The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-16
NATIONS GARDEN OF FREAKS.
ASTONISHING PRODJCTS or A
PLOT NEAR WASHINGTON.
Rich SIT From the Bottom Of the Potomac
Grows Cornstsiks Like Trees and
Melons Big as q barrel Man Who
Saw These Maryels I. oses His Reputation.

WASHINGTON, Feb. l5-The Agricultural
Department will soon publish a report
giving a history of the experiments con-
Quoted last summer at its farm on tho
flats which should prove of more than or
binary interest. The flats. so-called, are
In the vicinity Of the historic Long Bridge
and are composed Of made ground, silt
dredged from the bottom Of the Potomac,
a fertile, rich and virgin soil. The experts
OF the Department thought hat excellent
results might be obtained in experimental
work because Of the unparalleled richness
Of the ground. and an appropriation was
obtained from Congress and the Govern
ment farm established.
According to those who ought 10 know,
the results achieved exceeded all expecta-
tons. not, however, In line with the pre-
conceived ideas Of the expert agriculturists.
Tho sowing Of ordinary garden seeds re-
suited In the appearance OF all sorts Of
freaks and monstrosities Of the vegetable
kingdom and growths that almost rivalled
the beanstalk that made Jack famous,
developed from the planting OF shoots from
ordinarily slow-growing and orderly vines.
II experts Of the Department who had
the work in charge smile YEARLY when
they are questioned regarding the wonders
which grew and thrived last summer in
the Garden Of Freaks as the farm has
come TO be called, INC say: wait until the
report is made public" One Of them,
however, more confidential Than the others,
said the other day that he doubted whether
the wonde which will be chronicled with
the covers Of a Government publication will
be believed by those devoid Of strong
~imaginations.
One reputable citizen OF Washington has
acquired a most undesirable reputation for
drawing the long bow through his attempt
to describe the things he saw during an
afternoons visit to the experiment sta
ton. He had heard Of the freaks Of the
vegetable world which were TO be seen at the
farm and determined to discover for him
self the truth of the matter. When he
returned from his visit he was full Of the
subject. He used to be a farmer In a small
way himself before he settled down in
Washington and began TO make money,
and thought he knew something about
farming. And 30 did his friends. But
when he came back from the fats and said
he had seen corn thirty feet high. with
stalks A. thick as a good-sized fagpole and
as hard as iron, with ears three feet long
and kernels as big as a quarter, he was very
properly 'rigged' by his friends, This
same man was telling a sun reporter about
il the other day.
Il didn't believe the things | had heard.
he said, and went TO see for myself. |
was greeted at the ONCE OF the experiment
station by a sad-faced agriculturist who
told me that all the experts were at the
Agricultural Departmental being paw day
land offered TO how me over the place. l
accepted and we were about TO start when
the tired looking person in Jeans asked Inc
II l liked wstermelons. | told him ! did
and he went back and got a knife, saying
that the Government had several thousand
melons on hand and that. as they were only
cultivated for their seeds, and were not for
sale, i could sample as many as cared to.
Then we started for the melon patch.
passing many strange sights on the way
corn thirty feet high; squashes OF immense
size and shapes fantastic; cabbages which
grew straight up In the air for five or six
feet and never headed; hemp so straight and
tall and thick that IL looked like a great,
moss-covered stone wall; peanuts the size
tangled underbrush; < beets two or
three feet long and Of huge diameter; cotton
with bolls as big as your head, and a great
many other things just as much out OF the
ordinary,
AT last We came TO a big field where a
lot Of melon were lying about, ripening in
the sun. But my guide had evidently for
gotten that he had asked me II l liked melons
and didn't stop. so / picked out a couple OF
likely looking big ones; about three feet
NOilk dIu u lOON ~ NV III HaAos iStcS
here my friend, just cut these melons,
will you, They look like good ones and
! tapped the one nearest with my cane and
tried TO look wise. 'Watermelons. said
the, tired;looking, man. soornfully; water
c~ucumbers.' And I'll be blessed " they
weren't, too, for l made him cut one open
TO satisfy myself.
After awhile we came to the real melon
patch and / saw the difference. Honestly,
Ia la aaha maj IN tell VOu how hig the hig-
gest were. There were lots az big as barr els.
though, and some Of them were freaks sure
enough. One Of the varieties was a wonder.
The meat inside grew apart from the rnd,
30 that when you cut the melon the heart
could be lifted out entire. II would have
made a fne sight on a dinner table. And
there were melons In that patch green out
side and red inside, white outside and green
inside. melons with normal-looking eIterors,
bu, pink or yellow or blue, or. In fact, every
possible color within, and there were several
varieties of foreign melons in which the
meat was several different colors in the "a me
fruit. But they were all ripe and al tasted
good. tried them all, and | know
Just as ! was lea ving.' continued the
man whose reputation for v~eracity has been
questioned, my guide stopped me and.
pointing across the fields, said impressively:
You See that little patch OF pic ughed ground
first car down here to look after things
he used to stay nights so as TO be up early
Ia the morning and at work. One night
IL was so hot that he pitched a little shelter
tent over there where I'm pointing, spread
a rubber blanket on the ground and went
TO sleep. When he woke up in the morning
he found himself lying under the shade OF
a big tree. There wasn't any tree there
when he lay down, and he thought he was
sure enough going crazy when he looked
up In the top Of the tree and saw his shelter
tent caught in the branches.
. Then be began to examine the leaves
ofthe strange tree in a high state Of er-
element and finally after pinching him
self he realized what had happened. You
see he has been carrying around some OF
those seeds the Hindoo magioians use TO
grow trees while you wait. Friends had
sent them to him from India. One OF them
must have dropped out of his pocket when
he Law down. and the soil Of these fate Is
so rich that In one night IL had grown up a
pretty considerable distance and taken
the professors shelter tent with it
Il looked at the speaker for awhile
said the man who had visited the farm,
sand then left the place wondering IL a
soiourn In the Garden Of Freaks tended
TO sbnOrmaly develop the ina gination.'
The reporter has been unable ~ vet 20
find The man who owned and slept under
,ta ahalfar saut IN Tho nogasiou nesCribA1