The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-12-14


what H"iianders Have Accomplished IN
the Vicinity OF This Michigan T""n-Na-
rying Claims as to the Profits of Celery
Growing.
N"i'ii'"Ao' '' l'iS j. :" - A''o" II ia
every part vi 'iil9 country 'ila' 'he hailie
is used Tor all the better KINDS OF Gel
cry, ana, like Blue Point oysters and
Little Neck CLANS, the guarantee CON
tanned in the name sells the article to
the exclusion Of other brands. The ex.
cellcncp of this celery is SAID to be- due
to three things-good seed dark. heavy
soil and care in.rrOwiur and bleaching
it. Careful hacking might be added.
But as any, gardener can select good
seed and give the ,ltnt~ good cul<ure
kalamazoo must ,..,l in the ,0il or
better ratural CCrui..,NS uS a celery re-
gi0n.
The Calurv meadows are Just Cutsidn
Of the town Of * llHr uZOO, north and
south of ~" city, and surrounded By
hills, diviued cro>>wisc by high ridge.
on which the houses are buit. The
meadows are about three miles long
and mile wide. These bottom lands
are not common farming lands, but are
composed of Il peculiar form Of black
muck, the result Of vegetable decompo-
sitiOn, and formerly they were so rich
that no fertilizers We're needed. Not
more than dozen years ago very little
celery was raised on these meadows
and none fer shipment to other mar
kets. Joseph DuEkly, the florist, was
one of the pioneers i'll the industry, rec
ogniZing the peculiar value of the
muck soil for celery. He owned one of
the earliest celery farms, and it is re-
ported that he amassed fortune from
the business before it was injured by
competition.
In recent years the output has been
so enormous that prices have dropped
from 90 cents to 10 cents per dozen,
and many growers have been complain
ing. The seasons Of 1923 were com
paratively poor ones, and number of
the growers left their farms to engage
i'll the same business in the suburbs of
New York, but they soon returned to
their home town. The growers are near
ly all Hollanders. and they live in
dwellings on their small holdings,
which generally consist of from five to
ten acres. They are frugal, industrious
race, and they adopt the most advanced
system Of lntensive farming. Five acres
here easily support an ordinary Holland
family, and there is no doubt but the
head of it saves money.
The city of Kalamazoo is one Of the
prettiest in the country, and it owes
not little Of this to the industry Of
the celery growers The amount of Gel
cry shipped from the city varies from
year to year, but a conservative esti-
mate places the average quantity at go
tons per day from July / to Jan. l.
This would mean about 3, 900, 900 doZ.
ems, and at 0 cents per dozen this would
amount to $780, 900. AS this is very
low estimate, one is almost safe in say
ing that the industry nets the town at
least $500, 600 year.
The punches of celery are packed in
wooden boxes and shipped to commits
sion men. The boxes are made in the
town, giving employment to a number
of mechanics. They are about the size
of "a peach crate, "a inches long, 16
inches wide and to s inches deep.
Fertilizers are now used freely upon
the already rich bottom lands, and ev-
cry time "a grower takes load of celery
into the town he brings back a load of
fertilizer. 1t is claimed that four crops
Of celery are raised in one season on the
land, but this is not literally true. The
farmers make four paintings, which
mature from July to December, but
these can hardly be called four crops.
The first planting is made early, and as
this celery must be hlcached with
boards it is an inferior grade. The old
saying is that celery is not fit to eat
until after the first frost, and in a sense
this is true. but modern conditions of
our markets dema:.d that celery shall be
ready for use all the wear round. The
southern growers send it north early in
summer, and since ncople will buv This
vegetable out of season the Kalamazoo
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