Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-13
SUCCESSFUL SEASON AT
-FOUR PUBLIC GARDENS
Certificates Will Be Awarded
;: to- Boys Whose Work Is
Most Merit0ri0uS.

The four public gardens known as the
Speedway, Wal'ach. Rosedale and Blow.
which were worked during the summer
months by the young people Of the city.
have been officially closed until next
spring.
The Department of Agriculture in about
two or three weeks will give certificates
of merit to those boys who have been es-
pecially successful and industrious. The
number of these boys is about fifty, the
exact number not being known, as all
the reports are not yet in.
Though in almost every case the gar
dens have proved a great success the
results from the Speedway garden were
the most encouraging of all. This garden
contained only seventy plots, each eight
feet wide by fifteen feet long. During
the month of August, usually character
lied by small attendance, there was an
average of no less than ninety-five boys
working at the seventy plots on the days
when the garden was open. Many of the
boys had to double up on their plots in
order that each might have a chance at
farming.
Tables Supplied With Vegetables.
During the two and half months that
this garden was open the boys showed
ali unCeasinG interest in the work, and
many were able by their efforts to keep
their dinner table supplied with fresh
vegetables. This garden was also finan-
cial success. as the cost of maintaining
IL was but SIT per capita, and this it's
directors assert, is a very low cost when
the amount of good done for those who
work the gardens is taken into cOnsid-
Grafton.
The Wallach garden was the next most
ina
cerned, the cost per capita being but L
cent more than the cost of the Speedway
plots-that is. $1.2S. The cost of maintain
ing the Rosedale garden was considerably
more than either of those two. being S.. 10
per capita, while the Blow School garden
cost 81 per capita.
The days which were devoted to the
garden work were Monday, Wednesday
for use the children were allowed to car
ry it home or dispose of 1t in any other
manner which they chose. The crops on
the different plots were varied to large
extent. The yield included 900 toma-
toes, 1O1e pecks of string beans. 1854.
quarts of shelled lima beans, 400 heads
of lettuce. 800 beets, 600 carrots, 800
punches of parsley and 1850 radishes.
Besides these. which were raised on the
plots of the children only. large
amount of cotton, wheat hemp, rye and
peanuts was raised on other plots. which
will be used in the nature study work
which is pursued In the graded schools.
AS this material was raised by children,
it will probably prove more interesting
to the pupils than it has in previous
years.
A letter recently received from a gar
den expert who has been touring the
country inspecting such gardens these
four declared that in no part of the
United States had she seen gardens Kept
by children which were so successful
financially those in Washington.
Although most of the crops have been
harvested there are at the Rosedale gar
den number of cosmos which the young
fa<ners are sending. as they bloom. to
sick people in the neighbOrhOod and
schoolchildren who are ILL.,
Peoples Garden Association.
The Peoples Garden Association. which, |
through the courtesy of Col. Spencer Cos |
by superintendent of public grounds, |
obtained the use Of part OF the POto- |
mac Park for the garden plots. has |
promised to aid i'm beaufifyiNg that sec