THE NEW AGRICULTURE. 165 



never too wet, never too dry. This system made a very deep im- 

 pression upon me, and upon returning home and thinking the mat- 

 ter over, you will remember I wrote you a letter, suggesting that 

 by the use of natural gas (which must take the place of coal and 

 wood for heating purposes) to heat the water in the Fall and 

 Spring, and running steam pipes through the troughs, (or dropping 

 the warm water into them) to keep the water warm, you might raise 

 all kinds of produce, and as - it were, do away with winter. You 

 could do, as I found while in Europe was done there, produce the 

 finest pineapples by use of this warm water system, thus doing 

 away with expensive hot houses. In this letter I also suggested, 

 that, where you wished to raise tropical fruits, you could throw a 

 canvass over the space, to keep off the winds and snows. All this 

 was in the most part a joke, as applied to Allegany, but upon re- 

 ceiving your reply, I was astounded to read that you had already 

 obtained a patent covering these points. 



On the second day of July last, I was again in Wellsville. In pass- 

 ing through the streets, I noticed on the corner baskets of straw- 

 berries; some were small, diseased looking berries, but alongside 

 of them were luscious ones, nearly as large as peaches. Said I : 



" How much are your strawberries ? " 



" These are sold at thirteen cents ; and these at twenty-five a 

 quart," was the answer made by the vender. 



" But why should there be such a difference in price ? " I 

 inquired. 



" "Why ! these are Cole's berries." 



" Cole's berries ! What do you mean by Cole's berries ? " 



" Why ! they are raised here in town, by Mr. Cole." 



" Who is Mr. Cole ? " 



" What ! don't you know A. N. Cole ? " 



" Oh ! yes ; he has been termed the father of the Republican 



