The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-09-29
Test Proves To Be Big Success
Fred Also Raises Many.
Vegetables.

Vegetables.
Editors note: The following in
teresting article was written by Mrs
Constance r. Garvey and appeared
in a recent edition of The Greens
boro Daily News.)
That the one-time 'sLost Pro
vinces" of western North Carolina
are no longer lost has long been an
accepted fact Their redemption has
been fastened by the cutting OF
roads, spanning of gorges, bridging
of rivers, all uniting to eliminate
the hazards and discomforts of trav-
Ell, and yearly thousands of visitors
find their hearts desire in the noun
tains of North Carolina.
In the heart Of the section lies
the county of Ashe-nestling up in
the extreme northwestern part of
the state, bordering on Virginia and
Tennessee. AS a native citizen, !
have always maintained that nature
gave Ashe more than her proper
tionate share of natural resources
sky just a little bluer, air little
fresher, grass a little greener, noun
tains, if not higher, just little more
rugged and beautiful; profusion of
wild flowers, many rare specimens
among them; the purest water from
thousands of springs, soil just little
richer-in fact, just add the suffix
Ger" to the entire category of as
sets, and we. have Ashe county
through the eyes of an expatriate
returned.
Acres of Rainbow COlOrS
One of the beauty spots, even
now, is the 325-acre farm of Fred N.
Coward, progressive Ashe county
farmer, who this year is growing
acres of gladioli, in addition to his
many acres of more unitarian
crops. A little past its prime, never
theless, the field of glads is spec
tacle to thrill the heart of a flower
lover.
The broad rolling fields of the
farm spread from the foot of
dark, brooding Negro mountain on
the west into gently rolling foot
hills toward the east Threading
through the fertile acres the smooth,
concrete ribbon which is state high
way No. Is, leads the traveller from
North Wilkesboro up across the
Blue Ridge parkway, through Glen
dale Springs, across New River, to
the farm. The highway leads on
through jefferson, West Jefferson
and on into Boone over highway
421.
Paralleling the highway, the gar
den has been a mecca for beauty
lovers this summer Just picture
six acres of rainbow against the
rich green back-drop of grass-cov-
cred hill-first broad section of
clear, delicate yellow; then salmon
color; red, white, orchid, alternat-
ing across the field through the orig
inal shading. Truly a rainbow
and at it's foot Mr.. Coward has liter
ally found a pot of gold.
Test For Seed House
The venture was undertaken as
a test by Mr.. Coward for a Chica-
cago seed house, and the success of
the experimental planting seems as
sured from every standpoint. The
cool, moist climate and rich dark
soil of the section have proved par
ticularly well-adapted to gladioi
culture, producing flowers of excep-
tional quality as to size and color,
with promised high yield of bulbs
for the fall harvest.
Of the bulbs planted last April,
100000 were large, Towering into
the extravagant display this sum-
mer, and 100000 were bulblets,
which will mature into market stock
this fall Upon maturity all bulbs
will be carefully lifted from the
soil and taken by truck to Shady
Valley, Tenn, to another test farm,
where special machinery is avail