The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-02-05
A CELERY CENTER.
Town in Michigan Where the Es-
culent Is Largely Grown
What Some Hollanders Have Accom-
pIIshed Near KaIama roo In Build
ing Up New In
dustry.

Kalamazoo celery is so well known IN
every part of this country that the
name is used for all the better kinds OF
celery, and, like Blue Point oysters
and Little Neck CLAIMS" the guarantee
contained in the name sells the article
to the exclusion of other brands The
excellence of this celery is said to be
due to three things-good seed, dark,
heavy soil, and care III 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 region.
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 are about three miles long
and Il 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 were 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 Dunkly, the florist, was
one of the pioneers in the industry,
recognizing the peculiar value of the
muck soil for celery. He owned one
of the earliest celery farms, and it is
reported that he amassed n fortune
from the business before il was INJURED
by competition.
In recent years the output has been
so enormous that prices have dropped
from 20 to 10 cents per dozen, and
many growers have been complaining.
The seasons of 1929 were compare
lively 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
nearly all Hollandcrs, and they live in
dwellings on their small holdings,
which generally consist of from five to
ten acres. They are a frugal. indus
trinus race, and they adopt the most
advanced system of intensive farming.
Five acres here easily support an or
dinary 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 il owes
not a little of this 10 the industry of the
celery growers. The amount of celery
shipped from the city varies from year
10 wear. but a conservative estimate
places the average quantity at co tons
per day from July to January l. This
would mean about 3.6oO.OOO dozen. and
at ten cents per dozen, this would
amount to $500. 600. As this is a very low
estimate one is almost safe in saying
that the industry nets the town at
least S50O.OOO a year.
The lunches of celery are packed in
wooden boxes and shipped to com
mission men. The boxes are made in
the town, giving employment to num-
ber of mechanics. They are about the
size of n peach crate, 81 inches long, 10
inches Wild, and to 5 inches deep.
Fertilizers are now used freely upon
the already rich bottom lands. and
every time a grower takes a load of
celery into the town he brings back
! 4 load of fertilizer. 1t is claimed that
four crops of celery are raised in one
season on the land. but this is not lit
orally true. The farmers make four
| paintings, which mature from July TO
| December, but these can hardly Dc
called four crops. The first planting
J is made early. and this celery must
| Dc bleached with boards it IL an in
| ferior grade. The old saying is that
| celery is not fit to eat until after the
| first frost, and in a sense this is true,
| bat modern conditions of our markets
demand that celery shall be ready for
| use all the year round The southern
| growers send il north early in sum
mer. and since people will buy this veg
| ctableS 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 a disputed one. and like straw
berry farming there are stories current
Of farmers making $500 per acre. while
others claim that it they make $50 pei
acre they are doing well At Green
town, O.. where the largest celery farm
under the control of one man is 10
Gated, the profits are said to average
between 5000 and S4OO per acre. Their
are nearly 100 acres planted Will
celery on that farm. and if tn.
| figures are correct tine owner has eVerl
reason to believe that farming doe
pay. Like the Kalamazoo celery lands
the soil of Greentown. O.. is exceeding
Iy rich and well adapted to the cultur
of the celery plant. But even so, cheal
labor must be employed to make tn
farm pay anything like $500 or SiOO pc
acre. Here in Kalamazoo. the grow
ers believe that SlOO and 5000 per acr
* n good profit, and n man with tel
acres of soil need not suffer great.
with such an income Six years ago tn
| same land could have made profits o
SIOO per acre, but then the grower
were receiving just twice as much 70
their celery they are to-day.-N. \