The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-02
VACANT LOT FARMING ENDS
CITY LAND AVAILABLE NOW
ONLY FOR TENTING.

In Hard Luck Back 60 the Soil Pre-
nounced Q saccess-Ts ne Resumed
when More Land Can BE Borrow ed.
The Vacant Lot Gardening Association.
OF which Bolton Hall 10 treasurer. IL o tribe
cast down over the temporary suspension
Of its activities. and the one hundred or
more persona who expected to 60 farming
this summer on land supplied by the asso-
ton are a good deal disappointed. For the
last three years the associat on has been
operating fifteen acres Of Tlound lent by
the Aston estate in the Interests Of the
unemployed. n Of It's purposes being TO
furnish an object lesson to the rising genera
ton Of how easy 1t Il to get good returns
from the soil.
From the start twenty families q season
have camped on the land from May to
November. Ten Of them remained during
the first winter and fifteen lived in camp
during the second winter.
The camperA were mostly people who had
met with hard luck. and their experience did
them good. The outdoor life gave new
health and strength to feeble men and
plump and red checked.
One young man obliged TO give up work
because Of incipient consumption took a
garden, worked it for a season and got well
enough to take outdoor employment the
following winter and hold on to 1t till the
spring, when he again applied to the aaso-
citation for a plot. That season he raised
slei worth Of vegetables. enough to last
him all winter. Best of all. his physician
told him no was entirely cured.
From the time their crops began to ripen
six weeks after going to the farm an italian
laborer, his wife and six children practically
supported themselves from the output OF
a t~hree-quarter acre plot. and the father. who
was sick in the hospital with tuberculosis
when the tent was put up. Is getting well.
Children living far down in Manhattan
have worked diligently In their plota Sat,ir-
days aud Sundays, proudly applying their
harvests to the support Of those at horne
and gaining a knowledge Of farming which
will make them independent Of factories
and sweatshops II they use it.
With such results the OF the
association consider that Its work b for
past the experimental stage. and plans were
being outlined to enlarge the scope Of it's
operations when notice was received last
maTCu tudt VIC BNOuuu tuc dS6DClHttOu naf1
been using had been leased to a market
gardener. This was a blow which only
those who are engaged In work OF fhis
sort could appreciate.
Get the loan Of other land; there are
plenty Of vacant lots and fields in tho upper
part Of New York. advised a woman inter
ested in the work.
So also said some Of the disappointed
applicants for plots last spring. and the
superintendent himself was hopeful that
some available land could be found. But
the association has not been able to follow
the advice. Said Mr.. Hall:
Tho most serious drawback to vacant
lot gardening in New York Is lack Of avail
able land within easy reach of the crowded
districts. When the Aston loan was with
drawn I appreciated the fact that 10 wolld
require q good bit OF searching around to
duplicate 1t But bad q man como to me
and said that to get the foam OF even h few
acres suitable FOR purpose in Man
haitian or The Bronx was impossible I
should have said mentally. Well, my man.
you are a first class Incompetent
1T was not till I had had q prolonged
try at it myself that I discovered how almost
impossible 1t Is to persuade an agent or an
owner to consent to the free use Of O foot Of
idle ground which might much better he
planted than filed with stones and stubble.
lots and parcels Of ground and report to me,
and aftsrward / communicated person
ally with the ownefs or agents.
Il raked New York with n fine tooth
to find vacant lots, and when they
we're found the owners one and all began
to make excuse.
Il saw some lots in upper Fifth avenue
would make a splendid garden. but
the agent said he had refused an offer OF
5000 a year for advertising privileges on
the surrounding fence. No. 1t would not |
the ground. he admitted. TO plant
things in it. but to have 90 many working
folks around might be an objection. At |
any rate he wouldn't consider. 1t.
Fine stretches Of ground elsewhere, not |
likely to be built upon this year. were re-
because a purchaser might turn up |
ut any minute. the agent thought.
But we will get put when O purchaser
up l assured one and another.
Sometimes the owner left the decision
10 his agent. and again the agent left tho
decision to the owner. and every time I
get the land.
Finally the association succeeded In
getting the loan OF a small piece Of ground
at Dyckman street and Prescott avenue.
and at the present moment there are four
.tenters. very poor families. living on 1t.
the rent question till times are
better. The plot is not large enough to
allow Of making gardens other than q very
small plot to each tenter.
W have the loan also Of a plot OF ground
At Broadway and 221st street which will
accommodate perhaps elk tents. and Of q
third plot at nth street and Sedgwick
avenue in The Bronx with room for -four
Or more tents. This encourages us TO be
ieve that by next spring we shall have
enough land to resume the work
81 planting gardens. but for this summer
At least the association will oonhne ito work
10 giving tent privileges to worthy families
unable to pay rent and to showing that
t is perfectly possible to live in a tent and
be comfortable.
Once the poor find this out there will
be less extreme poverty. I believe. and less
congestion In some districts Of Manhattan.
In cases where 1t Ia impossible for q family
o buy a tent We provide the tent for
hair taa fr-. - -L.-