The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-17

the whites-the Kaflirs are said to have
suffered from it severely-ft had the
worst effect on the general health or the
garrison and people, and the want OF
carrots, onions, turnps and other pot
herbs for making soup aggravated the
nastlness and unpalatable nature of the
food which was available. After some
four months of siege the only vegeta-
bes left were a few potatoes and timed
| tomatoes, and tn ecraving for these was
such that they were sold at twelve
shillings a pound and sovereign tin,
The bulk Of the garrison simply had no
| fresh vegetable foot at all, and suffered
accordingly. The state of Kimberley
was not much better, and 1t would be
| difficult to point to single protracted
siege in recent times In which the stock
Of fresh vegetable food has not been
| exhausted long before relief of capitula-
| ton.
Even Colonel Ward "the best COM
missariat officer since Moses, could not
be expected to lay in stocks of fresh
vegetables, for the simple reason that
except potatoes and few other tubers
they will not keep fresh. But modern
conditions Of war, which add 50 much
to the power Of the defensive force, also
make 1t possible that in very many po-
sitions the garrison should be largely
elf-sustalning in regard to vegetable
food, and In some degree IN the supply
OF wheat and oats. The idea is not
new, for when General Phiippin sue
ceeded to the command OF BadaJoz.
though in a cold and bleak country, he
instantly sowed down all the ground
outside the ramparts, so far as 1t was
commanded by his guns, with spring
wheat, on the chance that he might
reap crop which would take at LEASH
five months to grow and ripen.
This was outside the close ramparts
of an old fashioned fortress, with out
works distant not more than thou
sand yards But the immense extent OF
modern positions, whether improvlsed
as at Ladysmlth, or regular fortresses,
like Portsmouth, or Thorn on the North
German frontier, or any modeU1 strong
hold, makes 1t perfectly possible to pre-
pare for emergencies by cultivating in
side the protected area regular siege
farm, of large dimensions, cropped with
such vegetables and cereals as expert
ence shows to be most useful as food,
most quickly grown and generally best
suited to such emergencies.
Even poor littieaLadysmith embraced
an area Of nearly eight square miles OF
land under it's defenses, or over five
thousand acres; and, as some matter OF
fact person said, If even five-thou-
sandth part of this had been sown with
mustard and cress 1t would have been
of service to the defenders. 1t might
be objected that the ground inside the
outlying forts would probably be need
ed to move troops over. But reinforce
ing troops go by road, not across the
fields, and roads are just as necessary |
on farms as elsewhere. The military
roads to the forts and trenches would |
be supplemented in a first class fortress |
by a railroad or tram line connecting |
the outer defenses. This would still |
leave a great space of untrodden ground |
within. How this could be used to the |
best advantage might be part of the |
regular instructions of officers intrusted |
with siege commssariat
The return in mere bulk of some ordi- |
nary farm crop Is an indication of what I
selected seeds and intensive cultivation |
might produce inside the fighting line.
Millet, which is grown in Germany and |
Italy, and is the staple food or India,
produces five times the weight of food |
given by similar area of wheat. Field |
beet-root has yielded seventy tons an |
acre. 1t is now crossed with the |
garden beet, a most useful fresh vegeta- /
BILE, which would be of service at any |
time for the use of the troops. Pota-
toes, which are very expensive to grow,
also yield an immense weight per acre.
Thousand headed kale," though grown
for cattle, could easily be cultivated for
human use, and produces a greater
weight of good green vegetable per acre
than any plant 1t also fiourishes
the winter. Common beans,
the various "haricot' beans,
which are neglected in this country
give very large returns to good cultiva-
ton. The latter are sown In Portugal |
as 'catch crop" with watermelons,
after the corn is reaped. Maize In a
climate grows fast and luxu-
riantly, and is food, either green or ripe,
for men and cattle. Quick ripening veg
atables and cereals, winter growing
green stuffs and all the list of carrots,
turnips and cruciferous plants will be
the mainstay of these siege gardens,
which will feed both man and beast.
Siege farming will be managed on diff
'erent principles from ordinary agricul-
.ure. and will need special study and
special seeds and plants. The object of
he ordinary farmer or market gardener
s to grow as much as will pay, not as
much as the ground will carry He
night, by heavy manuring and inten-
'ive cultivation, increase his crop by a
lalf but If it cost him twice as much
o do so he would be content to grow
ess at less cost. In the siege farm,
With a limited to area to work on, all
he crops will be grown by intensive
Methods, the object being to set the
heaviest crop per yard, regardless of
ost. 1t win practically be all market
,arden. or worked on market garden
principles. In hot climates, where irri-
ration is available, the fortress farm
hould grow at least two crops year.
1t is evident that If a siege is to last
ven a few months much may be done
~ a proper and prompt use OF siege
ardens and farms to make the garrison
elf-supporting. In any case this sim
lie provision of useful food would great |