, 1896-12-26
CULTURE OF CELERY,
KALAMAZOO RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF
ITS CHIEF cENTeRS.

~ S''@i SC'N EMO.
What H~ollanders Have Accomplished In
the Vicinity Of This Michigan Town-ya-
rying Claims As TO the Profits of Celery
Growing.
Kalamazoo celery is so well known in
every part of this country that the name
is used for all the better kinds of eel
cry, and. like Blue Point oysters and
Little Neck clans, the guarantee con-
tanned in tho name sells the article to
the exclusion of other brands. The ex.
cellence of this celery is said to be due
to three things-good seed, dark, heavy
soil and care in growing and bleaching
it. Careful packing might be added.
But as any gardener can select good
seed and give the plants good culture
Kalamazoo must excel in the soil or
better natural conditions as a celery re-
gion.
The celery meadows are Just outside
of the town of kalamazoo, north and
south of the city, and surrounded by
hills. divided crosswise by a high ridge,
on which the houses are built. The
meadows arc about three miles long
and a mile wide. These bottom lands
are not common farming lands, but are
composed Of a 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 a dozen years ago very little
celery was raised ON these meadows
and none for shipment to other mar
kets. Joseph Dankly. 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 Il fortune from
the business before it was injured BY
competition.
In recent years the output has been
80 enormous that prices have dropped
from 20 cents to 10 cents per dozen,
and many growers have been complain
ing. The seasons of 1923 were com
paratively poor ones, and a number Of
the growers left their farms to engage
in the same business in the suburbs of
New York, but they snon returned to
their home town. The growers are near
ly all H~ollanders. and they live in
dwellings OH their small holdings,
which generally consist of from five to
ten acres. They are u frugal, Industrious
race, and they adopt the most advanced
system of intensive 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 a 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 ut 60
tons per day from July / to Jan. 1.
This would mean about B, 600, 900 doz.
ems, and ut 10 cents per dozen this would
amount to $500, 900. AS this is a very
low estimate. one is almost safe in say
ing that the industry nets the town ut
least $500, 900 q year.
Tho punches Of celery arc packed in
wooden boxes and shipped to commits
sion men. The boxes are made in the
town, giving employment to IA number
Of mechanics. They are about the size
Of n peach crate. "a inches long, 10
inches wide and 6 to 8 inches deep.
Fertilizers are now used freely upon
the already rich bottom lands, and ev
cry time n grower takes n load of celery
into the town he brings back u load of
fertilizer. 1t is claimed that four crops
Of celery arc raised in one season on the
land, but this is not literally true. The
farmers mako four paintings. which
mature from July to December, but
these a H. rdly be called four crops.
The first planting is made early, and as
this celery must be hleached with
boards it is an inferior grade. Tho old
saying is that celery is not fit to eat
until after tho first frost, and in a sense
this ia true. but modern conditions of
our markets demand that celery shall be
ready for use all the year round. The
southern growers send it north early in
summer, and since people will buy this
vegetable out of season the Kalamazoo
growers begin to send their product to
the cities much earlier than five years
ago.
The question Of profit in celery grow
ing is u disputed one, and. like straw
berry farming. there are stories current
Of farmers making $500 per mere, while
others claim that il they make $50 per
acre they arc doing well. At Greentown,
o., where the largest celery farm under
the control Of n man is located, the
profits are said to average between 5000
and $500 per acre. There are nearly 100
acres planted with celery on that farm,
and if these figures are correct the own.
er has every reason to believe that farm
ing does pay. Like the Kalamazoo cell
cry lands. the soil at Greentown. O., il
exceedingly rich and we'll adapted to
the culture Of the celery plant. But
SO, cheap labor must be employed
to mako the farm pay anything like
$500 or $500 per acre. Here in Kalama-
zoo the growers believe that 800 and
5000 per acre is a good profit. and a
with ten acres Of soil need not
suffer greatly with such an income. Six
years ago the same land could have
made profits Of $500 per acre, but then
the growers were receiving just twice
% much for their celery a. they are to.
day.-Kalamazoo Cor. New York Post.
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