Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-02-02
REMARKABLE FARMS.
Natural Hot Water Products Near the
Arctic Circle.

"CSiS Oirctc.
What Is perhaps the most rema-k
BILE farm i'm the world Is located in
Alaska on a small tributary of the
Tanana river. only 1875 miles south OF
the arctic circle. Ii Is owned and
managed by J. +. Karshner. Karshner
few years ago was engaged I'm hunt
Ing gold when he came across some
thing which astonished him very
much. IL was little stream of hot
water He traced the stream to q
spring. which was likewise hot, and
ii presently became obvious that o
considerable area was undertake by
such springs. Promptly deciding that
this was discovery more profitable
than gold mine. Karshner gave up
prospecting. obtained quantity of
vegetable seeds of various kinds and
started in to raise garden truck.
The temperature i'm that region
sometimes falls to 60 degrees below
zero In winter. but natural system
OF hot water heating. free of cost, was
just the thing for truck gardening
near the arctic circle where potatoes
have a market value of % cents a
pound and other vegetables bring
prices in proportion.
The KarShner farm occupies a fat
area with II convenient slant toward
the south. Hot water oozipg out of the
ground forms three small streams,
which empty into the nearby river.
The warm spring extends over a dis
lance of about mile. and. as the
owner says. the heat in the ground
has TO he felt TO he believed" He
adds: Il have never seen veCeta bles
grow rs they do here. The place has
climate of its own. Often there Is
no frost when II is freezing every
where else"
The hot water farmer has seventy
hens. He has also six fine pics. His
crop of potatoes this year will he 100
tons. at $50 bushels to the acre. To-
bacco has made a great growth To
matoes are Il success. SQuashes of
several kinds are grown. some Of them
weighing as much as fifty-three
pounds. Karshner gets 81 apiece for
his muskmelons.
This hot water market garden must
be a wonder in its way. but IT IS doubt.
full whether its owner deserves as
much credit as belongs to Frank L.
Howard, United States commissioner
at Coldfoot. Alaska. sixty miles north
OF the arctic circle. who in the raising
OF potatoes and other vegetables for
market gets over the difficulty OF the
climate by starting them in tin cans
in the house. When the weather be.
comes warm enough he transplants
them TO the open.
Mr.. Towards market garden Is the
most successful 10 be found north OF
the arctic circle. He protects his
young cabbages from frost on cold
nights by covering them with beer bot
ties, the bottoms and necks of which
have been knocked off. In these Jack
cts" as he calls them. they flourish
and by June 10, when they have grown
sufficiently to fill the bottles, they are
uncovered. In the first week of Sep
TENDER they are harvested.
In central Florida pincappies arc
largely grown nowadays under SHEDS
of lattice. These sheds. elevated on
posts at n height of about seven fee
from the ground usually. in some in
stances cover as much as ten acres OF
land. Their main object is 10 protect
the growing fruit against frost. though
1t is claimed that pincapples raiSet
under them are more delicate I'm tex
ture and OF superior flavor.
In market gardens near Boston mel
ons are grown In sings so that they
will ripen evenly. Muskmelons ar,
grown on arborS each fruit being sup
! ported 10y Il piece of board about
foot square. on which II is turned CIV
cry day or two. Strawberries ar,
grown In pots in greenhouses. the clus
ters of fruit being supported by wires
so that they shall not touch the earth