Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-23
FARMING UNDER GROUND.
Missouri Raises Paying Crops of Rhu-
barb, Celery and Mushrooms in a
Gave.

One .of. the queerest farms in the
world is in a cave six miles southeast
OF Springfield. Mo. This is believed to
he the only cave farm in existence
There are. small .caperns IN which
mushrooms are grown IN, France, but
this Missouri cave produces not only
mushrooms in large quantities, but al
so a superior crop of rhubarb. 1t is al
so used as blanching place for cell
cry.
= But one of the most remarkable crops
ever PRODUCED in this cave is one that
oultivates itself, and is gathered for
the market by fiashlight. Bullfross
constitute this staple.
Robert Smith, the cave farmer used
20 live in st. Louis. About a dozen
= ears ago the back to the farm man
in took possession of him. He wanted a
small farm in the DZarks. but he eX-
pected to cultivate ii in the usual way.
Casting about for a location, Mir.
Smith. found a tract of twenty-six acres
three miles beyond the terminus OF tie
National Cemetery road that, runs out
from Springfield. 1t was rolling tract,
with sloping fields and bluff ana a
woodland. Under the bluff was a cave,
rame Of former owner of the place
New Kind of Agriculture.
The st. I,ouisan looked over the place.
! purcha sed it anu became Farmer
Smith. But before making the purchase
he determined to become Cave Farmer
Smith to be the pioneer in a new and
unique sort OF agriculture. somewhere
he had read of the mushroom industry
ha nf.a
artificial caves. were rented to growers
OF the delicate fungus, which is SO
much in table demand by epicures
when they are assured that it is not
a toaGstool.
| He studied diligently the haunts and
habits of the mushroom. which knowl-
| edge led to his establishment of the
! first and only natural cave farm. From
! mushrooms to rhubarb and celery ana
frogs Farmer Smith progressed by
| easy stages, experimenting as he went
along. until finally he developed sys-
! tenn of intensive underground farming
| which has given nim a unique position
| among the millions of American farm
| ers. -f aeY 5a
Even Temperature at All Times.
| Mr.. Smith learned, III the first place,
! that Fishers cave has an even tenn
4 perature of so degrees all the year
| round. August may frizzle and sizzle al
| 100 in the shade of the saplings just
| outside, the mouth of the cave; inside,
hack hcyond the curve where daylight
dies and midnight darkness prevails,
the tempsrature is so degrees. January
! zorro weather may and does create zee
at the mouth of the cave; back IN It's
+, depths the thermometer registers eA-
| actly 60 degrees
Fishers Cave differs from the ordiHd-
| nv cavern of the Ozarks, of which thefe
| are many, in it's freedom from as
! agreeable and chilling breeze. Ihere Is
no apparent air current, no claihhy
/ feeling. and yet the atmosphere AWAY
is fresh and there is enough moisture TO
| give growth to such plants as flourish
in the dark This is a highly import
ant factor in cave farming. Many caves
Grin so much moisture from the rcof
that it is impractcable to grow crops
I of any sort Fishers Cave has hap
py minimum of dripping In many
| places the roof of limestone IS dry
enough to light match by friction.
j. introduced New Soil.
Having cleared this farm. Mr.. Smith
found it necessary to introduce some
soil There is a clayey substance called
Eochre covering the floor here and there
but many OF the little fields were
floored only with the bare limestone
The first task was the building of 9
boat, for river navigation Was neces'
sary in order to develop the farm
There is only one way to get 20 ant
from the Smith farm, and that is By
boat.
Mr.. Smith built a tiatboat, % feet long
. 5 feet wide and foot deep. This pecu
. liar craft is so steady that the pastims
| of rocking the boat is Impossible
one may stand in any corner Of tn
I boat without causing it to tip up. TIT
\ boat has no oars, no paddle, no motive
!, power, except a pole operated by th'
muscles of the pilot. A wharf at tn
, ) mouth of the cave, where the river Il
| about 40 feet wide, is the moorinS plac'
of the flatboat when not in use
Il When Mr.. Smith wishes to get init
, his farm he steps into the boat pushes
il off. poles it along first by poking TIT
ncle against the bottom of the stream
/ and later on by putting it in contac
with the roof and the sides of the cave
! Here and there his hands come int
T nlay. He grasps a stalactite that ma
, escaped the clearing process, or tn
, inverted stump of one that mas peei
, broken off. The boat moves with sur
5 prising smcothness and ceierity.
Underground Crops.
Il Navigation thus being established
r was an easy matter to take TOP SAL
, from the land outside and transfer
: TO the floor of the cave. Comparativei!
Z little soil was required for the srowinl