The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-15
One Family Has Vacated the Front
Porch to Give the Little Birds
Opportunity To Nest.
AMATEUR TILLERs OF THE SOIL
CITY GARDENING A FAD WITH A
GREAT MANY PERSONS.
DIR. w. B. Fletcher Says Ii Is Health
full OccupatiOn-Most Back Yards
Are Too shady.

II don't remember ever Ia 'ng seen so
many robins in and about annapolis as
there are this spring." rel .arked a pas
senger on a Fairview Park car the other
afternoon as he directed the attention Of
his companion passengers TO the numerous
red-breasted birds TO be seen in all of the
spacious front yards in the northern part
OF the city. "A good many other people
have also noticed the large number Of these
birds that are visiting us at present, for
several OF my friends have spoken TO me
about It," ne continued. Have you eve
observed how fond everybody appears 20
be OF the robins? Why. even the schooIboy
with the air gun or sling shot refuses TO
modest them. I've always thought that per-
haps that good old yarn about the babes
IN the woods has had much 10 do with the
tender sentiment which we all feel toward
these pretty birds. For my part even now
never see a robin but what that much
loved little story Of my childhood comes
into my mind and 1 find myself inwardly
blessing him for having been such a good
friend to the poor. lonely little waits
The robin has such a half-trustful,
half-fearful look when he hops up on your
lawn for the first time that you can't help
taking a fancy to him. But just give him
chance and he'll grow mighty bold in time.
! know a family out in my neighborhood
on Broadway that have become so much at
tached to a robin during the last four weeks
that they have little lunch ready for him
every evening about 6 o'clock. and he
always puts in an appearance promptly at
that time. II the tiny bits Of bread and
meat are not in their usual place on the
lawn he let's loose an exclamation of dis
appointment and Impotence that can be
heard throughout the neighborhood. and re-
fuses to leave until his meal has been pro-
duced- The people who feed him are coax
ing him nearer the house each evening by
placing the dainty morsels closer TO the
porch each time. and they hope to have
their little visitor enjoying his dinner in
side the house before the summer is over
sit on my porch every evening and watch
the fun, and I'm really quite curious TO see
how the experiment turns out.
Another family 1 know feel obliged to
vacate their front porch nearly altogether
in order 10 allow nest of robins TO main
tain their peace Of mind. You see, early in
the spring. before the warm weather be-
gan. male and female robin built their
coy little home up in the caves Of the
porch. and before very long a couple of
baby robins turned up from somewhere or
other. On the first warm evening OF the
spring the man who lives in the house
came out on the porch after dinner to en-
Joy a cigar. while his wife and the two
children brought out the hammock and the
summer chairs from their winter resting
places. The family had 40 sooner become
al al
terrible commotion was raised, for Papa and
Mamma Robin had come home together
each with a big fat worm to be divided be-
tween the babies, and had discovered to
their horror all OF these human inter
lopers in possession OF the porch. Mr. and
Mrs. Redbreast withdrew to a tree nearby
and held noisy consultation over this IN
expected turn OF affairs. Then, taking
courage. they flew up 10 the caves once
more. the worms dangling from their beaks,
and began such tumultuous chattering and
piteous clamoring that two little bald heads
appeared abo the edge of the nest. This
was too much Tor the spectators, who pro-
ceeded 10 beat IA hasty retreat into the
house, for they realized that they were
very much in the way. and from behind the
lace curtains OF the parlor windows they
peeped out at the grand reunion of parents
and children The funny part of the thing
IS that the people are so soft-hearted that
they can't bear 10 deprive the birds of their
happy home. and the birds are apparently
determined to hold their abiding place just
go long as they can remain undisturbed
One family is obliged to give up possession
of that porch. and so far the feathered
family have not been the one to CO."
woman who keeps a vegetable stall in
the market house is authority for the state
ment that tillers of the soil on a small
scale are becoming very numerous in and
about Indianapolis. There are a great
many men and women--especially women
who. partly from the necessity Of living a
fresh-air life and partly from the growing
fascination of filling the ground, have be-
come enthusiastic vegetable gardeners this
spring. Il know this to be a fact" the
market woman said yesterday, because so
many of my old customers have been tell
ing me Of their success with their minia-
ture gardens. In their enthusiasm they
stop here at my stall TO have a heart-to-
heart talk about the growing Of some GER
tain vegetable. forgetting entirely how hard
II Is on me to lose even a part of their
trade. As rule these amateur gardeners
give their attention only 10 the vegetables
used In preparing salads. and, judging from
the falling of IN my sale OF lettuce ana
radishes among the better class of my
patrons. I imagine that there must be a
good many flourishlng little backyard gar
dens in town nowadays"
DR.. W. 3. Fletcher. himself an ardent
lover OF gardening. and who usually boasts
one OF the city's best backyard vegetable
patches" says that there is no more
health-giving pursuit in the world than till
ing the soil. to say nothing or the fascina-
ton in the work. when one has once so,
the thing started properly. The doctor
pet hobby IS the cultivation OF the ground
IN the rear OF his residence and the culture
OF his favorite vegetables for the table. and
he has given so much thought and study e
the raising or his garden products that he
has become quite a farmer in an amateur
way.
The most amazing thing about the usua
backyard gardens" said the doctor. Will,
discussing his favorite subject. lis the
great amount OF ignorance displayed in the
making OF them. There are so many gar
den books In the public library which give
you all the information you could wish thai
81 seems objectionable for people 20 make
80 many mistakes In trying 10 raise vege-