379. An improvement on the formation of the seedling bed has been adopted at Mr Walker's of Longford, near Manchester. It is made entirely of very old hot-bed dung, laid thinly on a piece of well trodden soil, or ground beat hard with the back of the spade, so as to be impervious to the roots. The young celery plants, therefore, form bushy fibrous roots, as they cannot send down tap-roots: and in consequence of this, they shew no inclination to throw up a flower-stem till the following spring.
Towards the end of May, the most forward plants may be transplanted into the trenches for .blanching. In dry weather, at this season, water is given freely, both to the transplanted plants, and to those left in the seed-bed. The usual modes of transplanting and blanching are the follow ing : Trenches are formed, at the distance of three or four feet from each other, a foot and a half wide, and about a foot in depth. The soil in the bottom of this trench js delv ed and worked fine ; and, tF thought necessary, a little lot ten dung or-rich compost is mixed with it. The soil for celery should be deep and rich, somewhat moist, yet of a : to mossy earth, if moderately dry, it succeeds remarkably well ; the natural plant, sinallage, as has been remarked, delights in growing by the sides of ditches. The earth taken from the trench is laid in ridges on each side, ready to be drawn in as w anted. The plants being trimmed, or having the tops of the long leaves cut off, and any side shoots removed, are placed in the bottom of the trenches, at the distance of four or five inches from each other. As they advance in growth, the earth is drawn in towards them, perhaps once in ten days, taking care to per form this operation only in dry weather, and not to cover the heart or centre of the plants with soil. \Vhen the plants rise considerably above the surface of the ground, all the earth laid in t idges will be exhausted ; a nett/ trench, therefore, is now opened between each row, for a supply of soil to continue the earthing up till the celery be fit for use, or till the leaf-stalks be blanched from eight to four teen inches in length. The management of all the sow ings is similar. The last is destined to stand over winter; and although the seedlings were directed to be raised on a moist shady border, the soil into which they are finally transplanted, should be as dry as possible. In severe wea ther, peas-haulm or other loose litter is thrown over the beds. It is a common complaint, that very fine looking celery is often found to be rotten at the base of the leaf stalks: the fact is, that after the blanching is completed, celery will not keep good in the ground for more than a month at most. The necessity of successive crops is
therefore evident. In lifting the plants for use, it is pro per to dig deep, and to loosen the roots with the spade, so that the entire celery plant may be drawn, without risk of breaking the leaf-stalks or injuring the main roots, the fleshy tender part of which is relished by many.
380. Celeriac, after being raised in a seed-bed, is planted out on level ground, or in very shallow drills, as it re quires but one earthing up, and that a slight one.
Attentive gardeners generally save celery seed for their own usc. All that is necessary is, to select several strong healthy plants of the winter stock, and plant them out in rich soil early in the spring. \Vhen the stems run up to flower, they are apt to be broken by high winds, and should therefore be secured by stakes. The seed is ready in the end of August, and is dried in the usual way. It may he mentioned, that the seed, when bruised, communicates the celery flavour to soups, and may be thus employed when stalks or roots cannot be procured.
Garden-Cress.
381. The Garden-Cress (Lefiidium satiyunz, L. ; Tetra dynatnia Siliculosa ; Crucifers, Jus.) is an annual plant, the native country of which is not known. Besides the cornmon or plain sort, which is the kind principally used for salads, there are two varieties, with curled leaves and with broad leaves. The plant partakes strongly of the smell and taste which distinguish the Crucifelx. Like mustard, it is very easily raised during winter on a slight hot bed ; and in the spring months, in close patches, under hand glasses, in the open border, or in drills near a south wall, or in front of a hot-house. It is therefore a favourite article in winter and early spring salads. Where it is want ed through the summer, it must be sown once a fortnight, as it is only fit for use when young and tender. The plain cress is sown thick, and remains so ; but the curled and the broad-leaved require to be thinned out to half an inch asunder. The curled variety makes a pretty garnish ; it is rather the hardiest of the kinds, and may therefore be sown late in the season. If a row of cress plants of each of the different sorts be allowed to spring up, plenty of seed will be produced in the autumn. During winter, tresses are often raised on porous earthen-ware vessels, of a pyrami dal shape, having small gutters on the sides, for retaining the seeds. These are called pyramids ; they are some what ornamental, and they afford repeated cuttings.