The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-04-13

lnere is man at Chiffon, n. j.,
who seems to have discovered the Sc
cret of perfect vegetation. On a little
ten-acre farm he is raising flowers
that might well be the envy Of any
florist. fruits and shrubs that would
put the most successful nurseryman
TO the blush and vegetables that are
so much larger and sweeter than
those that other farmers in that
neighborhood can raise that II is diff
ficult to find words with which to
compare them. Moreover though
these fruits and flowers and yegeta-
bles may be examined ever so close
ly no sign of insect or parasitic life
can be found upon them. On other
farms, peach trees are suffering from
scales spinach is blighted bugs
swarm over the potato vines; corn is
wormy and cabbage is eaten by lice.
None of these evidences of destruc-
ton exist On this farm Instead the
twelve-fent corn stalks produce ears
of abnormal size and weight tomat.
oes are grown that are almost big
enough to fill a quart measure, and
everything else bears similar evil
dence to freedom from those pests
that ordinarily prove so very destruc-
tive to cultivated vegetation
The man who has produced these
wonders who claims to have discov-
cred this secret of nature-is John
j. Ruegg Although originally silk
manufacturer, he abandoned CONNER
cial life many years ago that he
might devote all his time to the study
of scientific agriculture When a
young man in Switzerland he had be-
come possessed of the idea that the
luxuriant vegetation existing in the
vicinity of the volcanic mountains
was due to the fact that the soil was
particularly rich in mineral elements
which 1t had absorbed from the
lava flows and 1t isfupon this princi-
pie and nothing else, that he is now
working
According to his theory, the health
of a plant depends upon the food il
eats. Fed with the right kinds Of
foods 1t is able to resist the diseases
that might otherwise prey upon It,
" A'n RNliNlA nutllAlOi IL lHs dDlt w
defy the insects and parasites that
would otherwise feed upon it, It is
a new idea-one that doesn't CON
form exactly with the long establish
ed theories of science-but Mr.. Ru-
egg points to the vegetation on his
own farm as evidence that he is sci
entihcally right.
When he purchased this farm
about three years ago and announced
that be seriously intended to cult
ate It., the farmers I'm that vicinity
laughed at him. They knew that one
might search from one end OF Passa-
ic county to the other and not find
a farm that was less adapted 10 cul-
tivaton. What little virtue the soil
had ever contained had long since
been extracted, and those who knew
| the farm assured him that he would
never be able to raise a crop OF any
kind OF vegetables on such land
II was for that reason that Mr.. Ru-
egg selected this farm. however. He
believed that worn-out and sour soil
was simply soil from which the nee.
essary mineral elements had been ex.
tracted by the successive crops that
had been raised in IL. To restore the
qualities OF fertility to such soil-ii
his theory was correct-it would only
be necessary to restore the mineral
elements that the vegetation had ex
tracted, and this he proceeded to do
His first step was to analyze the
soil. to ascertain what mineral elem
ents were lacking. Then. he sup
piled these in the form OF powdered
lava brought from one of the volcan
oes and mixed with the manure
which he used In moderate quantit
les. AT present the soil has had three
seasons OF such fertilization and the
magnificent crops that have beer
raised this year are the result.
II Mr.. Ruegg's theory is not cor
rect II would be interesting to know
how such results have been obtained
other farmers in his neighborhoot
have been unable to raise such crops
no matter how much ordinary fertil
lzer they have used. Then. too
plant diseases. insects, and parasites
are things that the most careful agri
culturist cannot prevent. Whereve
they appear, they leave their mark
and an army OF workmen could no
succeed In concealing their pres
ence. II disease exists, that fac
Is uEmistakable. II worms and In
scots are present, they are bound 4
show themselves. Yet the closest In
, spection Of Mr.. Ruegg's farm fails 4
bring to light the smallest trace o
such invaders. Most things are pos
sible In this word. but. as any farme
win admit. this is one thing tina
could not be obtained by frauduen
means. II other farmers, on bette
soil, cannot duplicate Mr. Ruegg's al
} tainments, there must be some rea
, son for IT, This is n logical, common
, sense proposition that cannot be der
led.
So far as HIS methods are concern
/, ed, Mr.. Ruegg makes no attempt a
concealment. He showed me spec
mems OF the lava In It's rough stat,
: Just as II came from the volcano. |
I the corner OF small storehous
2 there is heap OF the lava that ha
4 been reduced to powder In a hanC
> operated crusher. On the other sid
. OF the storehouse. there are bins col
, tanning different kinds OF powdere
, lava. for all lavas are not alike |
their composition Some contal
i morn NJ ono fOinornl than another