Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-08-31
IN THE CELERY FIELDS.
HOllanders mt Kalamazoo Get Good
Returns For Their Work.

HOllanders mt Kalamazoo Get Good
Returns For Their Work.
One thousand million punches of cell
cry will be the crop from the kalama-
zoo bottoms in Michigan this year. 5.
]. Dunkley, who for the last twenty
five years has been identified with cel-
cry culture, thus estimates the crop
now being gathered.
The weather has been favorable, not
too hot and just enough moisture. Gel
cry will not grow in scorching hot
weather. Three days of it will sicken'
it and make it bitter. The quality,
therefore, is high this year. 1t is esti-
mated that 100000 lunches will be-
absorbed by Kalamazoo this year, as
there is located the only celery pre-
serving and canning factory in the
United States.
It is the popularity of soil when
makes Kalamazoo the leader in celery
production. 1t is muck to which
there seems to be no bottom that grows
the celery for the nation. There are
between 1000 and 5000 acres of it all
set out in plants 1t is claimed that
the Kalamazoo River formerly over
ran the district Thousands of acres
have been reclaimed from swamps and
made to produce from $500 to $500 per
acre. A HOllander who made $500 in
year from an acre and quarter
patch says that in sinking well on
his place he found the rich black SOIL TO
extend far down into the earth in some
places ten and twelve feet. The soil is
of a saline character, free of some or
the forms of iron oxides, so that the
plant grows clean and white. Iron in
the soil causes the plant to rust and
renders it valueless. Kalamazoo eli
mate is also well adapted to the
growth of the plant.
Among the allied industries are can
ming, putting it up in glass jars, max
ing celery pickles, celery mustard and
celery salt There is also distilled
extract used for fancy drinks Celery
seed is planted in winter, the same as
cabbage, in dollhouse. AS soon as the
frost is out of the ground the plants
are transplanted The fields, which
have been prepared with fertilizer,
mostly from stables, are cultivated as
if for corn. When the ground is wet
the horses are provided with fiat,
broad shoes, made of a thick board or
iron plate, ten inches square. These
are to prevent the animal from sinking
in the soil The shoes are clamped to
the hoofs and the horse soon learns
how to use them and walks with his
legs spread wide.
The plants are cared for about the
same as a row of cabbages. After
they are grown to a fair size dirt is
thrown up to make the plants stiff and
stalky. In some instances the row IS;
boarded board a foot wide being SEE
up on each side Of the row. This is to
bleach the plant. The large stalks are
not as desirable as those of smaller
size. The chief point of excellence is
the tender, brittle character Of the
plant. Celery may be bleached, when
covered to the leaves with dirt, in four
teen days.
Some growers raise three crops of
celery in season. The second crop is
planted from four to five weeks after
the frost, in rows between the rows OF
the first crop. Then when the first
is taken out the ground is Immediately
prepared for another, or the third crop.
The last is allowed to stay in the fields
until freezing commences. Some of it
is trenched in the fields same as cab
bage.
Ninety per cent. of the celery grow
ers are Holanders, and large per
cent of the product is raised inside the
city limits of Kalamazoo. The city dl-
rectory of Kalamazoo contains half
dozen pages of their names.
Ground rental runs from $50 to SD
an acre The renter gets from 1000 to-
$500 dozen per acre, which bring from
IS to 10 cents per dozen. A crop OF
$500 dozen at the larger price would
amount to $3.50. Much depends on the
skill of the grower.
Shipments are going on about nine
months of the year. Much of it goes
by an express company, which takes
out about six cars a day. Shipments
are made as far East as Bar Harbor,
South to Galveston, West to Seattle.
During Thanksgiving week shipments
are doubled, as they are also at Christ
mas time.
Some time since a special shipment
was made to England but the cost of
shipment was too high to render that
trade profitable. The railroad men at
Kalamazoo say 1000 cars will be sent
away this year.
Much interest is manifested by agri-
culturists in other States regarding the
production of the plant in Michigan.
Recently General J. B. Gordon of Geor-
gia secured here 1000 plants. The cut
worms destroyed the plants, but the
general will make other attempts. The
experiment is being made on his
Beechwood ranch, near Reynolds.
Tnsf IF the TIA I'M inns.