Evening star., 1895-04-15
Detroit's Way Of Aiding Worthy
Poor May Be Tried.
RAISING CROPS ON CITY LOTS
Handsome Results From Helping
People to Garden.
LTTTLEEXPENSE ANDTROUBLE

No single feature of work in aid of the
destitute in large cities has attracted more
attention in recent years than what is
known as the Detroit plan,'' which, from
the single experiment made last year, has
come to be accepted a demonstrated
| cuccess. All the large cities in this coun-
try and Europe are now actively interested
in the methods and details of the effort
made in Detroit and are planning for SIM
| liar operations during the coming summer.
The idea originated with Hazen S. Pingrce.
mayor of Detroit, who announced in the
| early part of June last year that if owners
of suburban lots in that city would give
the use OF their lands, the city authorities
would take charge of the scheme of alot
ting small parcels Of tillable land to de-
serving heads of families, supply them with
seed. plough the ground, and superntend
all the operations of farming these lands
from seed time to harvest.
The idea was taken up and discussed by
the newspapers of the country, and good
zeal or cold water thrown upon it. Even
| in Detroit. where Mayor Pingree is
highly popular citizen, great many We're
predicted only failure and disappointment
| for it,
The Idea Discouraged.
These people said that in the first place
the poor Of great city were the last kind
OF people to look to for dilgent and in
telligent labor in farming and gardening
operations, while the land to be cultivated
ty them was wholly upsuited to farming.
One of the leading papers of Michigan,
speaking of the Pingree plan, said: '"Tne
amateur plowman will find the soil. un-
stirred by cultivation for years, some of it
hlled up with clay from cellars, sewers,
etc., l.. hard as rock. The fertilizers de-
pended upon are old tin cans and boots
and shoes, dumped upon the vacant lots,
and the prospects are that there will be
plenty of work for the unemployed-if that
Is what they are after-to grow a mighty
sm& II crop"
The results were entirely contradictory of
these dull, gray predictions. Mayor Pin
gree appointed q committee of leading
citizens, with Capt. Cornelius Gardner of
the United States army as chairman, and
oportunity vas given lot owners and labor
ers to put into operation a scheme of self
support for the poor of Detroit which in
single year has become famous the world
over, and is now the subject of careful.
practical consideration in every large city
in Europe and this country. Mayor Pin
Zee has. had letters from the authorities
in Berlin. Vienna, London, Munich and
Paris, within the past three months, ask
ing for details in regard to the experiment.
end hardly city of any size in this coun-
try but has also made application for sim
liar data. Large editions of the reports
made by the agricultural commission of the
city of Detroit have been printed. and
many thousands circulated all over the
world
How 1t Started.
When the announcement was made last
June that those of the laboring classes in
Detroit who needed provision for the en-
suing winter would receive an allotment of
land for gardening purposes, over 5000 ap-
plications for land were made to the city
poor commission. Owners of real estate
volunteered the use of vacant lots in the
northeast and northwest quarters of the
city 1anking Woodward avenue, and if it
had not been for the lateneSs of the season
and the inadequate supply of tools and
seed, all who applied for land would have
received allotments and had the chance to
make trial of their opportunities in agri-
culture. AS it was, 945 families were pro-
vided for. The poor authorities investi-
gated every case and allowed none but
worthy men and women to have land.
Among the number who received allot-
ments were over thirty widows, some of
whom had children able to assist in the
gardening. Most of these people, who in
this way availed themselves of the oppor-
tunity for sef-support, were foreigners.
Many were Germans, some We're Scandi-
navians, and considerable proportion
"Polackers," as the natives of Poland are
called in western cities.
The aggregate of land accepted and par
celled off was i30 acres. The committee in
vited contributions to raise fund sufficient
to purchase plows and harrows and hire
horses to plow this extensive acreage of
city lots. ard $1,000 was promptly forth
coming from the public-spirited citizens of
Detroit. The committee bought seed po-
tatoes, beans and an ample quantity of the
various seeds necessary to produce good,
keeping winter crops.
Getting Under Hcadyvay.
The plowlng was done as rapidly and as
promptly as possible, ard the entire ground
signed to the allottees. Some of them, at
their own request, were permitted to spade
and trench their lots, which they did in
excellent manner, which resulted in better
than ordinary crops. 1t was the middle of
June before operations We're begun, which,
in the latitude of Detroit, was late. Some
of the land was not well chosen, and will
not be used this year. Owing to the drought
a number of platS were not given out to be
put into potatoes A part of these the
committee sowed to turnips with excellent
results. About twenty of these lots were
afterward allotted, and over 60 bushels of
turnips raised from them.
The cost of superintendent was extreme
ly small. One mounted policeman was as
signed to the use of the committee to super
intend most of the pieces of land, and an
official from the city assessors office voiun-
teered for part of this service. The anna
teur farmers gave them very little trouble.
Here and there 1t was necessary to prod
up some careless worker, and now and
then there was some trit1ing dispute to set
tie. The committee say that nine-tenths of
the pieces were well taken care of, and
this, Notwithstanding the fact that i'm
mediately following the planting season
there We're nine weeks of severe drought,
which greatly discouraged them. There
was very little necessity for watching the
crop as it matured. Self-in tereSt seemed
to prompt everybody to be honest, and it
is said that none of the lot workers them
selves did any stealing, outsiders pilfering
to small extent. During the few weeks
preceding harvest time the authorities
placed four extra inspectors on duty to
protect the crops.
The Yield Secured.
The statistics taken Were quite incom-
plete. but the returns that were made are
regarded as giving a fair average esti-
mate of the efficiency of the plan. These
show that in some cases the quarter
acre lots yielded as high as 35 bushels of
potatoes and the average was little over
10 bushels per family. The aggregate yield
of potatoes alone was 14.1T5 bushels, and
in addition to this large quantities of white
hao, hos ,o1-;-,