Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-08
Digging Natures Call in Sprngn

devouug attention to gardening and flower
raising, either for profit or pleasure, with
more or less success. Yet omaha stlll buys
many thousands Of dollars worth OF vcsc-
tables and flowers and fruits raised else
where. The day is apparently sull far u
the future when everybody who has tlH
opportunity and the available ground viii
raise what garden truck thcy need aud
thus save money and conserve health for
themselves and their families,
w n. Shaw is the managing director OF
the vacant lot gardening campaign now on
in Omaha. Mr. shaw Is u lawyer by pro-
fcssion, but he finds great pleasure IN this
extra work ON which he has entered. While
studying law he was in charge OF the boys
at the omaha Detention Home, and had q
good deal Of success in directing their at
tentlon to tho fruitfuucss OF the soil when
II is properly tckied with hoe and then
kept clear Of weeds while the real things
grew into beauty and value Like many
others before him, Mr.. Shaw is sometimes
led to wonder why the USELESS, bad things
grow amazingly, not only without attention,
but against strenuous opposition. Nv tho
desirable sprouts OF the earth require grca-
care and much nourishlns But so it Is,
on the list Of vacant lot gardeners takcrv
in hand by the Associated Charities ut
Omaha there are now about 100 famIlie.,
with a few more in sight \ good many
widows with children have taken lots TO
supply all who might want a garden, Nj.
Shaw secured permission from real estate
agents and private owners To use almost 80
acres OF land. OF this area something over
thirty-fvc acres have boon assigned to uIn
families evincng a desire To 'alst garden
truck enough for their own use. and pos
A..
turned back to the people Offering IT,
Most Of the acres and too. tlLcn for use
are in the outlying sections of the city
west south and uoT,u, Uun pItcu 90 Ua
cultivated by a needy family is on Farnam
street but that Is the only one lu the htait
Of town.
Ten families, with large groups of chill
dren. have an acre each, about fifteen
families have two lots each and the balance
are devoting their work to one lot each.
1t has been proven that one city lot prop
erIy cultivated and cared for, viii produce
a surprisingly large amount of garden
truck.
seed was supplied free by the Associated
Charities bureau, except potatoes, which
were mostly purchased by the planters
Senator Burkett and Congressman HitoHV
cock between them forwarded from Wash
ington close to ,OO0 packages Of Ncgetdn.o
seeds. Besides going TO the vacant Doe
gardeners these seeds also supplied tho
Detention home of Douglas county the
city mission, the Social settlement in the
southern part of the city and the Dunkard
church mission.
Whore necessary the Associated Charities
had the blowing done for willing people and
in some cases tools were furnished. Nj.
shaw will give his personal supervision
largely to the planting of seed and the care
Of the crop when it begins to grow lie
has held back the planting until the lreeH-
ing time was past, and even If they wanted
TO put in the seed some time ago, the bene-
ficlaries could not get it. Hence the vacant
lot gardeners will not lose any OF their
seed or their work through planting too
early
Just how much will be raised on the
thirty-fi five acres given over to these people
who are striving to help themselves by
utilizing vacant property is predetermined
but Mr. Shaw and Miss Jontz and the pto-
pie they represent are confident enough
will be produced to tide the workers over
the season OF fresh vegetables, and In most
cases furnish enough potatoes and other
vegetables to supply their needs during
most of the winter to follow.