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The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots - 16th Edition by Sutton and Sons
page 71 of 700 (10%)
that to produce extra fine specimens of Celery for exhibition very
generous treatment of the plants is necessary. Apart from the choice of
varieties--and only the finest strains should be considered--four points
are of especial importance to the cultivator. The ground must be
liberally enriched; at no period should the plant receive a check or
suffer for want of water; there must be the closest inspection at
frequent intervals to prevent disfiguration of the stalks or leaves by
slugs, snails, or the Celery fly; and finally the operation of blanching
will need great care and discretion. These points have already been
dealt with at some length. But on the question of blanching it may be
well to add that in order to insure perfect specimens, free from
blemish, artificial means of some kind must be adopted in place of
earthing up in the ordinary way. The use of strips of good quality brown
paper will prove both simple and effectual. These strips need not exceed
a width of five or six inches, fresh bands being added as growth
develops. Tie them securely with raffia or twine, making due allowance
for expansion of the plant, and when in position carefully draw the soil
towards the base.

==The numerous enemies of Celery==, such as slugs, snails, the
mole-cricket, and the maggot, do not seriously interfere with the crop
where good cultivation prevails, but the Celery fly appears to be
indifferent to good cultivation, and therefore must be dealt with
directly. Dusting the leaves occasionally with soot has been found to
operate beneficially. It should be done during the month of June on the
mornings of days that promise to be sunny. If the soot is put on
carelessly it will do more harm than good; a very fine dusting will
suffice to render the plant distasteful to the fly. Syringing the leaves
with water impregnated with tar has also saved plants from attack. Where
the eggs are lodged the leaves will soon appear blistered, and the
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