THE NEW AGRICULTURE. 125 



frozen to the consistency of an icicle, breaking like glass on 

 bending. Observing however that the ground was not frozen, we 

 concluded that the root was not killed, and, by way of experiment, 

 we subjected the frozen stalks and leaves to a cold bath. Repair- 

 ing to a pile of forest leaves, we bore several bushels to our plants, 

 and covering them deeply, poured upon each hill, four pails of 

 water, drawn from the hydrant near by. The saturation was com- 

 plete. The sun rose coldly, and shone out in a frigid way all day, 

 and yet, had we not protected them by the wetted leaves from the 

 effects of its rays, there would probably have been an end of pies for 

 a fortnight thereafter. Once or twice during the day, we ventured 

 to take a look at our frozen plants, and each time had more and 

 more hope of saving them. Removing the leaves on the 30th, we 

 found our pie plant uninjured. Precisely one year before, we ate 

 rhubarb pie at a hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, grown in the 

 open ground, beneath the balmy breezes of the Japan current. A 

 little upwards of a week later we reached our Allegany home, but 

 ate no rhubarb pie till after the middle of May. 



Our five hills of rhubarb or pie plant were four years ago (1881) 

 transplanted, and in resetting, were planted along the line of one 

 of our leads or overflow trenches. Not till last fall, however, were 

 they so connected with the reservoirs, as to keep a steady 

 stream of water running beneath them, and since September last, 

 the flow has not ceased. And so it was, that on the departure of 

 the snows about April 10th, our pie plant had shot up into its 

 snowy covering, getting the start of any in our State by a week or 

 or ten days. It is not only in this, but in numberless other ways 

 we have demonstrated the fact that a stream of spring water run- 

 ning beneath will give inspiration to the growth of plants in win- 

 ter It is in this regard that our system differs, and in fact is 

 distinct from all methods hitherto proposed and in some instances 



