The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-07
QUEER PARTNERSHIP
TWO INEHRM CHILDREN TOGETHER
 RAISE A GARDEN.
One of the Pathetic Incidents of Chii- dren's Farm--League Campaign- inR se Make Idle City
 Lots Useful.

New York. June 6--(Specia.l--FEo"- ably the queerest partnership in all New York Is that entered Into by lit- tie child whose feet are crippled for life. and another child who has no arms.
 These two children, who came from l school for cripples. combined forces to raise a garden In Dewitt Clinton | School Farm on the middle West Side | They had seen 500 other normal chii- | dren dig and plant and care for their | little plots and finally garner a har- | vest of radishes. beans, lettuce. beets' l carrots. onions and corn. Each little | cripple wanted to do the same. And this Is the way they did 1t. The | little fellow with useless legs was car | ried to his plot. where he lay on his 1 stomach ready for business. The chap | with the legs walked there, and with | his toes. which were fingers to him, | loosed the weeds. He also brought wa l ter and tools. which were hung around | his shoulders. The other little chap 1 crawled over and gathered the pulled l weeds up. dug holes in the soil and dropped in the seeds.
 They could not plant things close to- | gether because the little crawler had to have room between the rows for his 1 little body. But between them. the | pair did make a garden where things
  1 what because they could not catch and study butterflies and bugs which aid | plants or harm them. but the Instruct | ors and other children were careful to bring them captives to study so that the little fellows also got the benefit of the elementary science and nature study which the garden Is designed to 1 teach.
 This partnership. which Illustrates the deep interest all children in crowded | cities have in making things grow, was l made possible through the transforma- tion of a large city lot which was a pile of bfickbats and tin cans, and was used affectionately by the neighbor- hood as a dumping place for old mat tresses and other discarded household 1 gear.
 The land was purchased for a park. but before the ground was put into condition. Mrs. Henry Parsons got the l Idea of using part of 1t for a Chil- dren's School Farm The rubbish was cleared on and top soil put in, and l from the very beginning more children l asked for plots than could be accom- modated. A little house on the grounds was used to make model kitchen and living room, where girls, and boys too l learned to cook and keep house They 1 even scrubbed floors with deep delight
 The plan soon won the approval of the municipality, which now appropri- ates S5.000 a year for keeping up this l work. This appropriation, 1t Is found, provides all necessary gardening tn- structors who train HOO children In two groups each season. Many of the | gardeneSs also bring little brothers and | sisters with them, so that Rt least 2,6ea children are benefited
 In addition. some thirty public schools l send their classes here for nature study. and the teachers training school makes observation work in the garden | part of its course for graduation. In | all, including adults. some 5000 people enjoy the garden annually. The sue cess of the plan has led to the opening of two other large gardens by the | grown the International Chlldren's School Farm League, which Is pledged to encourage the establishment of school farms in other cities with the idea of rendering vacant lots of direct benefit to the children
 This movement has met with imme- diate response in many localities. The model farm operated at Jamestown spread the Idea widely in the South, and many other cities now have, or soon will have. similar farms. Tn some To- calities. the gardens, in addition to teaching elementary agricultural sci- once are most favorably regarded be- cause the products of the little plots are welcomed as food in their homes. For to make the thing very real, the little farmers are allowed to take home their vegetables or to sell them. In a big city. needless to say. vegetables gathered but a few minutes find a ready sale. In such cases the instruc- tors are careful to see that the chil- drsn know the real value of their wares and do not sell for a penny or two produce worth 25 cents. It is found, too, that the garden experience makes wise marketers out of the chill dren, who learn so much about vegeta- bles that the green grocer finds It im- possible to palm off stale goods on lit tie customers.
 But one thing. so far, has impeded the general spread of the Leagues idea according to its officers. This Is dearth of properly equipped teachers, for 1t is found that while the practical garden CT can teach children how to make things grow, he is unable to teach them the reasons for the various things or to deal scientifically with the nat 1 ural phenomena of plant life and the related Insect kingdom. For unless the garden plot also teaches the child much about the wonders of nature. and. through plant analogy, gives 1t con- crete illustration of the importance of plenty of fresh air and sunlight to | himself. 1t loses It's greatest effect. For the gardens are not projected merely to enable children to selfishly raise things which they can eat It must be also an open sesame to natures won- l ders.
 In farmin districts the garden also ] must give the child an elementary training in scientific farming methods. which. later, if he takes up agricul- ture. will lead him to employ scientific means instead of raising things in haphazard historical way. Such work requires the services of a teacher who | combines practical gardening ability l with pedagogical ability and wide knowledge of elementary science or nature study. Such teachers. as yet. are difficult to find, as the moveme ent is a new one in the educational field
 The League to meet this demand for teachers, has agreed to finance spe- cial normal course in children's gar- dening in connection with the general pedagogical department of theN New York University Summer School.
 The University has secured for the gardening class the use of large garden adjoining the campus on Uni- versity Heights. and will devote building to the indoor class work.
 Under the leadership of Henry Gris- com Parsons, Secretary of the League the students will be given practical instruction in planning and managing gardens. and in the making of such ap- paratus as is needed for class room l stardanf will he