The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-07
.ODD PARTNERSHIP
 IN NEW YORK CITY Crippled Children Together
 Raise a Garden A PATHETIC INCIDENT One Is Without Arms and the Other Cannot WaIk-Leaeue Cam
 paiens to Help the
 Little Folks.

New York, June 6.-(specia1) a1)-Probably the queerest partnership in all New York is that entered into by a little child whose feet are crippled for life and an- other child who has no arms. These two children, who came from school for eripples, combined forces to raise a gar den in Dewitt Clinton school farm. on the middle West Side They had seen 800 other normal children dig and plant and care for their little plots and finally gar ner harvest of radishes beans, lettuce beets, carrots, onions and corn. Each little cripple wanted to do the same. And this is the way they did it. The little fellow with useless legs was carried to his plot, where he lay on his stomach ready for business. The chap with the legs walked there, and with his toes. which were fingers to him, loosened the weeds. He also brought water and tools. which were hung around his shoulders. The other little chap crawed over and gathered the pulled 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 body. They were handicapped somewhat because they could not catch and study butterflies and bugs which aid plants or harm them, but the instructors and other children were careful to bring them lows also got the benefit of the ele- mentary science and nature study which the garden Is designed to teach
 This partnership, which illustrates the deep interest all children in crowded cities have in making things grow, was made possible through the transformation of a large city lot which was a pile of brick bats and tin cans, and was used affection ately by the neighborhood as a dumping place for old mattresses and other dis earded household gear. The land was purchased for park but before the ground was put into condition, Mrs. Henry Parsons got the idea of using part of it for a childrens school farm. The rubbish was cleared off and top soil put in. and from the very beginning more children asked for plots than could be accommodated. A little house on the ground was used to make model kitchen and living room, where girls-and boys, too-learned to cook and keep house. They even scrubbed floors with deep delight The plan soon won the approval of the municipality which now appropriates s5000 a year. for keeping up this work This appropriation, it is found, provides all necessary gardening instructors, who train HOO children in two groups each season. Many of the gardeners also bring little brothers and sisters with them, so that at least 2600 children are benefited.
 Tn addition, some 30 public schools send their classes here for nature study. and the teachers training school makes ob- servation work in the garden part of its courses for graduation. In all. including adults. some 5000 people enjoy the garden annually. The success of the plan has led to the opening of two other large gardens by the board of education. And out of 1t has grown the International Children's School Farm league, which 's pledged to encourage the establishment of school farms in other cities. with the idea of rendering vacant lots of direct beno1t to the children.
 This movement has met with immediate 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, sim far farms In some localities the gar oens. in addition to teaching elementary horticultural science, are most favorably regarded because the products of the lit- tie plots are welcomed as food in their homes. For to make the thing very real the little farmers are allowed to take lome their vegetables or to sell them. In big city needless to say, vegetables gathered but few minutes md ready sale. Tn such cases the instructors are careful to see that the children know the