St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-08-13
'elery Culture---Gigantic Enter
prise at Kalamazoo, Mich.
BY FRANK LITTLE.


prise at Kalamazoo, Mich.
BY FRANK LITTLE.
The following article OH the grea
slery industry which has grown up a
FLamazOO, Mich, was prepared at tl''
feeial request Of the Department Of
Rsriculture at Washington, by Mr.
tank Little of Kalamazoo, regular
>s rrespondent of the Department. The
hledonian has a copy in advance o.
70 official publication. We are con
&llent that it will he read with interest
be object of the Department in re-
testing the article is seen from the
4il owing correspondence:
"DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
III WAsHINGTOS, ID. C., July 7, 1855
s Bon. Frank Little, Kalamazoo, Mich.
My Dear Sir: You will confer a
zpecial favor on this Division if you
a ill prepare ut your earliest cOnven-
*spce "A statement of the rise and pro-
<fess of the celery industry of kalama-
|51p. 1t is expected that your cOmmu
4nation will be made the basis of "A
=sPort upon the condition of that in
Ustry and would like you to use
ION usual care in obtaining the desir-
III statistics, closing your statement
s. 3th approximate total of acres under
Cultivation, amount produced, value,
Ehmber OF mon employed, varieties
Down, and any other matters pertain
<lls to celery culture. BY giving this
&r,ject your early attention, you will
}nfer u special favor on the Hon. Nor
An j. COlman, Commissioner OF Ag-
&tnltnre. Respectfully,
WM. VI. KING,
Chief of Seed DivisiOu."1
81 kalamazoo township, six miles
mare, is the county, or shire town of
A Alamazoo county. Kalamazoo city,
10 and one half miles square, is To-
fed i'll the geographical centre of the
Flynship, and is also, approximately,
d centre of the county. 1t is situat-
midway between Detroit aud Chica
100 miles from either city, on the
DC of the Michigan Central K. r.,
|'inning east and west, the Lake Shore
Michigan Southern, and the Grand
zapids * Indiana railways, running
pfth and south, and at the great bend
"A lie Kalamazoo river.
41he valley of the river at this point
a BULLY one hundred feet below the
<siIeral level of the table land above,
Id averages two aud one half miles
4 width. The city of Kalamazoo, ly-
$a in the valley of the river aud its
the Portage, Arcadia, and
kfelrs Creek all emptying in within
Be- city limits, is built upon IL burr
ID plain which is slightly elevated
Z,eve the bottom OF marsh land that
|<ilts the river aud the branches above
tbled. The soil upon which the city
Il built is IA dark sandy loan resting
Ion a sub-stratum of coarse gravel
ID sand, in which is found an mex
a ID stlble supply of pure water at IA
Ip ia varying from six tn twenty five
Id. The upland timber consists of
"a several kinds of oak, hickory, ma
IL, linden, elm, beech aud other va
eties.
The celery gardens of Kalamazoo are
dated upon the bottom or marsh
ODDS adjoining the river and it's tribu- |
4 les. 1t is estimated that there are
Fl Il. IL,
n acres of these bottom lands, Il |
NC portion of which are adapted To
IN cultivation of celery. This marsh
il is of peaty character and inky
<ackness, in some portions strongly
t.preguated with iron and in others
nj mari OF carbonate of lime. Ow-
Ia to porOsity aud the elevation being
ID slight above the river level, the
Duration as a rule is cnpious through
ID the season.
i'm 1873, or thereabOuts, native
bllander by the name of Lendert De-
$uyn, who had carried on Il small |
blaud garden aud tried to raise lit |
b celery with Indifferent success,
tched aud spaded IA narrow strip of
<hrsh few feet wide and two or three
Dds long ut the rear of his homestead
on South Burdick street, and set
i II few celery plants AS an expert
as so marked aud decisive, that the
Xt spring three or four other HOl-
bIders, neighbors of his, i'll like man
u prepared a few rods of marsh
found, and planted the same To cele-
with like results
q The fame OF this undertaking soon
read among the gardeners and those
ning bottom lands, and stimulated
the success of these trials, and a !
Ihrket having been opened abroad 10y
ine enterprising dealers, soon large
<amber of HoIlanders embarked in the
#ferprise of growing celery exten-
We tracts of marsh land up and down
~ valley were ditclied, subdued, and
santed out and marsh lands advanc
B rapidly from nominal average
lee OF $:}O per acre. to three, four.
III live hundred dollars per acre.
AT the present time, (July, 1857 the
<Fal area of celery lands under cult
htiOD within the city limits and
hbuTbs, is estimated ut 100 acres,
+ finishing employment in this special
slustry tn upwards of 1000 labOrers
the growing season, besides large
<itnber OF women aud children. Not
4 q hstandiug the remarkable expansion
III NNnnherInI sn,.caas ..ttenninn the