The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-07-15
REMARKABLE FARMS.
Natural Hot Water Products Near the
Arctic Circle.

Natural Hot Water Products Near the
Arctic Circle.
What Is perhaps the most remarka-
BILE farm in the world Is located In
Alaska on a small tributary Of the
Tanana river. only 125 miles south of
the arctic circle 1t is owned and
managed by ]. f. Karshner Karshner
few years ago was engaged in 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 a
spring, which was likewise hot. and
it presently became obvious that a
considerable area was underlaid by
such springs. Promptly deciding that
this was discovery more profitable
than a gold mine. Karshner gave up
prospecting. obtained quantity of
vegetable seeds of various kinds and
started in to raise garden truck.
The temperature in that region
sometimes falls to 65 degrees below
zero in winter, but a natural system
of hot water heating, free Of cost, was
just the thing for truck gardening
near the arctic circle. where potatoes
have market value of 25 cents
pound and other vegetables bring
prices in proportion.
The Karshner farm occupies q fat
area with a convenient slant toward
the south. Hot water oozing out Of the
which empty into the nearby river.
The warm spring extends over dis.
lance of about mile, and. as the
owner says, 1.-THE heat in the ground
has to be felt to be believed" He
adds: 81 have never seen vegetables
grow as they do here. The place has
climate of it's own. Often there is
no frost when it is freezing every
where else"
The hot water farmer has seventy
hens. He has also six fine pigs. His
crop Of potatoes this year will be 100
tons, at $50 bushels to the acre. To
bacco has made a great growth. To-
matoes are success. Squashes of
several kinds are grown, some of them
weighing as much as ffty-three
pounds. Karshner gets 81 apiece for
his muskmelons.
This hot water market garden must
be wonder in its way, but it is doubt
full whether it's 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
ofMpotatoeS 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 to 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 Gil the bottles, they are
uncovered. In the first week of Sep
TENDER they are harvested.
In central Florida pineapples are
largely grown nowadays under sheds
of lattice. These sheds, elevated on
posts at height Of about seven feet
from the ground usually. in some in
stances cover as much as ten acres of
land. Their main object is to protect
the growing fruit against frost, though
it is claimed that pineapples raised
under them are more delicate in tex
ture and Of superior flavor.
In market gardens near Boston mel
ons are grown in sings so that they
will ripen evenly. Muskmelons are
grown on arbors, each fruit being sup
ported by a piece of board about a
foot square, on which it is turned ev-
cry day or two. Strawberries are
grown in pots in greenhouses. the clus-
ters of fruit being supported by wires,
so that they shall not touch the earth.