Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-01
Quaker City an Example.

Consider Philadelphia as an example: An
average building lot is not larger than
twenty by eighty feet. Twenty such build
ing lots can be laid out from one acre of
land. leaving the usual streets and alleys.
Inside the city limits are $1,000 acres of
land less than ID 900 of which are used for
parks and other public purposes. On the
remaining more than 10000 acres equal to
10000 building lots) there are less than
seven seasons much has been done toward
bringing the poor of Philadelphia and some
of the unused land together. Not as much.
however. as might have been done had there
been full and cordial cooperation.
in 1903 two hundred and .seventy-f1ve
acres of such land were put to profitable
use. providing partial employment Tor more
than 300 persons Working on the land
were 76S families cutivating quarter-acre
gardens some little less and some little
more, and 40 orphan and school children
cultivating gardens of about one-sixteenth
of an acre each. Eighty acres were Guilt
waited by employed labor as cooperative
farm. This farm furnished work for con-
siderable portion of the year. to more than
fifty persons principally men and women
in great want.
The Vacant Lots.
1.-The vacant lots gardening has already
become most important branch OF the
public schools in many sections OF THIS
country. The last annual gathering or the
American Park and Outdoor Association
devoted one full session to the discussion or
school gardens and their Importance as
part of Industrial school work. Mr.. D.
J. Crosby, in charge of experiment sta
TONS Department of Agriculture says that
school gardens do for the children out of
doors what the chemical laboratory, the
carpenter shop and the kitchen laboratory
do indoors.
The incalculable benefits of fresh air and
moderate exercise to the physical health or
every one is well known. How immensely
important it must be to shop and mill work.
ers; how elevating to the moral health
which depends much upon physical con-
ditions no one can tell. But sure 1t is that
men have come TO work these gardens In
the spring who had become poor, partly or
wholly through drink, and by the end OF the
seasons have left us sober and Industrious
citizens.
What made this great change? Instead
of hanging around they have had pleasant
and profitable employment wherein they
were their own boss. Parents bring little
ones along u help weed and pick vegeta-
bles. Through this healthfulness of the
work. which is in no sense toll, the pale. hoi-
low-cheeked little ones become ruddy.
bright-eyed. laughing joys, filled with vigor
and happiness before the season Is over.
The country week becomes a summers
outing, while the playground becomes also
a work shop. To compare this natural re-
lief with other ways of helping the unem-
ployed may be rather odious to those en-
ployed In the other ways especially to city
governments that are spehding millions OF
poor funds every year, while poverty and
squalor are growing deeper and wider
every day. For each dollar contributed to
vacant lot cultivation in 1908 the >beneficf-
aries for whom II was spent had, by adding
TO 1t their own labor. which otherw.ss
would have been forever wasted. fully 81
worth of produce. For each dollar paid in
poor rates to a city the beneficiar1es seldom
get over 80 cents of actual aid This IL Of