The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-08-24
COLONEL POSEY 10 TRY
UNDERGROUND GARDENING

Frank r. Josey, surveyor Of the Port at
Evansville and a Republican leader Of
prominence. is about to undertake in this
county a remarkable experiment He
proposes to plant gardens under the
earth's surface and to raise the fruits
and flowers OF the tropics. The hanging
gardens of Babylon ranked as one Of the
early wonders OF the world. but the peo-
pie down here say they will not be In
IL with the underground gardens of Spen-
Ger county
A few years ago Col Posey who for
merly represented the first district in
congress, bought 30 acres OF land on Pig
con creek, lying partly Ia Spencer and
partly I'm Warrick counties on the place
is a coal mine that was abandoned sew
enteen years ago. Recently Col. Posey
caused the shaft to be reopened and to
his surprise he found that. unlike nearly
all abandoned mines. the interior cham
bers were intact
Col Posey organized an exploring
party and Investigated all OF the ramf-
cations OF the aba ndoned mine He found
II covers an area OF fifteen acres, subdi-
vded into chambers 2000 feet long and OF
varying width. These chambers are about
100 feet below the surface OF the earth.
Ii at once occurred to Col Posey. who
delights I'm experiments. that here was an
opportunity to test the feasibility Of un-
derground gardening He was satisfied
that If he could raise Is acres of garden
truck 100 feet below the earths 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 con
stantly at 55 degrees. the even tempera
ture of the earth The temperature Is
unvarying, winter and summer. and is
the temperature most conducive TO the
growth OF the plant life. Furthermore,
the air is sure charged with carbonic
gas upon which plants thrive
In order to grow however, plants re
quire light, and how 10 light his under
ground gardens has been problem that
was difficult TO solve, but Col Posey is
convinced that he has at last found the
solution. lie will illuminate the various
chambers and passageways with acetylene
gas. (which furnishes a very brilliant
light and is inexpensive.
Il had heard" said Col. Posey. that
some experiments conducted at Cornell
University proved conclusively that sun
light Is not necessary TO the growth OF
plants and that acetylene gas furnishes
"A very good substitute | wrote to Gif-
ford Pinchot chief of the United States
bureau of forestry, for Information on the
subject, and / have just received his re-
ply.
"He says that he participated In the ex-
per.ments at Cornell and that while they
could not he called completely successful
they showed that plants can be made to
grow and mature by the aid OF acetyiene
gas The cost OF generating this light
is nominal Ten cents will pay for the IL
Elimination OF room or chamber 200 feet
long and 90 feet wide for "a hours. II has
been proved time and again that cleo
tricity is a good substitute for sunlight
in raising plants. but II Is entirely too ex-
pensiVe for ordinary use"
Col Posey expects to spend a good
many thousands OF dollars I'm preparing
his underground gardens for cultivation
He will import into the mine hundreds
of tons OF rich soil and shape II into beds.
such as aV found I'm greenhouses. He
has already arranged 10 plant a crop OF
mushrooms about Sept. l. and he expects
TO have mushrooms for market 10y
THANKSGIVING His intention Is TO raise
large quantities Of lettuce and celery for
the winter markets. and he will devote
much attention 10 the cultivation OF f1gs
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
within the distance OF half a city block
from II. SO that he anticipates no diff
Guilty I'm marketing the produce OF his un-
dororoupd Gardens -IndianapOlis Star.