Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-16
CELERY GROWING.
1t Is Easy to Grow and 1t Yields Big
Profits.

Joel Shoemaker, one of the ablest ag-
ricultural writer's in the west, and au-
thority on irrigation farming, thus ex-
presses himself on celery growing:
celery growing is becoming more
general in the far west every year, and
the methods of planting, cultivating and
harvesting are not so difficult of proper
understanding. 1t is a very profitable
crop, and the demand is always greater
than the supply. One twenty-acre field
near Denver last year returned $4,000.
Market gardeners in the vicinity of
Salt Lake City claim their annual yield
ranges from 90 900 to 10000 plants from
an acre, and the selling price goes from
9 to 5 cents, thus making their income
from $500 to 81, 900 an acre, or even more.
"A black, peaty soil will grow nice
celery, and a moist clay loan Is well
adapted to successful culture. Some
use low, mucky land, which has been
thoroughly drained by deep ditching.
Barnyard manure, when applied direct
ly to the plants, often causes spots or
rots the outer stalks, making it unsal-
able, and if applied too freely will i'm
| part a flavor not desired by customers.
One ounce of good celery seed will pro-
| duce 1000 plants, and one-half pound
| will be sufficient for planting an acre.
Seed MAJ be sown In the open ground,
| where a brush heap has been burned,
| any time in April, or later in some sec
tons.
1.-THE seed requires several days for
terminating, during which time the bed
must be kept moist and given the u n
light. When about 4 inches high plants
should be shorn off at the top to give
them a stocky, well-rooted start. There
| are several good varieties, the White
Plume, Golden Self blanching and Gil
| ant Pascal being among the favorites.
The land should be plowed deep and
we'll narrowed before time for setting
| the plants. Burrows are then made ;
feet apart, in the direction Of the great.
est slope. The early plants may be SCI
til8 1851 vi IA Clla illS cllSo AL III
They should be set in the bottom Of the
burrows, after some loose soil has beer
put in to form a bed.
IF designed for single rows, plants
the plants, so they will not stand direct.
ly opposite. But little cultivation is
needed, except blowing between the
rows, until the celery is 10 inches high
when dirt should be thrown up on Ell
Their side, thus ridging the rows. Som,
prefer to tie wrapping paper around the
plants, while others merely stant
boards up on each side. This Is neces
sary for ~blanching. The growing plant.
must have plenty of water, which
should be given by running 1t on botl
sides in the burrows"
In New Mexico celery grows to a per
lection unexcelled anywhere in tn,
whole world. It's size, texture, f1avo,
and wealth of production should mak'
it the leading money crop Of this sec
ton. The market Is unlimited, it will
keep any reasonable length Of time, ant
it stands shipment better than any 9th
er vegetable grown.
A few farmers have demonstrated tn,
above facts by growing and marketin.
good crops of the succulent plant, bu
for some ~unaccountable reason their ex
ample has beer followed by but yer.
few. Experiments have been success
full.
The bugaboo in the way Of it's cultur
here seems to be that it requires an ex
pert to grow celery and that the labo
Is immense. Mr.. Shoemaker thinks 9th
erwise, and he knows. Try a fair-size,
celery patch this year. 1t will pay.