Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-09
UNDERGROUND GARDENS.
Colonel Posey Will Introduce the
Tropics Into Indiana.
From the indianapolis Star.

run the lhuiahupohe Stai-
Frank B. Posey, surveyor of the port at
| Evansville, and a republican leader OK
prominence, is about to undertake in this
| county a remarkable experiment. He proc
| poses to plant gardens under the earths
| surface and to raise the fruits and flowers
| of the tropics. The hanging gardens Of
| Babylon ranked as one OF the early wou-
ders of the world, but the people down here
say they will not be in 1t with the undef<
ground gardens of Spencer county.
few years ago Col. Posey, who
formerly represented the first district
in Congress- bought 260 acres OF land
on Pigeon creek, lying partly in
Spencer and partly in Warrick coun-
ties. On the place is coal mine that
was abandoned seventeen years ago. Re-
Gently Col. Posey caused the shaft to be re.
opened, and, to his surprise, he found that,
unlike nearly all abandoned mines, the In
terror chambers were intact.
Col. Posey organized an exploring party
and investigated all of the qualifications OF
the abandoned mine. He found it covers
an area of fifteen acres, subdivided into
chambers 200 feet long and Of varying
width. These chambers are about 100 feet
below the surface of the earth.
1t at once occurred to Col. Posey, who de-
lights in experiments, that here was an
opportunity to test the feasibility of UNDER
ground gardening. He was satisfied that
IL he could raise fifteen acres of garden
truck 100 feet below the earth's surface he
would perform an achievement that would
arrest the attention of scientific circles all
over the world. and at the same time prove
Immensely profitable. He learned by taking
tempera lures that the interior OF the mine
remains constantly at 30 degrees. the even
temperature of the earth. This temperas
ture is unvarying, winter and summer, and
is the temperature most conducive to the
growth Of plant life. Furthermore, the air
Is surcharged with carbonic gas, upon
,f,I. vAfo ptc fhrfyv
In order to grow, however, plants re-
uuire light, and how to light his under.
ground gardens has been a problem that
was difficult to solve; but Col. Posey IL
convinced that he has at last found tho
solution. He will illuminate the various
chambers and passageways with acetylene
gas, which furnishes a very brilliant hghs
and is inexpensive.
II had heard" said Col Posey, that
some experiments conducted at Cornell Unis
versity proved conclusively that sunlight 10
not necessary to the growth Of plants ana
that acetylene gas furnishes very GOOD
substitute. I wrote to Clifford Pinchot,
chief of the United States bureau of for
estry, for information on the subject ana
I have just received his reply. He says
that he participated in the experiments at
Cornell, and that while they could not be
called completely successful, they showed
that plants can be made to grow and ma
ture by the aid OF aeetylene gas. The cost
cents will pay for the illumination of room
or chamber 200 feet long and 90 feet wide
for twenty-four hours. 1t has been proved
time and again that electricity Is good
substitute for sunlight in raising plants, but
it is entirely too expensive for ordinary
use."
Col. Posey expects to spend q good many
thousands Of dollars in preparing his under~
ground gardens for cultivation. He will inn
port into the mine hundreds OF tons of rich
soil and shape 1t into beds. such as are
found in greenhouses. He has already ar
ranged to plant a crop Of mushrooms about
September 1. and he expects to have mush-
rooms for market Thanksgiving. His ip~
tention is to raise large quantities of LETT
tuce and celery for the winter markets, and
he will devote much attention to the culti-
walton Of Gigs and oranges. He also expects
to grow roses on an extensive scale.
Col. Poseys farm Is near the Ohio river,
and an electric line has been surveyed with !.
in the distance of half a city block from II,
so that he anticipates no difficulty In mar
keting the produce Of his underground gar
deQH,