Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-23
VACANT-LOTS GARDENS
MIR. B. n. WARNER TELLS OF
WORK IN PHILADELPHIA.
Scheme is az Crest Success in the
Quaker city.Yodhg and Old Like
to Grow Vegetables

Mr.. b. ii. Warner. president OF tho
Washington City Gardens Association. re-
turned to the city yesterday. On Wednes-
day he made an inspection OF the Work OF
the Philadelphia Vacant Lots Cultivation
Association. 1t was the annual visiting
day of the directors and contributors ana
quite large party took carriages ana
spent several hours in going over the oit-
ferent plots of ground in charge OF the
association. In that city about ITO acres
have been divided into $50 gardens, nearly
all OF one-auarter of an acre each. Inc
first inspection included $50 gardens near
Logan station. The streets recently nave
been cut through, and were far below the
original surface of the ground
1.-THE gardens appeared to be located on
blun. said Mr.. Warner today. foIa
toes. corn, tomatoes. beets, cabbage. SQUASH
peas and beans formed the principal crops.
Each large plot of ground had Its shanty,
made. In most instances. OF thin Doaros
covered with paper. Here the Tools are
kept, and when 1t rains the workers as
semble there. On several patches nuts
have been built for the accommodation OF
those working in the gardens
"At the first garden were round Mrs.
Emma Focht and her five small children.
The husband and father was at work In a
bicycle shop. but the mother. with her
small but sturdy frame and her deeply
sunbrowned face. which wore look OF
resoiute self-reliance, proudly acted the
hospitable part to her visitors. The two
elder of her little girls wore freshly starch
ed white frocks. and with their light-brown
hair neatly gathered with ribbons, looked
quite sweet enough to have sat upon any
city veranda. The house consists OF one
room, with cook stove In corner,
table at one side and bed in another cor
ner. divided off with a heavy curtain.
There was glimpse of clean dishes and
&c. h,eI az
Focht's garden is wonderfully thriving and
she declared that but for a little help from
her eldest boy. who is twelve years OF age
she performs all the work OF cultivation
herself. Tall waving corn shuts In the lit
tie house on three sides quite cozily. while
1t is screened on the other by row OF
bean vines, trellised upon wire,
"A patch near Mrs. Focht's Is worked by
veteran Of the civil. war. John Keyser, pa
triarchtal in aspect, with a long White
goatee. and seventy-ffve years of age, goes
from about 1900 South 9Th street to his gar
den patch in North Philadelphia nearly
every summer morning. AS the inspecting
party passed him while at work among his
tomatoes he took off his hat and waved 1t
at them with a broad smile of delight.
Other Plots Visited.
1.-The party proceeded out Fishers lane to
a plot Of fifteen gardens at Wayne avenue
and Seymour street., Here vacant space
that was incumbered a short time ago with
broken building material, ashes and rubbish
of various kinds has been reclaimed from
desolation. and is already partly covered
with growing vegeta bfes, while the rest is
being prepared for cultivation. A drive
across Germantown brought the party to
10Th and Clearfeld streets Here are two
small gardens. both wholly cultivated by
two widows, one about seventy-dve years
old. Asked II the work was not too hard for
her, the latter replied in the negative. She
looked robust and vigorous enough, though
the thick gray hair streamed down over her
forehead which, is deeply wrinkled. The
only thing that troubles her is the potato
bugs. She has worked early and late. kill
ing them with her hands The other widow.
Mrs. Geiger, is small fair and not yet forty.
She has three children. goes thirteen city
squares every day to- her garden and does
all the work OF cultivation herself.
THE route tof the NEXT group of gardens
| lay across Paramount Park. Here are 200
quarter-acre patches. each OF the cult
srnr non @, "hlSa .rhv Iarse co.nnera tive
garden, where the association employs per-
sons who are in pressing need of money
and cannot wait for crop proceeds.
A School Garden. -s.
"In the same neighborhood at 5eth street
and Lansdowne avenue, Is the school gar
den. Nothing that we in all our tour
awakened greater enthusiasm than this.
School children were at work in 1t. and
Miss Bennett explained how their individual
patches were assigned to them Last. what
Is called the graduates farm was visited.
1t contains nine acres and Is leased by a
club or cooperative body. under the lead
ership Of D. F. Rowe. composed of workers
who obtained their start In gardening under
the patronage of the association. 1t Is
very successful and other similar clubs are
to be formed this season
I'VE were delighted with what we saw.
All the parties who have taken gardens
seem to be deeply interested in their cult
vation 1 believe this work Is going to
grow very rapidly in all sections of the
country. In several cities boards Of educa-
ton have made provision for the forma-
ton of classes next year to study the plant
| ing and care Of gardens and also the rails
ing of flowers on small city lots. If young
people can be induced to take real in
terest in helping to raise vegetables and
flowers it will mean great deal. saw
terday who seemed to take as much interest
in looking after their little gardens as they
| would In base ball and other games.
"Our local work is getting along first
rate 1t cost the Philadelphia associat ton
| over s1S to maintain each of their gardens
| the first season after they commenced,
seven years ago. The total cost Of each of
our gardens will not be more than s.. Our
work is supported by contributions have
! just received check for $50 from Dr. Alex
! ander Graham Bell, who is deeply inter-
ested in the work.
! by the way, in England and other for
eign countries much attention is being paid
| to this subject. Mr.. Joseph FEELS of Phila.
| dephia offered to place 100 acres free of
| charge. subject to the Sontrol of one Of the
| school boards in London. to be divided up
into small gardens and worked by those
| who chose to take them. His offer was
| gladly accepted, and the applications for
| small gardens were so numerous that the
| board of trustees secured $50 acres of
| ground additional. which is being cultivated
| by poor people who desire to help provide
vegetables for themselves"
| Mr.. Warner says without doubt much
! more extensive work will be done along this
| line next year and at greatly reduced
cost. He was accompa MED on his trim nv
| Mr. Charles F. Nesbit. vice president Of the
| City Gardens Association Of Washington
GERTRUDE HARRIS HELD.