The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-11-07
rINGnEn POrArO oNop.

some OF tho II sui. Hf tho Movement
started by Mayor Plagrss, OF Detrolt'
Philadelphia Pts
Tho crop Of Pingres potatoes for tho
season Of 1905 has been gathered, and II
is possible to sum up somo Of tue ro'
sults OF the soGondtrial Of tho scheme Of
Mayor Pingree, Of Detroit, to holp the
deserving poor, Last year 1t was tried
only in Detroit, but 1t proved so auc:
cassful as to attract the attention OF
charitable Hocistiss In nearly all the
large cities, and the consequence was q
large number Of experiments this season
on tho same plan. Perhaps q better
name for 1t would be vacant lot farming,
as many Of the cultivators raised yoGe'
tables as well Us potatoes on their allot'
meuts Of land.
Returns from all the placea where the
scheme Was tried have not been made
public, but the results are known in
enough instances TO give an idea OF the
dogtee Of success reached. The most
interest attaches to tho result in De-
troit, as this was the second season IN
which, the experiment Was tried there,
aud tho experience gained last year
could DO used. According TO q state
ment OF Mayor PIngree himself, about
$50 acres oil land was cultivated this year
in quartOr.Rcra or halt.acrO plots, aud
tho result is 10000 or 10000 bushels OF
potatoes, Potatoes arc cheap this Il
tumn, owing to the large crop, and are
selling from 70 cents 10 81 20 per barrel.
But even at these figures the crop raised
in Detroit is worth about $4,000, or
enough, rs Mayor HuGreo estimates, to
support 1900 people through the Win:er.
Tho ne6s moit complete trial ot the
plan was nu Long Island, where 200
acros Of land we're cultivated by people
from Nov York City and Brooklyn,
The resulta there were about sll,OOO
worth Of produce, OF which $1,000 were
profits. The largest amount earned on
any ono plot Of land was 1854. One
Swiss woman did the work on one'thlrd
OF an acre, aud made Sl3i. About 20 per
cent OF tho cultiyRtors made q pro-
nouuccd aucres', 33 per cent did moder'
alely we'll and the other Z per cent were
failures. Buffalo is another city where
the scheme proved successful, although
there are no exact returns as yet as to
the amount OF produce raised and the
profit to the cultivatorS. But 1t is oSti'
mated that enough was grown TO mako
500 families self-supportipR.
Tho result in Washington, Boston, 81
Louis and other citlss is not yet deln.
itely known, but in the first two places
success will undoubtedly be reached.
Better, however, than the temporary
gains Is the educating effect the scheme
has upon the %cultivators. As Mayor
Piugree says, II teaches them to become
seli.supporting aud TO rely upon their
W efforts. According TO the same ~.
thority 1t has almoIt freed Detroit from
pauperism. The conclusion Of those
having the scheme in charge in New
York iS that "Out Of 100 people who do
pend more or less upon charity htty
need only to get a start, twenty can
work only under direction and that tue
remaining thirty arc absolutely WORTH
less and unhelpable, not 90 much from
lack OF intelligence as from lack OF char
aeter." The demonstration Of these
facts is highly valuable to the charitably
inclined.
The second trial, then. Of tho Piugree
scheme eau be considered an encourage
ing success. As a large percentage Of
those who tried the plan this year are
anxious to mako another effort next
season a third attempt will doubtless be
made. A great success cannot be an
~ticipatod evory year, as conditions are
not always favorable, but judging from
two experiments 1t is fair to conclude
that a practicable way Of aiding the de.
serving poor has been found which
helps moro than 1t harms.