Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-10
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London to Profit by
Philadelphia's Example
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al Correspondence OF The Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
LONDON. August 30 1905.
Chief among the objects aimed at by the
country in town" exhibition conference
shortly to be held in London is the starting
of a movement for utilizing vacant building
sites as farm and market gardens, as Is
done in Philadelphia and some other big
American cities One Of the leading pro-
motors OF the scheme is the veteran CO.
operator, f. o. Grecning. In conversation
with your corresp ondcnt he frankly ac-
knowledGed that Il was the splendid ex-
ample OF Philadelphia" which had prompt
ed him and his associates to agitate for the
adoption of similar methods here.
THE facts and figures which we have col
iected," he said show that the potato
patch scheme, Philadelphans good Ina
turedly call it, has been em'nently success
full. During the first five years the plan
was in operation in Philadelphia the public
had to subscribe only $4,000, while the
workers benefited to the extent OF nearly
SS5. 900 1t has been proved that it pays
and does not pauperiZe. And this demon
stration will be of great value to us in ap-
pealing to the practical-minded British pub
lic who are prone to be slleptical about I'M
tried experiments.
I'VE cite the results achieved In Phila-
delphia proof that no bit of vacant land
need be wasted. The waste that has thus
occurred in the past is sad to contemplate.
There are always a large number of vacant
building plots in London, and many OF them
stand vacant for years. l have known
large areas in Deptford remain In desert
condition for twenty years. All that time a
crowded population of working men and
women were cooped up In the little streets
around signing for bit Of garden. on
The Isle of Dogs great district lay waste
for years. Even In Parliament street, the
site now being covered by the new war Of
fee, lay waste so long that an exploring
botaust found there no less than sixty
varieties of wild flowers, grasses and weeds.
All these had time 10 establish themselves
inside the forbidding palings which shut
out the public. Clearly what is wanted IS
an ASSOCIATION " lich can bring the princl-
pie of cooperation or insurance 10 bear on
such cases. When the land is wanted back
such an association could arrange little
compensation for the allotment holders who
happen TO be diSpoSSeSScd. | hope TO sec
the country in town exhibition confer
ence form such an association.
1T is not our purpose, added Mr.. Green
ing ito work on exactly the same lines in
this matter as is done in Philadelphia. Our
object is to make use of vacant sites In Lon
don not so much for the unemployed as for
the man who could cultivate his plot in the
evening. So far as the unemployed are con-
cerned Mr.. FEELS, who was associated with
the Philadelphia scheme In its earlier
stages, has already introduced the princi-
pie of farm colonies into this country.
But IL in this part of its work the "coun-
try in town conference will follow an
American example, in other features OF its
work il will set an example which some
American cities might well follow. II pro-
poses to popularZe horticulture among the
poor and gardens in the slums
Almost everything that can be grown
in the country be grown in London,
and in the slums of London, too said Mr..
Greening I'VE aim at showing not only
what the back yards of London can grow,
but what the window boxes, the roofs and
the very house walls of London can grow.
With proper care flowers of the prettiest
kind can be cultivated almost anywhere in
London. BY making this widely known,
showing how it can be done, encouraging
those who do il, utilizing every available
space, including temporary clearances, we
might in time make London Itself veri-
table garden city"