When the plants are well above ground, look out for weeds; keep all clean, and thin out if too close. Remember that nothing deteriorates the quality of Celery more than a check during growth. Do not begin too early; but when a start is made, keep it going. One way to prevent this check is by timely thinning. Keep each plant asunder from its neighbor; and as they continue to get larger, if still too crowded, remove more. Attend to watering if the ground gets very dry, but not otherwise. By the beginning of July the plants will have obtained sufficient size for transplanting into the trenches, and if thus treated will be stiff and stocky - each of them a good handful, and a very different sample to what is too often seen.

Planting Out

The plot for final planting should have been forecast in the mind, and may have been occupied by some other crop which is already used up. My own practice is to choose a piece wanting in manure, and sow peas in rows six feet distant from each other; and while they are on the ground, plant the Celery midway between the rows. The Teas in this way act as a shade to the newly removed plants, which is of service till they get established; and the previously hungry land, which was most suitable for Teas, is rendered fertile for future crops by the manure used for the Celery. Let the trenches in all cases be six feet apart, which is not too much to allow space to earth up with. Commence by opening six inches deep and eighteen inches wide. Throw the soil neatly on each side, which will raise the surface about two inches, making the trench eight inches deep, into which convey a liberal dressing of well-rotted barn-yard manure - say one barrow-load to each four yards in length. Level and break up well; and when this is accomplished, begin at one end, fork in the manure, and loosen the bottom, bringing up so much soil as will mix with the dung in equal proportions. Afterwards take enough of that which was previously thrown out and fill in another inch.

This will serve as a good base to plant in, and keep the injured roots from coming into immediate contact with the manure.

All being now ready, stretch a line along the middle of the trench; proceed to the seed-bed with a basket or some convenient substitute, lift the plants one by one carebasket, and plant on each side of the line, six inches from it. This will give a double row, each being a foot asunder. Let the plants be eight inches apart in the row. In planting, do not use a dibble, but lift the soil up with the hand, place the plant in the hole thus made, fill in again, and pack nicely around it Hands were made before dibble-sticks were known, and the hardy fingers of the husbandman are not injured by poking them into well loosened mold. As each row is finished, have in readiness the watering-pan, and, unless the weather be very wet, give a good supply of water overhead, which will fix all firmly, and "they will never know that they have been removed".

This will appear a very tedious process to some of our rough-and-tumbles, I am aware; but the end justifies the means, and the extra care bestowed is more than counterbalanced by the greater success afterwards.

There is one point more than all others that I would impress upon Celery growers - namely, never let your crop cease growing until it is ready for use. If the intervening spaces have borne a crop of Peas, they will be ready for removal when the Celery has advanced a little in size, and the ground may be then cleared and dug over. However this may be, at this stage loosen up the outsides of the trenches and fill in a little around the plants, during which operation lift up the leaves and press loosely an inch or two of earth around the base of each plant. This will tend to give an upright growth, and prevent bulging at the bottom. If the weather be dry, give a liberal supply of water, not little and often, but a thorough drenching. One good application is worth twenty sprinklings.

(Earthing, Protection in Winter, and Saving Seed, in next number).

Culture Of Celery #1

For an early crop, the seed should be sown in a cold frame the latter part of March; and when the plants have attained an inch in height, they should be thinned a few inches almost every way. Plants from the sowing will be fit to put out in the trenches at the beginning of June, which is early enough for this climate. To have plants fit any earlier, they would require to be raised in a hot. bed, and be very liable to run to seed, or become piped. Transplanting often will not remedy the matter, though it is the opinion of many that it will; but I have never observed any material difference in the success of the two treatments. The trenches should be opened early in June, 12 inches deep, 16 inches wide, and four feet apart, and be nearly filled with rotten cow manure, if obtain* able; if not, any well decomposed manure will answer. It should be thoroughly incorporated with the soil, and the whole left level with the earth. This will be found to work much better than sunken rows, which always become more or leas filled with the wash of the soil during heavy rains, thus injuring the plants, besides causing loss of time in its removal, neglect of which will destroy the whole crop.

If the weather is dry at the planting time, holes should be made with a dibble, seven inches apart, to receive the plants, and filled with water until they retain it somewhat; but pour none on the surface, either before or after planting, as the action of the sun on the saturated surface would harden it, rendering them impervious to air, besides reflecting a powerful heat, and burning up the plants.

The best time to put out the plants is in the evening, and if they are taken up with roots and leaves entire, and planted immediately, success is certain. Many persons cut off nearly half the roots and leaves, and particularly the tap root, which I prefer to remain on, as in case of extreme drought it will find nutriment sufficient to keep the plant in a growing state. Market Gardeners are aware of this, and transplant but once and finally, preserving the roots uninjured; they thus raise good stocky plants, which are strong enough to sustain themselves, and have a neat appearance without clipping root or leaf. As soon as the plants begin to grow, stir the earth slightly around them and keep them free of weeds, but put no earth to them until they have grown twelve or fourteen inches high, and but little then. Many persons injure their Celery by earthing it too soon, and before the plants are strong enough to withstand the partial deprivation of air and light, as well as the considerable compression to which it is subjected during the process of blanching.

Crops designed for winter consumption are frequently treated in this manner, the result being high banks of earth, lean Celery, and a small supply when plenty is expected.

The handing of Celery follows next, and is also an important part of its culture, which, if neglected, may lose the crop. It consists in carefully lifting up the lower leaves of the plant, and compressing lightly the lower part of the plant, with the hands, then banking sufficient earth against the base to keep the stalks so close and erect that the earth cannot get into the hearts and cause decay. Some gardeners may smile at my dwelling on so simple a matter, but this article is intended for those amateur growers who do not know these things.

Handing being done, the earth can be laid against the sides with the spade. As the growth progresses, a second course of handing will generally be sufficient, but earthing will be required oftener.

For winter and spring keeping, Celery requires a different mode of treatment, as it will be necessary to grow the plants in the seedling bed in the open ground, so that they may not become over large at the proper time for planting, which will be from the first of July to August; those planted in August being required for spring use. If the seed be sown about the first of April, in drills of a foot apart, and, when an inch in height, thinned to three inches apart, nice stocky plants will be produced by July, when trenches may be prepared as described above, with the exception of leaving them five feet apart, and selecting the strongest plants for this, the main crop. Otherwise treat them in the same way as already described. About the first of August the remaining plants should be set out in trenches, same as above, except that, as these will not be blanched in the trenches, no earth whatever should be put to the stalks, and they should remain until the proper time for taking them up and protecting them for the winter.

In regard to keeping Celery, there are many ways in vogue, none of which I consider superior to the means I use, and which has been practiced these twenty years past It is to lay the plants almost perpendicularly against a ridge, each head touching the other, and putting a layer of three inches of earth between each layer of Celery, leaving about four inches of the tops exposed to the light and air until severe frosts come, when the whole should be covered with litter, and a temporary covering of boards made to throw off the rain. A shallow trench should be formed around it to carry off moisture. The Celery to be protected should be taken up and put away on a dry day, and the ridge situated in a dry place.

Celery can also be grown very well by sowing the seed in the row or trench, and without transplanting. In regard to varieties, I consider the white solid a good, reliable kind to grow. Bed Celery is hardier, and will stand the heat better, but is of coarse quality. The Celery planted in August will be found well blanched, and in good order late in the spring, when it is generally very scarce.