The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-25
EAST SIDE FARMING FEVER
SCHOOL CHILDREN TRANsFORM
A ONCE DREARY LOT.

Several Hundred Fupi5s OF vspaSion xcnopl
No. ISIS Cet semeE Practical Instruction
IN Nature study -Nsoss senesi Garden
Ing Proposed for tho summer OF 1908
Upper East Side school farmers have
transformed what was once an ~inhospitabls
and dresry lot at the corner Of Sixty-slxth
street and Avenue A into a cultivated
school garden. Boys and giris Of the
nature study classes OF vacation school
1856 a. Fifty-first street and Avenue A
have lone the trick.
Symmetrically laid out garden plots,
each with Its parallel rows OF radishes,
beets. beans. lettuce and turnips. attest to
the zest with which the children have
followed up their horticultural pursuits
during the last six weeks. And the official
order closing ths summer schools has
little meaning for them. Many will he
busily az work for the next two or three
weeks. mulching the ground. killing the
beans. thinning the turhips and reaping
the fruits OF their toll.
The idea OF outdoor school gardens in
connection with the course Of inst ruction
in nature study offered by the summer
schools was originated by Mas ~E.van geline
r. whitney. who has charge Of all vacation
schools'snd Fairgrounds. Permission was
obtained from John ID. Rockefeller. whose
ledicai Research Institute 10 In the vi
entity. to use the plot at Sixty-axth street
and Avenue A for a school garden. The
garden was started on a small scale lasi
year. owing TO the uncertainty OF the result
OF the experiment. The success was such
that this year after plots had been awarded
to 272 would-be ~horticultnrists many
fearful aspirants had TO De turned away
or put on a waiting list,
p h work OF Transforming the ground.
which was piled high with cellar diggings
and the refuse Of the neighborhood. was
intrusted TO the children Of the nature
study classes. under the direction of
DIR. Albert 3. Hanna, supervisor OF nature
study. who had the experience Of the
greater part OF a life spent on a New Eng
land farm TO sustain him. The Young
farmers also mad the assist ance OF three
grown up laborers.
First they removed forty carloads OF
stone from the ground. Then Twenty-Five
truckloads OF manure, half as much loam
and about twenty truckloads OF rotten
bark rendered the soil suitable for Planting.
Commercial fertilizer was then mixed with
the soil and the seeds planted.
The classes were 30 arranged that entire
sections Of the school visited the garden
for one hour a day three days in the week.
Five lessons we're devoted 20 the first prin-
clples OF Landscape architecture.
h lot, i0Ox2CO. was divided into plots
4xs feet. Paths we're laid out. Stakes
were driven at the corners and the plots
fenced in by string. Wooden signboards
constructed by the Henchwork class to
contain the names Of the proud rossessors
OF the plots were given TO the boys and girls
after the allotment Of the land.
The tact OF a T~alleyrand and the genius of
a Napoleon were required to distribute these
garden Plots to the horde of eager appli-
cants without offending his Majesty the
New York Kid. Those who showed the
most interest and proficiency in their nature
study work in school we're naturally the
lucky ones.
Those who showed a willingness and dis