Celery___________________

action of the frost on the opened trenches
has a beneficial effect upon the soil.

If single rows are to be planted the
trenches need only be 15 in. wide; for
double rows 18 in. with at least 3£ ft.
between the sets of rows if more than
one is grown.

The soil should be taken out to a depth
of 1ft., and the bottom well forked. On
this should be placed 9 in. of rotted farm-
yard manure, or well-decayed garden
refusej mixed with a well-balanced general
fertiliser. Those near the sea who can
obtain it will find that 9 in. of rotted sea-
weed makes a splendid substitute for
farmyard manure for this crop.

On top of the manure place 4 in. of
good top soil and finish off with a light
dusting of slaked lime.

Planting.—By planting-time the manure
and top soil should have settled down to
a nice firm consistency, but if the level of
the soil in the trench is more than 3 in.
below the surrounding ground it is advis-
able to make it up with some more good
soil.

Shortly before planting water the boxes
so that with careful lifting each plant will
have a ball of soil around the roots; remove
any side shoots which may be starting
from their base, and set the plants firmly
10 in. apart down the centre of the trench
if for single rows; or 15 in. apart and
12 in. asunder if in double rows.

Well water in after planting, and hoe
the ground around and between the plants
the following day or so as soon as the
surface is sufficiently dry.

At no time should the plants get dry at
the roots for they are obviously water-
loving subjects. Frequent weak doses of
liquid manure or fertiliser will also do
much to improve the crop, and at intervals
upon dewy mornings or evenings old soot
may be dusted over the foliage to ward oS
Celery Fly. An equally effective control is
to spray the whole plants with Jeyes'Fluid,
one part in a hundred parts of water.

Earthing Up.—Usually eight weeks are
necessary to blanch the stalks, and earth-
ing up should not be commenced'until the
plants are almost fully grown. All side
shoots and broken stalks should be re-
moved, and the soil alongside the rows
forked over and loosened.

[1571_________________Celery Fly

Choose a day when both the soil an3
foliage are quite dry, and having carefully
drawn the stalks together with soft string
or raffia, bank 4-6 in. of fine soil firmly
round the stalks. A similar amount of
earthing up should be done every week
under the same conditions until only the
leaf blades emerge from the top. In bank-
ing up the soil it must be made sumciently
firm to hold up, but should not be beaten
solid.

For exhibition produce it is advisable to
surround the stalks with a brown paper
collar before earthing.

In very severe weather protect the
foliage by covering the top of the ridges
with clean straw or old bracken.

When grown on the flat blanching may
be successfully accomplished by wrapping
brown paper collars around the tied plants.
Even the so-called self-blanching varieties
are improved by this treatment.
"VARIETIES.

Dwarf White; Dwarf Pink; Exhibition
White; Exhibition Pink; Lancashire
Prize Red; Lancashire Prize White; Sul-
ham Prize Pink; Bibby's Defiance; Clay-
worth Prize Pink; Wright's Giant White;
White Gem; Aldenham Pink.

Uses.—If well grown and earthed, celery
will stand in the ground until required for
use. In lifting it is essential to get the
spade well below the roots or the stalks
will be damaged. Among the many ways
in which celery may be used are raw by
itself, or in a variety of special salads and
sandwiches, and cooked by braising,
stewed, curried, fried, or pickled.

CELERY FLY (Acidia heraclef). Pale
transparent patches often may be seen on
the leaves of celery, and if one of these is
held up to the light a small maggot will
be found within the upper and lower skins
of the leaf. This is the larva of the celery
fly which has laid its eggs upon the leaf.
After the celery has been planted out, a
small fly about % of an inch in length,
brown in colour with mottled mags, may
sometimes be seen crawling rapidly over
the leaves. These flies are looking te
suitable places in which to lay their eggs.
On hatching out the maggot immediately
enters the leaf and by eating away the
green portion causes the transparent areas-,
referred to above. When fully grown the