New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-07-27

| grounds. vacation schools ana vacant lot farms
lately established is only another manifestation
of the same tendency. Already public spirited
women are interesting the children of the poorer
sections of the city in gardening. The president
| of the Tribune Sunshine Society last fall gave
| away to East Side little girls about five hundred
| geranium slips in small pots and told each re-
/ cipient she would give book for every plant
| returned to her in bloom. She is engaged
/ in energetic and serious hunt for suitable
| books. two hundred of the plants having
/ already been brought to her in flower. and she
| having heard of SO many others in the bud
| TO make the keeping of her word a matter OF
| considerable expense.
| Last spring the Municipal Art Society of New
York conceived the plan of creating a block
beautiful on the Heights. in Brooklyn. All the
/ residents in the block bounded by Safest,
Garden Place. JOralemon-st. and Sydney Place
We're asked to plant trees and vines and to deco
rate their houses with window boxes and ball
cony boxes of flowers Miss leila NIilhau of No.
POI Henry-st made a committee to induce
others to join in the plan, and thoroughly
vassed those who lived within the area chosen.
Miss Nilhau's house is near the centre of the
block beautiful" and she began her work by
erecting window boxes and planting them and
also by planting tree III front of her house.
The growth Of the flowers has been rapid, and
aspect OF the house front has been CGnSld-
erably improved already.
Across the street from Miss Milhau at Nos.
27S and 80 are the two most attractvely deco
rated houses in the block beautiful" The pref
tier of the two is that of Mrs. Anna Russell at
No. 80 Each Of the eight windows on the
lower three floors has box of flowers and vines,
which cannot fail 10 charm the behoIder. Mrs.
Russell was the pioneer OF the block beautiful,
and is one OF its greatest enthusiasts She says
the cost is not worthy Of mention and that the
pleasure amply repays her for all her labor.
The house at No. rs is that of Rowland An
thony, the architect. and its decorative garden
ing is confined a single box above the door,
in which flowers and vines and small
evergreens. The effect is pleasing TO a marked
degree Both Mrs. Russell and Mr. Anthony
have planted a tree just within the curb and
both trees are thrifty.
Some of the people residing in the block were
deaf 10 Miss Milhau's pleas for flower and tree
planting; some promised, but never planted, and
others planted but neglected the boxes and have
given up the project in disgust. y large number
of houses, however. within the area chosen for
the experiment already beautiful with vines
and flowers. Few are prettier than that OF
Henry Sanger Snow. president of the PoIytech-
ME Institute in Henry-st. just below JOralemon-
st. Trees only one TO the lot have been planted
in front of nearly every house. The experiment.
Is yet young. but the imprOv is noticeable
in each of the streets selected for it. n florist
stocks the window boxes for S. 30 each. and
cares for and waters the plants for 50 the sea-
son. The Tree Planting Association of Brook
Ign has agreed 10 devote especial attention and
care to the trees planted in the block beauti-
full" and when these are four or five years
older the change doubtless will be far more I'M
pressive.
One of the most interesting of the gardening
experiments undertaken this year in New-YOrk
is vegetable garden 10 be established in De
Witt Clinton Park, between Eleventh and
Twelfth ayes. and Fffty-second and Fifty fourth
SITS. The author of the plan is Mrs. Henry Par
sons. one of the inspectors of the Board of Edu-
cation. Mrs. Parsons applied TO Park Commits
sioner Wilcox for land in one of the new parks
on which she might teach vegetable gardening
TO some of the poor children. The Commissioner
set apart a tract 125 feet square in the north
west corner of De Witt Clinton Park from which
not all the buildings have yet been removed,
and told Assistant Superintendent Thomas F.
Murphy to put it in readiness for Mrs. Parsonss
experiment Mr. Murphy has caused 125 loads