Of the earth between the roWS ili!~'
be done with the hand. DO not pu1
any more earth in till the nights get
cool and frosty. Too early ear,hine
up is not desirable. About tie first
Of Novemb;< begin the 2e9liIll
earthing. Fill in earth between 1ht
rows nearly to the top Of he plants
leaving it in ridges between the ROWS
As the tops stretch above the ridges
pack them down to the plants anf
ridge up again between the rOWs. al
wavs keeping Il ridge OF earth be
tween the rows as tall as the celery
and Eack down and renew it as th'
celery gets above it. At the same
time carry up the outside of the bee
six inches beyond the end Of the ROW:
so as to make the bed full six fee
wide Always avoid getting the eartl
into the centre of the plants b.,
prasping each plant together as th'
earth is packed down. This process:
can be continued till nbout Christmas
bv which time it will be cold eonugl
: 10 cover the bed over Then earth i
all over six inches deep. and cotcl
with pine straw TO exclude frost. ane
YOU will have celery worth eating
Celery lifted and stored in trenche:
or in any other way is never so crisl
nor so solid as that left where i
, crows. The Northern gardners us,
} the trench system because their eli
mate comuels them to lift the celery
The late Peter Henderson once tolt
ne that he would ne glad utse on
bed system Of growing celery if hi
climate allowed it. for he knew hat i
I was far the best. When cereS i
) GROWN on a large scale it can b.
/ n,antfd in the same way and eioh
feet snace left between the bees 10
narthino These eight foot space
can be kept pioved and mellow SO a
t ot he easily ehONeled. Just as man,
nlants can be grown on an acre b,
: tbis method as by the single ROY
+ method in rows three feet apart.
Chnntc q WhIfa Mon