The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-04-14
GROWN OVER A GEYsER



taineA-Ten-Foet Co
eambers.
Mother Nature has begun to expert
ment with hothouses, and the very first
one, as well as the only one in exist
ence, is located in Yellowstone park.
A geyser furnishes all that 10 needful
to make tremendous growths. such a.
cucumbers ten feet long. and the like.
The hothouse, or greenhouse, as the
gentleman who has charge Of It, W. r.
Howe. terms it., Is q model one of its
kind. although located away up in the
mountains Of the park. Nature fur
nishes everything necessary to conduct
it. except the building itself. giving
heat. moisture and light.
II Mr.. Howe wanted to compete at
the county fairs in the vegetable line he
would, unless heavily handicapped, win
all the prizes. Such lettuce, cucumbers.
radishes. tomatoes and other things to
eat as the firm Of Nature e. Howe
grows are bigger than the biggest fish
story ever told. Almost everyone who
has ever been to Yellowstone Park ho-
iel within the last year will remember
the wonderful vegetables. for despite
their size they are very delicate in
flavor, although grown at an altitude
of 7.40O feet, where ice forms every
month in the year. Here is what MIR.
Howe says about It:
Travellers who have been in every
climate on this broad earth never be-
fore had seen such sight. Lettuce. Gu
cumbers, radishes, tomatoes. mush-
rooms and the like are growing with
the greatest success. The experiment
is novel and very interesting; the grow.
ing OF vegetables over hot stream of
water often interested tourists more
than the eruption Of geyser.
After procuring permission from
Capt. George s. Anderson. acting super
intendent of the park. built the green
house over hot steaming hole in the
ground. The water had temperature
of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 1t proved
great success. On December IA the tber-
mometer showed IS degrees below zero.
Fahrcrhcit. yet in this little crude slab
house nature was caring for cncumbers.
onions, i'adishes and lettuce with tenn
perature OF 65 degrees Fahrenheit, all
in fine shape, knowing nothing OF the
fierce blowing snow and wind outside.
"The greenhouse is 25x5Q,feet, with n
glass roof covering it. The building
faces the east. with front four feet
high and raised to the height of 1s feet
at the back. The heat is furnished from
running stream flowing from seven
inch hole in the formation at the south
end, flowing north through the center
of the building. The water comes from
the ground at a temperature of 195 de-
grees Fahrenheit. which is about the
boiling point at this altitude. Five
foot beds surround the building on the
inside. except at the north end. with
nine-foot bed in the center; all the beds
are raised from 1s inches to two feet
for circulation and place for the mush-
rooms. An aisle runs around the build
ing between the beds.
"Often the temperature indicates
nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit without
the willing of single leaf of the plants.
The result of this rapid growing of
vegetation is wonderful. The beds are
filed about three feet deep with rich
stable refuse mixed with one-third
SILICA formation, found near by. The
rich soil, the suns light and the con-
stant condensation of the steam from
the hot stream make such q perfect
combination that vegetation has to
grow night and day.
"What has been the result? The first
seeds were put into the ground on the
Fourth Of July last year. Lettuce came
up from dry seed in two days and cu-
cumbers in three days. and other vege-
tables in like quick time. Good-sized
heads Of lettuce were gathered in IS
to IS days from the time of planting.
In 2s days lettuce measured % inches
across, which was os sweet and tender
us anyone ever put into his mouth.
Often the condensation of tho steam
would break down the larger leaves by
the weight Of water upon them. Gu
cumber vines grew from rs to 30 feet
in length in less than 60 days without
being watered, except from the mois-
ture in the air.
Roots hang down from the vines Is
to 20 inches long. The Towering on the
various plants is exceptionally great.
On some of the cucumber vines five full
sized cucumbers were gathered from
single joint often three were grown.
More brittle ones were never gathered
from vines than those grown in this
novel greenhouse. Rhubarb, beets,
mushrooms and other vegetables win
grow to great advantage in this hot and
moist temperature. Many tropical
fruits could also be raised.
There is very little labor to be done
after the soil 10 properly fixed and the
seed is once in the ground. 1t is like
pressing the button and nature doing
the rest. There are no weeds, no in
sects, no stirring Of the soil. only to
gather in the fruits and watch nature
vork;po ov IN In ru eased condition. The