THE NEW AGRICULTURE. 41 



ideas of that great era. Mr. White was also the owner of a thousand 

 acres of hard pan lands, and had stuck to them, and fortunately 

 possesses them to-day, nor will he be likely to part with them 

 while the work is progressing of demonstrating to the world that 

 such lands are more valuable than any other class of soils. To 

 this latter proposition we do not expect that the owners of bottom 

 lands and prairies will give ready assent, but they will be forced 

 in the end to admit the fact. To publish Mr "White's letter in full, 

 we cannot. Here, however, is an extract : 



" I am happy to find you interested in making two blades of 

 grass to grow, where but one grew before ; intent 011 the useful, 

 and determined to make the hillside more productive than the 

 valley, and what is more, by seeking a patent, inspire others to 

 conclude, that what is worth patenting, is worth possessing. 

 What a taking idea ? " Subterranean Irrigation," an improvement 

 on Nature's plan in Dakota's wheat fields. 



" I have not a doubt that the results will prove astonishing, giv- 

 ing three or four feet of fertile and productive soil where only 

 three or four inches have been hitherto realized, and placing the 

 future of agriculture and horticulture as much ahead of the past, 

 as thousands are ahead of hundreds. 



" You say you can grow living, perpetual springs by your system 

 of deep trenching, centering on a lower plane. I get your idea, 

 one of reservoirs, automatic, self-acting and self-regulating, water- 

 ing the other end of the grasses, feeding and watering vegetation 

 at its roots, by inducing it to reach down for supplies of food and 

 drink, at the same time attracting moisture and nutrition from be- 

 low. 



" That you are right, I know, and yet I fear you will find the 

 average farmer, and even the most enlightened and progressive of 

 gardeners, unprepared to accept your system as one promising 



