Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-01-20

exploration of the mine and begin
the laying out of his garden" Far
below the surface lay the base of the
shaft, enlarged to the size of perhaps
a fourth of city double lot Giant
oak and maple timbers. rough hewn.
stood upright. formed a solid wall
Of wood around this big room. except
where the tunnels, whence the coal
had been extracted, branched off in
several directions. The natural rock
Of the room" was supported with
huge wooden beams to prevent the
fall of slate. Away from the shaft
ran the caverns, dark as pitch, for
miles, perhaps. Cross sections, dug
with mathematical precision. led into
rooms 25x1OO fee. in dimensions.
where thousands Of tons of coal had
been mined.
Fine" cried the subterranean gar.
dener when he observed how the
miners had left the rooms" intact
with supporting columns and walls re-
enforced by heavy timbers. II he had
dug into the buried treasure house Of
a grandee of Pompeii or Herculaneum
he could not have been more deligh-
tel. In those rooms" stretching side
by side, he knew not how far, he be-
lieved he could ultimately cultivate
enough flowers and vegetables to
make it-so far as concerned vegeta
tion-eternal spring and summer in
the homes in the big western and
northern cities.
But he planned only to experiment
on small scale at first. He would
attempt to raise Just few things for
his own use. Posey selected one c
the smaller chambers and trans
formed 1t into flower and vegetable
beds, laboring in the atmosphere of
summer. but without having a blister
Ing sun beating down on his back.
Over his head was an eternal cloud
thousands Of tons of earth and rock
All that Posey needed was artificial
light, water and something to stir the
air.
1t was easy enough to get the water
through hose and make 1t fall like
rain on the planted beds. 1t was also
easy to keep the air in any kind of
circulation he desired. An electric
fan. capable Of whirling In 1000 or
5000 revolutions a minute, solved that
problem. How to provide a substi-
tute for the sun was not so easy a
task. But the experimenter got the
substitute. Acetylene gas provided
the beneficent rays that made the
seeds swell up till they burst and
the sprouts shoot out. The under
ground farmer put in small ace
tylene gas plant in the room" and ar
ranged 1t in such a way that the
beams Of light would fall evenly on
every portion OF the garden. For his
experiment in growing he selected
such varieties of flowers and vege-
tables as he knew grew best by artifi-
ciallight-some of these having already
been named. He planted his crop
and adjusted the gas plant SO as to
produce days" In the mine Of
length equal to the natural days above
ground in the sprouting season of
ter on the surface.
Not to hts surprise, but to his in
finite delight, Posey soon saw little
green shoots thrusting their tiny way
up through the soil Of his under
fertile. Besides that, the plants drank
In every bit Of the fertility of the
soil, for there were no foul weeds
in that garden. Cultivation the plants
needed. and they got It. Rain they
needed, and they got that. too. through
a sprinkling device. Acetylene gas
gave the nearest artificial approach to
sunlight that is known to modern
science. 1t seemed to fulfill all the
requirements of the growing plants.
In fact. 1t almost outdid the sun in
developing the plants to maturity
A Great Success.
Within little more than half the
time usually needed, Posey's tulips
and other flowers were blooming. His
vegetable crop grew with like rapid
fly, and before his friends discovered
that he was midwinter farmer he
was giving a few preferred ones some
OF the choicest, most toothsome vege-
tables they had ever tasted. all from
the subterranean garden. His own
table was often supplied. not only
with the edibles, but with beautiful
and fragrant decorative blossoms as
well.
Posey. to quite satisfactory de-
gree. proved his theory and realized
his dream. Meanwhile he planned to
extend his subterranean flower and
vegetable growing to undertake mar
ketinG In tho futuro