Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-03
THE DETROIT PLAN.
How the Potato Patch Scheme fs
Working I'm the North.

How the Potato Patch Scheme f.
Working in the North.
From Harpcr's Weekly.
This season operations at Detroit are be-
ing conducted on a much more extensive
scale. and already GOO acres have been Of
fered. subdivided and placed under Guilt
walton. AS was to be expected, the expert
ment commanded immediate and general
attention. A dozen committees visited De-
troit to investigate and report upon it, and
this summer similar plans have been put in
operation in New York, Brooklyn, Chicago
Boston. Buffalo. Toledo. St. Louis, st. Paul.
Minneapolis and other cities. At a meeting
of the conference of charities of New York
city, held February 20 the Association for
Improving the Condition of the Poor was
requested and agreed to undertake the
work in this city. Mr.. William Steinway
placed at the disposal of the committee
fGving the matter in charge $40 acres in
Long Island City; the Long Island Land
Improvement Company gave the use of fifty
acres, and Messrs: A. S. Hewitt and Morris
Trska contributed land in New York city
Thus far some forty-eight acres have been
paced under cultivation in Long Island
CITY, and quarter-acre allotments have been
made to some seventy worthy applicants.
all but two or three of whom are heads OF
families. Women and childrenwork side
by side with the men in. cultivatinG
their plots, and often display moro
ter Seed potatoes, onions radishes, beans,
pease, tomatoes and cabbages have al
ready been planted, and turnips will be
put in later, the committee supplying the
seed and the necessary fertilizers. Each
allotment is numbered, and the holders are
informed by mail when their plots need
cultivation. Practical details are in charge
OF superintendent, J. W.kjegaard gen.
tleman in every way fitted for the task:
and watchmen are employed to look after
the grounds and give needed instruction
to the laborers. majority of whom are
foreigners. Many of them are absolutely
without means, and this has prompted the
adoption of a cooperative system, by
which each laborer is permitted to draw
10 cents if married and 30 cents il single
for each day he is employed on his plot. the
same to be deducted from the proceeds of
his equitable proportion of the entire prod
uct of the land at the close of the season.
These small cash advances are a boon to
the laborers, who otherwise would find ii
difficult matter to travel from their
ZONES to the land and back, and they have
been prompt to show their appreciation Of
the same. Indeed, all work with an indus
trious enthusiasm that promises well for
the future. large tract of land has also
been placed at the disposal of the poor OF
Brooklyn. in the twenty-sixth ward of tina,
city, and active operations under efficient
direction have been in progress there for
several weeks past.
1t is, of course, too early to accurately
pre- dict the results of this novel and inter-
esting experiment in New York city, but
the success obtained in Detroit has clearly
demonstrated that in every large city hun
dreds of families who would otherwise be
a burden to the charitable and to the tax
rayers can thus be made self-supporting
at very small outlay of time and money.
and, what is more important still, habits Of
self-reliance and steady industry taught to
those who need them most Moreover. when
it is remembered that a recent postal GEN.
sus has shown that there are 11,a29 vacant
lots (over 1000 acres) below West l45th
street and the Harlem river. it will be
readily seen that nowhere else can the ex-
pertinent be tested with greater thorough
ness or on a broader scale than in New
York city.