Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-04
PARTNERSHIP OF cRlPPLEs.
Between Them They Manage to Make
Garden.

Probably the queerest partnership in
III New York city is that entered into
" little child whose feet are crippled
Tor life and another child who has nc
lrms. These two children, who came
rom a school for cripples, combined
'orces to raise a garden in Dewitt
Clinton school farm, on the middle
West Side.
They had seen 800 other normal chill
1ren dig and plant and care for theil
little plots, and finally garner har-
vest of radishes, beans, lettuce, beets
carrots, onions and corn. Each little
cripple wanted to do tie same. Ar(
his is the way they did it. The little
elbows with useless legs was carried
o mis- plot, where he lay on his stom.
,ch ready for business. The chap with
he legs walked there and with hi.
toes. which were fingers to him, loos
aned the weeds. He also brought
water and tools, which We're hung
around his shoulders. The other little
chap crawled oyer and gathered the
pulled weeds Up, dug holes in the sol
md dropped in the seeds.
They could not plant things close to-
0 have Ioom between the rows for his
little body. But between them the
pair did make a garden where things
grew. They We're handicapped some
what because they could not catch
and study butterflies and bugs which
aid plants or harm them, but the In
structors and other children were care
full to bring them captivcs to study, sc
that the little fellows also got the ben
eft of the elementary science and
nature study which the garden is de-
signed to teach.
This. partnership, which illustrates
the deep interest all children in crowd
I'd cities have in making things grow
Vas made possible through the trans
formation Of large city lot which was
a pile Of brickbats and tin cans and
was used affectionately by the neigh
oorhood as dumping place for old
mattresses and other discarded house
hold gear. The land was purchased
for park but before the ground was
put into condition Mrs. Henry Par
sons got the idea of using part of it
FOR a chilcren's school farm.
The rubbish was cleared off and ton
soil put in, and from the very begin
ming more children asked for plots
than could be accommodated a little
house on the grounds was used tc
Clake q model kitchen and living room.
Where girls and boys, too, learned tc
'ook ard keep house. They even
scrubbed floors with deep delight.
The plan soon won the approval OF
the municipality, which now appro-
PIRATES $4,000 a year for keeping VI
this work. This appropriation, it is
found, provides all necessary garden
ing instructors, who train LOO chill
'iren in two groups each season. Many
of the gardeners also bring little
brothers and sisters with them, so that
at least 260l children are benefited
In addition some thirty public
schools send their classes here for ma
ture study, and the teachers training
school makes observation work in the
garden part of its course for gradual
ton. IT 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 beard of education. And out
of it has grown the Information Chill
dren'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-
date 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. In some
localities the gardens, in addition to
elementary agricultural sci
ence, are favorably regarded because
the products of the little plots are well
coined 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
,ity, needless to say, vegetables gath
ered but few minutes find ready
sale NV
In such cases the instructors are
'areful to See that the children know