The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1920-02-27
HOW TO GROW CELERY.

Celery is grown chiefly for it.
bleached stalks. The thick part of tn,
root is sometimes used, and the top:
are used in flavoring. or are cooked a!
a vegetable. Celery at its best Is one
of the finest vegetable delicacies, re-
quiring for its culture, as has beer
said, only very little care. Given
irch soil, constant moisture, with care
full handling at the right time and re-
suits are almost sure to be right. Gel.
Jerry should always be transplanted once
in any case to destroy the tap root and
twist, if possible. Home gardeners
should always raise their own plants
to make sure of their quality. The
plants are very hardy and can stand
outdoors very late. Celery is invaria-
bly, blanched, but the blanching is very
differently done according to the seas
on the growers equipment and exper-
ience. Seed, should always be of the
very best. American grown seed some-
times gives pithy stalks. Varieties are
many and classified chiefly as to
height, color, red tint and self-bleach-
ing properties. There is also soup cell
cry grown entirely for seasoning. In
sects are seldom troublesome, disease
occasionally so.
Soil should be deep, kept moist and
well titled. Work in manure ten or fif-
teen ton to the acre, with high grade
fertalizer six to eight hundred pounds
to the acre. Commercial celery is often
grown on bottom lands where moisture
is certain, and the plants grow very
large, but upland grown celery is finer
in quality. Celery will grow in any
good garden soil but sandy soils
should be heavily dressed with ma
nure.
Distances are according to size of
variety and method of blanching Sow
early crop under glass in February
and cover until the plants appear. Seed
should be merely pressed into the soil
Pick out once or twice, cut off tap root
at first trans-planting and keep the
plants stock if possible without cut
ting back. Set in the field when the
ground is fit after well hardening off
Sow late crop in moist seed bed when
the ground is fit. Seed thickly one
fourth inch deep or SOW broadcast iii
the seed bed and sift dirt over the seed.
Keep the ground from baking or dry
ing. Treatment of young plants IN the
seed bed entirely according to the scale
on which they are raised and the labor
that can be devoted to them. CONNER
cially, they are usually thinned to
three inches or so apart and kept
stocky by cutting off the tops when
ever possible. In garden culture the
! seed bed plants should be thinned to
then transplanted once or twice when
large enough to handle, taking pains
at the first transplanting to destroy
the tap root. The second transplanting
should follow the first at no great in
terval. AS soon as the plants are again
established give light dressing of nj
trate of soda, or liquid manure. Always
keep the earth from the heart of the
plant. Digging trenches for the final
setting and putting manure in the bot
toms is now not widely practiced in
this country, although the method is
excellent whenever it can be afforded
Modern culture sets the plant upon the
level ground taking pains first to make
it rich. If set in trenches, they should
be we'll drained and the plants set on
little ridges along the middle or the
hearts will be filled with silt at each
Irrigation.
Blanching with boards. This is the
best method for summer crops as
earthing is liable to cause rot in the
summer Boards twelve inches wide
and twelve feet long. These are set
against rows of the plants, leaning
them slightly inward. The boards are
held in place by stakes, or by securing
the tops together by mailing cleats, or
the use of bent wire. Set the boards so
that the plants will show but few
leaves above them. The plants shoot up
for the light, then fills the space be-
tween the boards and excludes both air
and moisture. Set boards only when
plants are dry. Blanching will be COM
pleted in two weeks or more. For this
method set the rows three feet apart,
plants six inches or more in the rows
Boarding is the best autumn method
giving the best quality of celery and
providing against frost. Earth only
when the plants are dry and do not be-
gin until the hearts of the plants are
four inches or more above the ground
so that the stocks protect the center
of the plant from the earth. Will give
other method for bleaching in next
issue.
w. F. RAMSEY.