Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-06-25
Farming Under Ground
"A Profitable Venture

sort. Fishers cave has a happy min
inium Of dripping. In many places
the roof OF limestone ~ dry enough 70
llRht match IS friction
introduced New Soil.
Having cleared this farm. Mr..
Smith found II necessary 70 Introduce
some soil. There IN ciayey sub
stance called ochre covering tho floor
here and there. but many 90 the little
fields" were floored only with tho
bare limestone. The first task was
tho building OF a boat. for river nayi-
cation was necessary In order 10 de-
velop the farm. There II only one
way 10 get and from the smith farm.
and that II BY boat.
Mr. smith built "a Ilatooal % feet
long, feet vide and ! foot deep
This peculiar craft II 80 steady that
the pastlme Of rocking the boat IL
impossible one may stand In any
corner Of the boat without causing
II TO tip up. The boat has no oars,
no paddle. no motive power. except a
pole operated By the muscles Of the
pilot. A wharf az the mouth OF the
cave. where the river is about forty
feet wide. n the mOoring place OF the
flatboat when not IN use.
When Mr. smith wishes 10 get into
his farm he steps into the boat, push
90 u off, poles Il along by pokinE the
pole against the bottom OF the stream.
and later on by putting il In contact
with the roof and the sides of the
cave. Here and there his hands come
into play. He grasps a staiactlte that
-
the inverted stump OF one that has
been broken off. The boat moves
with surprising smoothness and ceier-
ity.
Underground Crops.
Navigation thus being established.
Il was an easy matter 10 take ton
soil from the floor OF tho cave. Com
paratively little soil was required for
the growing OF such crops as the
farmer found possible underground
For the mushroom fields the chief
need was thick bed OF manure
which was topped by an inch or "a
OF soil after the mushroom growth
had been planted and had begun "a
sprout
The rhubarb required soil enriched
By manure. This plant being an out.
door vegetable. according 20 all prior
| agricultural experience. Farmer
Smiths experiments In growing Il Ia
the dark were at first the subject oil
some derlsion from the real top-o'
Ozark farmers. But as time wen
on and Il was discovered that rhuharl
thrived and grew amazingly In th'
cave, the derisiOn changed 10 con
gratulatlons and. in some instances
to envy. for the outdoor vegetable
growers who lacked undergroun,
fields learned that MIR. Smith wal
beating them 10 the market.
| The rhuoarb ls first planted out
side. when the roots get fair star
they are taken up and transplante'
Ia tho cave. The rapidity Of th'
plants growth In the cave in remark
able.
DRY SEASONS No Tcrrr.
Dry seasons that stunt vegetable
growth On the surface have no terro
for Farmer smith. since always Their
is the same degree OF moisture Ia tn
cave. backward seasons due q
cold weather or too much rain. like
wise are not taken into consideration
That even temperature OF 50 degrees
rcgardlcss OF outside weather condi
tons, gives cave farming freedom
from the ills that affect plants ex
posed to cold. heat. wind and rain.
celery n another vegetable wit
which Mr. smith has experiments
successfully, The cave Is used 10
, branching of celery. which Is trans
planted after being grown ON sui
face ground.
, The frog item Ia cave farming IN
considerable one. although u is lim
, ited to the frog season.