Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-30

lSland, some forty miles long, WHICH lies
between the north channel and the Platte
proper. The greatest essential of celery Is
water, and as long as there is water in the
river the soil of the island remains moist.
In 1882 a gentleman who is now the largest
grower in Kearney and probably the largest
in the state, set out On his farm some 300
Icelery plants as an experiment. From that
time he has grown some celery every year,
and for a number of seasons past has put
in some forty acres. The whole acreage
planted in celery at Kearney is about 100.
With the exception of the forty acres men
toned this is in tracts Of from three to
twenty acres, belonging to different grow
y ers. Not a large amount of land it seems,
but celery is a crop which requires the
most careful and intensive culture, the
cultivation costing a good sum per acre, VITA
a correspondence large profit when success
full. Like other investments which promise
large profit, there is a possibility of a heavy
loss if the crop fails. A long drouth late
in summer, or an early freeze in September,
or hail, of frequent occurrence In the west
crn counties, may cause a total loss after
!. the cost of the summers labor. The esti-
J mated cost of producing celery ready for
market is 800 per acre and the amount
: produced is approximately quoted at a car
load to the acre. or course The actual amount
may NdIy dIIOlhlHS W liz n VI nv boih
Very large celery might make as much
as a car and a half to the acre, while smaller
would make less, but a carload is the
average.
Celery is always quoted by the dozen
stalls and when shipped by the carload
it brings from Is to 20 cents per d2zen.
When shipped a crate at a time by express
it may bring from 10 to 30 cents a dozen, ac-
cording to grade. 1t will bring more money
by express, but the expense of handling
is greater. The wholesale price has been
y very even, and it is a peculiar fact that the
retail price is the same in nearly all lOcali-
ties. At Keamey, at Omaha and at Kan
sas City the consumer gets three punches
for a dime, the average price being adhered
to by the retailers for convenience.
A description of the process of cultivation
may be of interest. The first essential is
richness of soil and the second is water,
1t has been said that the soil cannot be
made too rich for celery. Through the win
ter many teamsters make a living by haul
ing manure from the town stables to the
celery fields. The owner Of horses does
not have to pay for having his stable yard
= cleaned up, but is besieged by applicants
who offer to haul away the accumulation fol
nothing. Opinions differ as to how much
fertilizer is required. One successful
grower has never used more than siXteeI
wagonloads to the acre, while another has
used as high as forty loads.
The plants for early celery are started
in greenhouses or hotbeds, and when barely
started with one or two tiny leaves arr
transplanted from the boxes into open beds
where they are placed an inch and a hal
each way. This transplanting, known az
"settin' celery" requires a large force o
helpers. The men and boys are paid by tn,
number of plants they "set," the pay beinl
III cents per 1000. Poor hands can placl
about 5000 plants in a day, and an exper
$1,000, or a little better. The mems wage