The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-06-26
THE LOAN OF A GARDEN.


are glad to see her readiness to adopt the
ideas OF her sister states TO the Westward
especially those relative TO philan-
thropic work. The latest of these to be
taken up by this part OF the country is
the scheme OF the landscape gardening
Tor the unemployed. This is form of
charity that has proved itself a signal
success In the case of certain Western
cities, and though still in its infancy in
our section gives promise OF proving
valuable factor in the solution of at least
one phase of the labor problem.
The scheme OF the work we understand
to be as follows; A city commission has
the philanthrophy in charge and requests
reports from all owners of waste or un-
used lands on the outskirts Of the larger
ated, what is their condition and whether
they may be used by the commissioners
for their purpose. This purpose is moth
ing less than the loaning of these unused
estates to poor people who find themselves
out OF work and destitute OF means
whereby to support their families during
the summer. The tracts of land are par
celed ont to their various proxy-owners,
who have the right to cultivate the soil,
appropriating all the produce raised that
is necessary for their own families and
having the right to dispose of any sur
plus crop at the markets If they so de-
sire. Seeds are furnished and a head
gardener is hired to instruct and direct
those who are new to the work.
The benefit derived from this plan is
surely a many-sided one In the first
place, 1t insures the poor family against
the actual want OF food when there is no
money coming in with which food can
be bought. 1t also gives work to those
who, through idleness and discourage
ment, might otherwise turn vagrants or
criminals. II provides for the families of
the men who try tilling the soil a pos
sible chance to see for themselves how
green things grow and to breathe for
themselves bit OF wholesome country
air. For no man is going TO delve day
after day without wishing his wife and
children to see what the sweat Of his
brow has accomplished; and, conversely,
no poor household within narrow city
walls can share the products
of that toll without longing
for glimpse Of the garden that sends
daily supplies to their otherwise bare
table. And can't you picture to yourself
what might come OF that I? A family
flight back to an Eden whence per-
haps the father and mother had exiled |
themselves years before in their deluded |
desire to see the world for themselves
and by "the world" they meant the city. |
The man who has this loan OF garden |
for the season perhaps accepts it at first |
or indifferently for the lack |
of something that he thinks better. But !
after he has worked of his first bitter dis
and buried it under the clods |
that his spade has turned; after he has in
hailed the odor of the freshly ploughed |
earth, and felt all unwittingly the touch
Of Mother Nature, he finds il out OF the
question TO be sullen and Io3simistic.
The honest work in the open air puts new
vigor into his blood, and wholesome
thoughts into his heart. He feels that
for the time being, at least, he has a spot
Of earth that he can call his own. It's
fertility is due to his efforts, and it's prod.
ucts are without dispute his TO use as he
sees fit. Even so small a granting OF the
hiyincly implanted desire that every man
feels, to own some portion Of this earth of
his, is not without the satisfying effects.
II may or 1t may not be the means of
finally inducing the unemployed of the
cities to seek the possibilities of
the rural districts. We think that il will
tend that way in many cases. But. IL II
fails of attracting the city poor to the
IL will at least succeed in bring
ing the country TO the city poor. And
there is world Of hope in their learning
that there Is such a place as "the coun.
try"
We expect TO be accused by many of