Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-05-24
FARM AND GARDEN.
Craving Celery for Home Use.

Growing Celery for Home Use.
Each wear celery finds its way to the
tables of many farmer folk who have
never grown it before. My own ex-
perience teaches that anyone who mas
grown celery once successfully seldom
does without it. My plan of growing Is
simple. The seed is started in cold
frame. When the young plants are
sufficiently large, they are trahspian.eu
TO a small bed In the garden, placed put
a few inches apart and cultivated WE'LL
The soil here is much like that In the
cold frame, perhaps not quite so rlch'
but very light and mellow. In July the
plants are ready for their final quarters,
which are straight rows in the bottom of
a furrow. This is made by going
through each furrow twice with shovel
pillow, first working in an abundance Of
wel-rotted manure. On rainy day the
plants are set. In case strong sunshine
follows, they must be protected from
whiting too much by boards.
Always water the reset plants well.
One can hardly overdo this, and some
attention will afterward be required if
the weather continues dry and hot. The
growth now will not be at its best, but
the plants must be kept improving by
frequent hoeing and stirring of the soil.
Add some soft mulch, such as decayed
hop stems, etc., il available. 1t helps
wonderfully. and on no account must
the growth stop during August If the
best stock be secured In the end. When
the cooler and moist weather of Sept
ember and October comes on, the plants
will make rapid Roadway. The earthing
up process is to be done in October, the
soil having been gradually worked up
toward the plants during September.
First go along the rows and tie the
punches up with cloth string. This
keeps the earth out Of the center Of the
bunch and is the best way to handle 1t.
The earth must at first be brought up
with the hands, after which a spade may
be used for finishing. About three weeks
is required before the celery will be fit
for use. 1t is best to leave it outdoors as
long as possible, Of course avoiding any
tendency to freeze.
In the matter of varieties, choose the
old tried sorts which are most grown in
your vicinity. Avoid the self-blanching
kinds, for they are not nearly as de-
licious in flavor as the other varieties.
Personally, l do not grow much of the
giant stocks, preferring the slender,
long-stemmed, crisp celeries of which
there are number. Where the garden
space is limited, the celery may be grown
on the early pea plot. 1t will of course
RI do
of manure to compensate for the strength
taken by the first crop of the season.
Where the family is large and consider
able celery is required, the rows In
which it is set should be long and suffi-
GENTLY far apart to admit cultivating
with horse. | do not favor blanching
by means of stiff paper tied around
the stocks. The fall rains often put it
in a sorry plight, and is one of those
practices in the garden which the lazy
man will follow.
The inexperienced will have trouble
with successful storing unless he plans
properly. Celery must not wilt, but the
roots are to be watared at intervals.
The moisture is not to be supplied from
above, for unless stored very loosely
with lots of air to be circulated, a con-
dltion not often met, the stock will rot.
Long narrow boxes with holes bored in
the sides to enable water being supplied
to the roots are excellent. The plants
are dug with roots adhering and packed
closely in the boxes with rather dry
river sand. Then they are moistened
and set away in a cool place not subject
to excessive humidity.-D'arey w. Fiske
in New England Homestead.