Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-14
Washington's Garden Work.

Washington is exceptionally well adapt
ed to garden work, for both artistic and
practical purposes. It has ample lawns
and back yards for flower growths, and 1t
| Is favored with abundant open spaces
both within and Immediately adjoining
the city area. 1t Is gratifying to find that
these advantages are being increasingly
utilized to the end of making the capital
not only rarely beautiful in the summer,
but nearer self-supporting in the supply
or table necessities. The work that has
been done during the past few seasons by
the teachers of the public schools in en-
couragfng and directing the agricultural
energies of the little folks is an effective
supplement to the 1abors of the City Gar
dens Association, an account of whose
work was given in the news columns of
yesterdays Star.
When Mayor Pingree of Detroit, a few
years ago, advanced the idea of turning
over the vacant lots of that city to the
poor people for the cultivation of potato
patches there was some amusement in
other cities, but much more sincere ap-
prevail The plan was practical, and de-
spite few failures here and there, due
to injudiciouS methods and the almost
total lack of knowledge of the soil and
INV "oy anu VI CulllNdllnS 1t IndC
prevailed among the city jewellers, enough
of beneficial result was scored to demon
strate that with proper administration
and guidance a field was open for the
labors of the poor which might yield
them generous return in food supplies.
In this city the growth of late has been
satisfactory, even if slow. The men and
women at the head of the movement are
earnest and persevering. They have gone
forward this year much encouraged by
the experiences of the past seasons and
stimulated by the pronounced and prac-
tical interest of one of the foremost of
the Agricultural Department officials,
whose participation is an earnest of gov
eminent support when possible and neces-
sary
Chiefly stimulating is the fact that the
demand on the association for ground and
assistance is much heavier than the re-
sources can meet. Of prime Importance is
the awakening of the people to their OPP
portunity. With such showing of prac-
tical interest on their part it may be as
Sumed that the means to accommodate it
will be supplied. Indeed, in a short time
a work of this kind might become self
supporting if the prosperous small gar
deners were to pay 1.-THE of their profits
into common treasury for the expansion
of the work. The most important point
of all to be borne in mind in such an en-
terprise is to impress upon the recipients
of aid the necessity of becoming indie
pendent of the source of assistance. No
one should be led to expect something for
nothing.
The school garden work, to which ref
erence has been made in recent editions
of The Sunday Star, and which will call
for further description next Sunday, is an
important adjunct to the work of practi-
al market gardening. Acquaintance with
the SOIL it's uses and it's treatment cannot
begin too early in life, and it is not to be
questioned that as a result of a judicious
cooperation between the schools and the
City Gardens Association a revival of
country love will soon be strongly in evil
dence, perhaps aiding in the solution of
the growing problem of city congestion.