Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-11-24
CULTURE OF CELERY.
KALAMAZOO RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF
ITS CHEF ceNTERs.

what Hoiianders Have Accomplished In
the Vicinity Of THIS Michigan rown-va-
ryins Claims ne to the Profits of Celery /
Growing.
Kalamazoo celery is so well known in
every part of this country that the name
IL used for all the better kinds of cell
cry, and, like Blue Point oysters and
Little Neck CLANS, the guarantee con-
tanned in the name sells the article to
the exclusion of other brands. he ex.
cellenoe 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 US any gardener can select good
seed and give the plants good culture
Kalamazoo must excel in the soil or
better natural conditions as celery re-
gion.
The celery meadows arc just outside
Of the town Of Kalamazoo, north and
south Of the city, and surrounded by
hills, divided crosswise by q high ridge.
on which tho houses are built. The
meadows are about three miles long
and a milo wide These bottom lands
are not common farming lands, but are
composed of peculiar form of black
muck, the result Of vegetable decompo-
sition, and formerly they were SO rich
that no fertilizers were needed Not
more than dozen years ago very little
celery was raised on these meadows
and none for shipment to other mar
kets. Joseph Dunkly, tho florist, was
one Of the pioneers in the industry, rcc-
ognizipg the peculiar value of the
muck soil for celery. He owned one of
the earliest celery farms, and it is re-
ported tkat he amassed q fortune from
the business before it was injured by
competition.
In recent years tho output has been
20 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 number of
the growers left their farms TO engage
in 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 thoy 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 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 ono 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 conservative esti
mate places the average quantity at 60
tons per day from JUL to Jan. /.
This would mean about 3, GOO, 900 doz-
ems, and mt 10 cents per dozen this would
amount to 100000. As this is very
low estimate. one Is almost safe i'll say
tng that the industry nets the town ut
least $500, 900 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 number
Of mechanics. They are about the size
of peach crate, "a inches long, 10
inches wide and o to s inches deep.
Fertilizers are now used freely upon
The already rich bottom lands, and ev-
cry time q grower takes load of celery
into the town he brings back load of
fertilizer, IL 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 he called four crops.
The first planting Is made early, and as
this celery must be hleached 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 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 il
summer. and since people will buy this
vegetable out of season the Kalamazoo
growers begin to send their product tt
Tho cities much earlier than five year.
ago.
The question of profit in celery grow
ing ia u disputed one, and, like straw
berry farming, there are stories curren
of farmers making $500 per acre, whit
others claim that if they make $50 pc
acre they are doing we'll. At Greentown
o., where the largest celery farm unde
the control Of one man is located, tn
profits are said TO average between 800
and S400 per acre There are nearly 10
acres planted with celery on that farm
and if these figures are correct the own
or has every reason to believe that farm
ing does pay. Like the Kalamazoo Gel
cry lands, the soil at Greentown, o., i
exceedingly rich and we'll adapted t
the culture of the celery plant. Blu
even 80, cheap labor must DO employee
to make the farm pay anything lik
$500 or $500 per acre. Here in Kalama
200 tho growers believe that $500 an
5000 per aero is good profit, and
man with ten acres of soil need ne
suffer greatly with such an income. 81
years ago the same land could hay
made profits of $500 per acre, but the
the growers were receiving just twiC
rs much for their celery as they arc Il