PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 55 



great deal of labor and expense attending the raising of celery. In this 

 place it has almost taken on the shape of a co-operative institution, as it 

 is carried on principally by one class of individuals. Every once in a while 

 one or another will try to claim the credit of starting the enterprise. Be 

 that as it may, I like to give honor where honor is due. Had it not been 

 for the persistent and well-directed labors of our Holland citizens, our 

 marshes would have remained in their wild and uncultivated condition up 

 to this time; and it has not only been a benefit to the land, as to its value, 

 but a benefit to the health of the community at large in the drainage of 

 our marsh, carrying off the miasma and making it as possible and almost 

 as pleasant to live upon as the ujjlands. 



DKAINAGE. 



In sj)eaking of drainage, some lands have become too dry. For such, a 

 thorough system of tiling would be a benefit in two ways — for drainage, in 

 wet times and irrigation in dry times by having tiles so arranged that they 

 can be stopped at the lower end, which would throw the water to the sur- 

 face and wet the land more or less, according to the supply of water; and 

 right here I will take the privilege of flying off the subject to throw out a 

 hint to our farmers, as the above plan could be adopted by them, and we 

 need not go without corn in Michigan, as we have plenty of water, if we 

 will only draw it up and use it. Of course, I am speaking to those who 

 have level or comparatively level land and water a reasonable distance 

 from the surface. 



AREA IN CELERY. 



Taking a rough estimate, there are about one thousand acres within a 

 radius of four miles, in and about Kalamazoo, that are used exclusively 

 for celery. Two hundred dollars per acre is an average crop, so it does 

 not take long to figure up the aggregate; and the beauty of it is, the most 

 of this money remains at home, to be taken up by our merchants, and a 

 good or bad crop is very manifest to all parties interested. 



METHODS OF CULTIVATION. 



In looking back twelve years, there has been very little improvement in 

 the cultivation of celery. Some few changes have been made, such as 

 using boards for blanching and greenhouses for raising the plants. These 

 are two of the most noted changes that have been made. When all the 

 good points of paper or parchment are understood, I think they will 

 supersede boards, as they can be used to protect the plants both early and 

 late in the season. 



About our method of raising and cultivating celery, little more can be 

 said that has not come out in pamphlet form or in our different agri- 

 cultural papers; yet I do not think this article would be complete without 

 a little description of some of the hard knocks we have to go through with 

 before we have this pleasant and healthful plant ready for the table. 

 From the first to the tenth of March we prepare our hot-beds or green- 

 houses and sow the seed. Attending to the preparation of the land and 

 drawing the manure is the first work of the season. Between the time of 

 sowing and setting the hot-bed plants, we make another sowing out of 



