Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-07-27

Article XVII.
Celery.

celery.
Celery IS ordinarily grown for its
large fleshy leaf stalks, which are
eaten raw with salt and also used for
seasoning salads. The seed is also
extensively used for seasoning pur-
poses. Cclerlac, or turniD-rOOted
celery is grown for its large roots,
which are used for seasoning salads.
1t is gross feeder, and though
the soil selected be reasonably fertile,
or 10 tons Of barnyard manu-,
should be applied per acre and thor
oughly incorporated with the soil be-
fore planting. On land that will pro-
duce 40 bushels of corn per acre, not
less than 900 pounds OF fertilizer
containing ( per cent available phos-
phOric acid. per cent nitrogen and
per cent potash should be applicd
per acre.
Celery seed are planted in frames
in March. The rows are marked off
six inches apart and about one-halr
inch deep. Ten to fifteen seed arc
sown to every inch Of row and Gov
cred lightly with siftcd soil. After
the seed are planted the bed should
be sprinklcd lightly and then shaded
with bags or burlap until the young
plants begin to appear. Then the
bags or burlap should be removed
and a lath screen used in it's place.
After the seed have been sown the
surface OF the soil in the plant bed
should be allowed to become dry un-
til the plants have become well es-
tabliShcd. The use Of the lath
screen may gradually be discontin-
ucd after the plants have formed the
fourth or firth leaf.
When the plants are about three
inches high they should be thinncd
to one inch apart in the row. The
plants removed may be transplantcd
to other beds and will produce as
good. if not better, plants than those
not tranSplanted. Celery Is trans
planted to the field during the sum
mer months. when it is very hot and
the soil unusually dry. 1t is, there
| fore. necessary to water the plants
as they are set out. The tops OF the
| plants should be clipped back. to
about half their length about two
| weeks before transplanting. An
| hour before the planes are removed
from the beds they should be watcrcd
| freely.
! II the celery is to be Dlanchcd BY
| earth the rows should be marked of
| NV i''N w it' anu tllt lDldlltS Scl lNt
| inches apart in the row. If the dou-
bic row system is used, each set Of
| double rows should be six feet wide
and the plants set six inches apart
| each way.
1t is very important to have stocky
| plants to transplant to the field. as
| it is very difficult to get the small
ones TO live, and they never grow
OF as rapidly as plants Of larger
| size. Plants that have been given
ample distance in the seed bed will
be from six TO eight inches tall and
very stocky at transplanting time.
The amateur grower frequently
| makes the mistake Of setting the
| plants too deep in the soil. The
plants should not be set deeper in
the field than they stood in the plant
bed If the plants are set in the
! bottom OF a furrOw, as is sometimes
| practiCcd. the bud will be covered by
soil washing from the sides OF the
trench and many OF them will die
| When the plants are set in Il slight
furrow made by the marker and ;hc
soil drawn about them, the bud OF
the plant should be on Il level with
| the surface Of the soil.
The plants should be taken from
lIl' 'NI With al Slllull DlOtk OIL SOll
attached to the roots ii possible. TO
do this a heavy knife with blade
about six inches long is passed along
each side Of the rows one and half
inches from the plants, cutting about
three or four inches deep. 1t is
then passed between the plants in
the rows cutting the same depth.
| The plants are then removed with
the block OF soil and roots attached
| pressed lightly in the hand to pre-
| vent the soil from being shaken OF
| in handling. The plants are then
| covered with wet bags or burlap,
and when thus protected will remain
perfectly fresh for several hours.
The ideal way for setting the plants
is TO place the plant i'm the hole i'm
mcdiatcly after the water has been
poured in; fiji the hole with soil
and press lightly, leaving a mulch
Of loose dry soil around each plant.
1t Is very important that the soil
mulch be maintained at all times
during the growing season in order
to prevent the loss OF moisture from
the soil by evaporation. Cultivate
shallow after every rain in order to
prevent the formation Of crust on
the soil and to rC-establiSh the soil
mulch.
Late celery for Writer use is
blanchcd by soil. The plants are
set in the field during July and Au-
gust, and the blanching is begun
about tn" last OF September. Celery
Is usually ready for use by the goth
OF November, but will continue to
| grow rapidly during December and
! viii need no protection until the last
| or that month. when il may no cov-
cred entirely with soil or straw, or
1t may be stored in suitable frame
or trcnchcd.
.IlN lirSl MrAnn>.A IN l.l.In.. /.