The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-08-19
Effect of Deep Flowing Produced
Upon ShelI-Torn France,
Says American.
VEGETATION IS LUxURIAN1
Vigorous Crops Are Growing AZ a Re-
suit Of French Patience and In
dustry-Stick to Antiquated
Tools and Methods.


the gloomiest of postwar reflections.
To those who have feared that per-
manent harm to the agriculture of the
war-torn areas would result. the
special report made TO the American
Committee for Devastated France
recently by Hal B. Fullerton, agricul-
tural director of the Long Island rail
road. will come as a relief. For In il
Mr. Fullerton declares that the
trenches and shellholes have accom-
plished the one thing dearest to the
farmers beart-deep blowing.
IF a farmer here in America" said
Mr.. Fullerton TO reporters recently.
manages to plow TO a depth of four
inches he thinks he has done exceed
Ingly well. For the most part, he gets
down two inches. The best ever done
in this country is nine. Now what
has happened in Francef Trenches
eight to ten feet deep. shellholes and
mined areas from fifty to a hundred
feet in depth and often 200 feet square
have brought to the surface. without
disturbing 1t. the deep soil. containing
valuable minerals of which the top
sui. uStu lui DdN b'NH
depleted. Added 10 these minerals Is
the organic matter furnished by the
fertilization of dead beasts. Thus the
upheavaI wrought by the trenches ac-
tually represents the type of cultiva-
ton advanced by practical agricul-
tural experts in America and England.
II remember one former battlefield
where the trenches had been filed in
and wheat planted. The lines of
trenches-French on one slope and
German on the other-could be clearly
distinguished because the wheat grow
ing over them was higher than the
rest and had a rich green color that
showed II TO be the best in the field.
II was a plain example of deep plow
ing
Luxuriant Vegetation in Shell Holes.
Among Mr.. Fullerton's many photo
graphs was one showing huge shell
hole. perhaps hundred feet deep. all
over the bottom of which luxuriant
vegetation. including clover. corn
flower and alfalfa. was growing. An
other snapshot showed untitled
trenches. with discarded ammunition
belts and rifles strewH around. the
whole place covered with grass. ferns
and shrubbery.
Another theory that Mr.. Fullerton
has exploded is that of the great harm
done to the soil by chlorine gas set
free in military operations. On the
contrary. he declared. il II has any
effect at all II is beneficial one. for
the chlorine will attract TO itself sodi-
um and potassium as chemical bases,
the result being some of the very salts
that are used in the making of fer
tilizer.
Mr.. Fullerton was full OF enthusiasm
over the French genius for farming.
While amused by some of the anti
quated tools and methods the peasants
employed. such as hoes with eighteen
inch handles, forcing the user to bend
his back at right angles as ne works.
and obsolete scythe sharpeners, he
failed to find that conservatism and
distrust of new things with which the
Frenchman is So generally credited
He told of introducing to some OF them
device ths, may he used for all sorts
of work. from narrowing to weed
cutting.
II took II out to a field" he said.
where some of the French were work
ing. and started in with it. None of
them came up TO look-they are too
canny for that-but I could see them
watching every motion out of the
corner of their eyes. A few days later
one old man decided 10 try II. and
soon he was getting so much more
done in a day than the rest that he
was the talk of the town."
THE problem OF restoring French
SOIL" according TO Mr. Fullerton's Of
fetal report, the result of three
months in the Aisne department at
the request of the American commit
tee for devastated France. "is one of
engineering. With the needed tractors
and implements II can easily be
brought back 10 Its original fertility.
Among none of the farmers did find
the slightest peSsimism about their
land. noticed also that both men
and women had unusual mechanical
ability. They are hard workers, as
well. II is common sight to see
men who have worked in factories
iaboring in their kitchen gardens until
Q or 10 o'clock at night. making the
most of the long twilights.
His Only salvation.
'srhe French countryman is a strong
fndividualist. 1t is with great diff
Guilty that he is persuaded to cooper
ate In community enterprise. The
present conditions, however. make this
his only salvation. With the lack Of
man-power and machinery II IL essen