48 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[Februa'y, 



is no patent. It resembles an ordinary shovel 

 plow, except that the sides of the steel plow are 

 straighter, to which sides are attached steel wings 

 hinged to the plow. On the top of each wing is 

 fastened an iron rod meeting on the center of the 

 beam of the plow, by which the cut may be regu- 

 ated to any desired width. 



The first growers of celery in this place never 

 dreamed of using the meadow land, but sought 

 for soft, warm, sandy loam. It was some eighteen 

 years ago that a Hollander named Lendert de 

 Brayn, a gardener, made the experiment. He 

 owned a piece of hard land on South Burdeck 

 street, which ran down into the marsh. Owing to 

 the drouth he could not successfully raise celery, 

 so he ma^e the trial of the marsh land, draining it 

 well to begin with. Success crowned his efforts, 

 and a sure crop came with every season, no mat- 

 ter what the weather. So with onions. Others 

 watched him and followed his example. But, be- 

 yond supplying the home demand, there was no 

 sale for the toothsome esculent. In the early fall 

 of 1878 Messrs. Buckhout Bros., grocers and ship- 

 pers, were selling much of this plant at home, 

 when one day one of the firm, in talking with an 

 Omaha man, asked him if there would be a mar- 

 ket for celery. The reply was that small quanti- 

 ties were raised in Omaha, but it was high-priced 

 and not very good. He estimated that Omaha 

 would be a good market for Kalamazoo celery, 

 which was so superior, and gave the Buckhout 

 Bros, the card of Payker & Co. Shipments were 

 made in small quantities at first and rapidly in- 

 creased in size and frequency. Other points East 

 and West were also supplied and almost at once 

 a trade grew up. John Scaal, Ben Haften, Den 

 Adel, Vandimeder, de Brayn and others, furnished 

 all that was called for. Express messengers on 

 the various roads seeing so much celery going 

 from this village sharpened their trading pro- 

 clivities and sought markets where they could 

 themselves make a commission, and thus the sale 

 of the esculent was greatly spread. The Messrs. 

 Buckhouts' success, which they took no pains to 

 conceal, induced others here to take a hand, and 

 Mr. J. W. Taylor, of the American Express Com- 

 pany, soon became a large shipper and has ever 

 since remained in the business. So the business 

 grew, each season doubling upon the sales of the 

 former one, and even as the demand increased the 

 supply was equal to the call. Land which had 

 hitherto been valued only for marsh hay or cow 

 pastures, and a good deal not fit for that, was now 

 eagerly sought for and brought undreamed of 



prices, till now there is not a piece of meadow 

 land in the city or vicinity but has been drained 

 and made into a garden spot, immensely enhanced 

 in price. 



The principal firms engaged in producing and 

 shipping their own products here are J.W.Wilson, 

 Holtenhouse & Co., O. M. Allen & Son, Den Adel & 

 Sons, Van Haffen & Sons, Loughborough & Allen, 

 P. C. Davis, J. W. Taylor and others. 



The number of those now engaged in the celery 

 trade is estimated at 1,500 to 2,000, and is an im- 

 mense bonanza to the express companies. On one 

 train alone a carload is shipped daily and some- 

 times two. The gathering of the celery daily from 

 the different shippers occupies much of the time of 

 the express companies. 



[A correspondent sends us the above, which ap- 

 pears to have been taken from the Detroit Free 

 Press to which we gladly give the proper credit. 

 It is one of the most interesting papers on celery 

 culture that has come before us for some time, and 

 we have thought few of our readers will object 

 that we have to defer some other shorter pieces in 

 order to give it place. — Ed. G. M.] 



IS THE ENGLISH GOOSEBERRY WORTH 

 GROWING? 



BY T. BENNETT. 



Please allow me to say a few words in favor 

 of the English gooseberry. It appears, from what 

 I have lately read, it came very near being ex- 

 cluded from the American Pomological Society's 

 hst of small fruits. To have rejected it would, I 

 think, be a great mistake. It is a most excellent 

 fruit. I only wish to add my experience to some 

 one or two others of your correspondents who not 

 long since spoke in its favor. 



Those who in their youth have eaten plenty of 

 good English gooseberries, cannot easily forget 

 them. 



We have several indigenous species growing 

 wild in the Northern and Middle States, which 

 proves, I think, the climate of these States at 

 least. Is not uncongenial to its growth. 



There may be some difficulty in perfecting its 

 fruit, but we have few fruits there is not some 

 difficulty in growing. It flourishes best in a clay 

 soil, or heavy loam, but will grow in much lighter 

 soils under good management. It only needs 

 sufficient shading and good mulching, with at 

 least one good watering when going out of blos- 

 som, to yield and ripen its delicious fruit. It will 

 grow under shade better than any other fruit we 



