The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-04-17

soiho OF thom, nj their own request,
were permitted 10 spade aud tronch
tloir lots, which they did In excellent
manner, which resulted In bottor than
ordinary crops. II was tho middle OF
Juno Dotoro operations were begun,
which, In tho latitude Of Detroit, was
late. Some OF tho laud was no. vol
chosen, aud will not DO used this ycar.
Owing to tho drought q number Of
plals wore not given out 10 DO put Into
potatoes. A part Of these tho com.
mittoO sowod to turnlps with excellent
results. About twenty OF these lots
woro afterward allotted, and ovor $50
bushels Of turuips raised from thom.
Tho cost OF superintendent was OK.
trcthely small. Ono mounted police.
was assigned to tho nse OF the commit.
too to uupsrintond most Of tho pieces OF
land, and an official from tho city assoa.
sor's Office volunteered for n part OF this
service. Tho amateur farmers gave
thom very little trouble. lIOr0 and
thoro II was necessary TO prod up some
careless worker. and now and thon there
was aome thrilling dispute to settle. Tho
committee say that niue.tenths OF tho
pieces wero well takcn caro- OF, and this,
notwithstanding tho fact that immc,
diatoly following tho planting season
thore wore nino weeks OF severe drought,
which greatly discouraged thcm. Thoro
was worry little necessity for watching
tho crop rs It maturod. Self interest
seOmcd to prompt everybody to DO
honest. and 1t is said that none OF the
lot workers themselves did any stealing,
outsiders pilfering to Il ANAL extent.
Daring tho tow weeks preceding harvest
time tho authorities placed four extra
inspectors on duty to protect the crops.
II YIELD SECURED.
Tho stasistics taken woro quito iucom-
ple,e, but the returns that wcro mado
are regarded as giving a fair average es-
timato Of tho efficiency Of tho plan.
Those show that IN some cases tho quar-.
ter.acre lots yielded Us high as thirty
five bushels OF potatoes, and tho average
was q little over fifteen bushels per
family. Tho aggregate yield Of potatoes
alone was l4,l75 bushels, and In addi-
ton to this large quantities OF white
beans. squashes, pumpkins, string
beans, cucumbors, cabbage, grcon corn
and beats were raised. All tho families
made practice during the summer Of
using from their respective plots tho
various vegetables which they raised,
aud these were taken in such ANAL
quantities and at such irregular tim es
that 1t was impossible TO mako oven an
approximate estimate OF what these
products amounted to in tho aggregate.
Butthe committee say that it Is entirely
safe and reasonable to believe that tho
cultivator8 raised food to the value OF
about $4,000 at n cost OF $500. OF
which 500 represents tools purchased
and now on hand and available for this
years operations.
EFFECT on THOSE ASSISTED.
Had the plan been put into opera
ton earlier in the season, so as to have
had the advantage Of the spring rains to
carry the crops through tho long
drought. aud had greater care been
used, the result, would have been very
considerably greater.
The committee do not claim unquali-
fed success for tho enterprise. bu. re-
gard it al an excellent experiment. tried
under adverse circumstances and full OF
promise for the future.
Tho moral effect was 10 every respect
excollent. Tho volunteer system has a
great advantage over what is commonly
known rs poor farms" because those
who availed themselves oil it were not
necessarily thereby known or classified
as pauners. While q great majority OF
the people who worked land under tho
committee were OF the INDECENT class,
who, under the prevailing conditions Of
depressed business, are gradually be-
coming used to assistance and tho do.
moralizinc influence OF getting 30 me-
thing for nothing, there were many who
wore industrious, Woodworking labor.
ers, receiving IS cents or ST n day for
their work, but burdened with large
families, 40 that they were glad to have
n chance to make provision in this way
for the winter.
Asa rule, in most OF tho cities, tho
management OF the scheme is delegated
to the leading charitable organization
OF tho city. In New York city it has
been given to tho United Charities,
who have selected a superintendent,
bought 1900 bushels OF seed potatoes
and 4 largo supply Of other seeds, TO.
eether with tools, aud secured several
thousand acres Of land upon which tho
idle poor OF tho great city will DO put at
wo-k. In ST. Louis the work has been
taken up by the ladies Of tho city who
are engaged in charitable work. In
Buffalo, Toledo, Omaha and Pittsburgh
similar action has been taken, commit.
tees OF leading citizens being charged
with the details OF tho work. In Duluth,
MIMI. Bishop Golrick has set the idea
IN operation. In Topeka, Kan, the
municipal league has undertaken to
carry it out.
WORK BEGINS IN BROOKLYN.
Tho free farm workers. as they are
called ia Brooklyn aud New York, bo.
gan work Thursday in Long Island
City. Tho plots are ono-third OF MI
acre each. Rich, philanthropic people
are coming forward with oilers OF rs.
sistance. They are willing to help the
poor to work, when they are not willing
TO make free gifts. Ono man haa offered
to give 800 acres in tho interior part OF
tho state outright. in small holdings, to
worthy poor people, who will demon.
strato by ono seasons work that they
would make good homes for them.
selves, and DO industrious, temperate
and %provident.
Mr.. Kiielgaard, tho superintendent OF
tho FREQ farms on Long Island. said in
an interview yesterday: These men
arc entering on the work with great