Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-09-05

that the land end produce II was i'm
possible In the short time allOwed-for
the plan was not in wsrking order be-
fore the middle O. June-f0r the COM
mission % pillow and harrow all the
ground, and ~ such eases they furnished
the applicant with spades and c%ner
tools, and in about % per cent q the
cases the successful applicant gpaded his
own lot, and q large number Of them fur.
niEhed the seed
The poor applicant 70 whom had been
allotted q section q ground was not left
alone in getting the best the ground
could produce. The foreman Of the com
mission visited all the gardens weekly.
Whenever the occupants were able &c
properly care for their piece Of ground
they were left alone. bat those who
knew nothing Of farming were instruct
ed After the crop was fairly started
each person was allowed to harvest
Whatever he had raised
Each occupant Of the ground showed
q predilection for potatoes, at least two
thirds Of the ground being planted with
them, and the yield was very fair. The
bean crop was good, the sq1ashes and
pumpkins planted did exceedingly well,
in some cases giving an yield,
and the other vegetables, such as string
beans, cucumbers, cabbages, green corn
and beets, were consumed during the
summer and relieved many families
from dire want, AZ the same time reliey-
ing the poor commission from the ne
cessity Of keeping them from starvation
In many cases the poor were obliged &c
dig their potatoes early in order TO stave
of the paugs Of hunger.
Yet, with all this, the plan proved an
enormous success, and the result fully
warrants all that was claimed when
Mayor PingTee first announced his altru-
istic idea OF a potato patch Some Of
the land was offered so late that il was
impossible 70 allot il TO the poor for
general use, and ii was sown for tur-
nips, Of which $50 bushels were turned
over 10 the poor commission
Outside Of the good natured rivalry
between the cultivators themselves there
was the most friendly feeling between
them all, and each seemed anxious &c
help his neighbor in getting ready for
the harvest and in watching each 9th
er's crops
The total contributions from tho char.
itably inclined. the mayor and the city
officials amounted In round numbers &c
1892, and from this the poor were able
to raise produce worth about $4,000.
But this is not all that the .'Pingree
potato ra-ch" did. The products of the
beat f2r1a< wore askes 80 tho Etais fair,
where they were shown in competition
with the best products Of much better
equipped farms, ard IA that competition
tie produae from the ''PingTea potato
patches" received tho blue ribbon q ap-
prevail, which denoted tho first prize.
The result has been more far Spreading
than this, as it has raised a large MIN
Der Of worthy poor frcm the plane of
mendicancy to that Of self support. 1t
has taken from tie rolls Ct the poor
comm ia 945 families for the greater
part q TIE time, and tits number would
have bcea doubled he'd the contributions
been sufficient 70 supply al Of the 3, 1000
persons who applied f3r land TO till.
Snch a hold has the idea taken that
even this winter the poor began TO apply
for Land 10 raise their o8n prndrcn, and
now applications arc literally pouring
10 at the mayors oIlae. The contribu-
tions TINS far, VITA four weeks TO be
heard from, a,nouls 10 1870 acres, and it
il probable that the poor Of Detroit win
have over GOO acres before june /.
The report Of the agricultural com
mission stated: 1.-THE commission be-
heves the experiment has demonstrated
the following facts: That many poor
and unemployed persons in the city are
glad TO avail themselves of ca opp0Itu-
nifty to raise potatoes and other yegeta-
bles for their W sustenance, provided
the land IS furnished and they are as
sured that the results If their labor viii
accrue to them" Thereport further goes
on TO commend the plan and advises
thar in the future the street s~weepings
be saved for fertilizing purposes, as has
been done this spring. and put upon the
land to enrich the soil.
IN concluding its first report the COM
mission says the system which Mayor
Pingree originated, if in proper working
order, viii diminish ~pauperism and re-
leve tho POOR from much suffering, at
the same time taking from the roll to
be supplied by city charity many peo-
pie. The commission claims that cities
a well afford to appropriate enough
money to equip al the worthy poor with
seed aud put lands placed at their dis
posal in proper condition to be cultivated.
In its second report the commission
further says that the plan as originated
by Mayor Pingree will. enable the frus
gal and handwriting, though unem.
ployed, to get along without assistance
from the poor commission if the plan is