tion, while the cabbage and cauliflower butterflies were so delighted to find a new farm, they decided 

 not to fly farther. 



The fields were rough, and it was next to impossible to plant in straight rows, in some cases we 

 were forced to make a drill by hand and plant by hand, at other times a furrow was opened by hoe and 

 the seed drill run upon it. In other places the horses plowed a furrow, hand planting following. Certain 

 it is whatever method was pursued the soil responded and the plants were just as happy crooked as 

 straight. 



On May 16th we shipped the first product of the farm — a bunch of radishes to j\Ir. Peters. He 

 is the Fairy Godfather and always receives the first or the biggest, as the children say. They were as 

 anxious for him to have it as we were, and the first of everything from their own wee gardens was re- 

 ligiously sent to him. 



Oii the 21st the Suffolk County Press Association held their annual meeting at No. 1. They dined 

 out of doors "al fresco," eating of the crops growing not a dozen paces away. To them the farm was a 

 revelation, for all of them were familiar with the vast tracts of unused lands and to them it meant a 

 new era for the Island they are all working for so earnestly. 



To quote from one of the number : 



Wonderful Long Island Soil 



H. B. Fnllerton Shows Newspaper Men Mavvelous Results from Seientific Use 



Long Island soil is adapted to the growing of all kinds of fruit and vegetables in a degree that is only 

 just beginning to be realized. It has long been a jjopular superstition that the Island was a barren sand waste, 

 which could grow only mar.>.h grass, and that none too profusely. There are still a very few people outside of 

 the Island who believe it can grow more than pound for pound of vegetables to bone fertilizer. It is safe to 

 say that there is not a baker's dozen of people in all of New York City who know the unlimited possibilities 

 of the Long Island soil. 



A day of awakening is near at hand, however. A man keenly alive to the real agricultural situation on 

 the Island (his name is H. B. Fullerton) has come into contact with a man keenly alive to the promising 

 future of all of suburban New York; and the result is that the Island will be developed with intelligence and 

 patience along the very lines which Nature designed for it. 



Ralph Peters is the president of the Long Island Railroad and the man who is alive to the promising 

 future of the suburbs of New York. When Mr. Fullerton, who can give the author of the "Simple Life" cards 

 and spades in "getting back to nature." showed Mr. Peters what he had done in a small way with Long Island 

 soil on his own place at Huntington, Mr. Peters said, "Fullerton, you can doubt theories, but these are facts," 

 or words to that effect; and became so possessed of an enthusiasm fur Long Island soil that he was not satis- 

 fied until the railroad itself had taken hold of the task of demonstrating the soil's productiveness. 



Well, the railroad has the task well under way; and you wouldn't believe, unless you had seen, what has 

 been accomplished since last fall. 



Ten acres of what was then virgin, tangled, oak land, a little at the west of the Wading River station, 

 the last station on the Port Jefferson branch of the road, are now under cultivation and growing almost every 

 conceivable kind of fruit, vegetables, and flowers. Think of it! It was the despised "Long Island scrub oak 

 land" last fall! And now it is under cultivation and bearing the tenderest of garden truck. 



"Why, certainly," many a scoffer has been heard to say about it, "the experimental farm had the dollars 

 <jf the railroad back of it to buy fertilizer with. Of course you can make thirty cents grow if you plant a 

 double eagle." But the joke is "on the scoffer; for this rich little farm, which has been gi-owing only trees, 

 moss, liiiiklcbeny vines, and rattlesnakes since Columbus came over on the Hamburg-American or wliatevcr 

 line of steamers it was, and nominated himself for discoverer of America, this little farm has not used an 

 ounce of that supposed cherished necessity of Long Island farming — bone fertilizer. Mr. Fullerton knew that 

 the use of it would sound the death knell to his enterprise. « 



The land was freed from stumps and the stumps were burned on the place. On one acre there were over 

 .•-even hundred of them. The wood ashes were left on the ground and the ten acres which were cleared were 

 sowed with lye, which in the spring was plowed under. Then, in planting the peas, radishes, and what not, 

 very poor horse manure was used. So much for fertilizer, fish, bone, and every other kind — except water! 



And there is the secret. There's water enough on Peace and Plenty Farm. There's a little kerosene 

 engine which pumps it up from the earth and fills a tank. Cheap iron pipes carry it to the farm; and there 

 isn't a piece of the land that cannot be reached by it. Old Sol can beat down as he will, and Jupiter Pluvius 

 go on as prolonged a spree as ho will, and neglect his business; the crops will grow because they have the 

 water. It is cheap irrigation, too. Here, again, the "money bags" of the railroad have not been foolishly 

 opened. The method of keeping the crops wet is such as any bright youi;g man might go into as an invest- 

 ment on his farm. 



Kvrrythii;g on the farm is practical; and every effort has been niailr t<i make the place a working model 

 wliich a business man could copy. The aim has been to make it an economical market garden, growing the 

 finest produce on "Long Island's barren sand wastes," to put on the breakfa.st and dinner tables of that great 

 mart of all marts for fresli vegetables and fruit — New York City. 



The Long Island Railroad invited the members of the Suffolk County Press Association to inspect the 

 farm oh Monday and placed a private train of two cars at their disposal. Mr. Fullerton was the host in charge, 

 on the train and on the farm, assisted at the latter place by Mrs. Fullerton, who is, herself, an authority on 

 horticulture. 



A dinner was served under the trees on the farm on the arrival of the train about noontime. About 

 twelve of the Island scribes spent one of the most enjoyable days of their lives on this occasion; but, more 

 important, were impressed as never before with the possibilities of Long Island soil. 



—Amityrillc Record, May 25th, 190(). 



A drought was starting, warm high winds were blowing steadily day and night, a more trying con- 

 dition could not be found. The irrigation sprayers were started in the peas, radishes and lettuce, still they 

 did not respond as we wanted them to. 



"Try some nitrate of soda and see if that will give them a boost," I said. 



"I hate to do it," the Senior Partner replied, " for I know as well as anyone they need cultivation 

 they have not received." 



"Would you mind telling me where anyone has had time to cultivate anything? Take 3 men on 

 13 acres of new land and plant everything ever heard of and some that never were and there is no time 

 left for cultivation," I exclaimed. "We know they need cultivation and a lot else needs it too, but we 

 can't have an ideal market-garden here this year. Look what the soil has done already." 



On the 23d John mixed .some nitrate of soda with earth, half and half, and sowed it beside the peas, 

 lettuce, cabbage and cauliflower ("cauliflower between the peas, I mean, only 100 plants.) 



30 



