Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-05
A COOP CROP

Cornell University has come in touch
with thousands OF New York state chill
dens of their own and to further tho
Improvement of school grounds. Nature
bulletins have been issued TO them Civ
ing clear directions. Interestingly writ
ten. in regard to seed and bulb planting.
and planning and caring for gardens.
Through its efforts more than $40 school
grounds in the state were improved b.
children in che year Primarily. the de-
sire OF the university Is IL aid the chill
dren of country schools. hut its inf1u-
ence is strongly felt in the city schools.
The De Witt Clinton Park Childrens
School farm in New York City has created
wide interest. This is conducted by Mrs.
Henry q. Parsons. This park Ii seven
acres in extent in the heart of tene-
ment district Many difficulties beset
Mrs. Parsons path. but she bravely
withstood them. and aided by her SON
and daughter. made the project an enor-
NOUS success and an untold beneht 10
the hundreds of children who now nave
farms each summer on which to plant
and grow various things. These are but
few OF almost innumerable instances
where this kind Of work has been at
tempted and successfully carried ou..
While the work here is not as broad as
| should like. i nevertheless believe that
it will have a beneficial effect upon the
children of the District.
* =
The first attempt made IL Washington
in this direction was in The spring y.
1907, when the bureau OF plant industry
received request from the norma
school for assistance and cooperation IN
its efforts to introduce gardening into
the course OF the school This request
was gladly granted. and seeds and ad-
vice freely given. AT first home gardens
were encouraged. bu. that summer MISS
Sipe was given free use Of the green
houses and gardens of the department.
Later an offer of land. a small green
house and workroorn was made AMI
gladly accep pied by the school. In the
autumn of I:sr. the first show was held.
the students having been requested TO
show the products of their summer gar
deus.
The acquisition OF the greenhouse ana
garden made an elementary course In
gardening possible. and this was added TO
the curriculum of the second year
students.
From the work done by the normal
school students the movement has grae-
iIally spread until today Ii embraces
practically the entire school attendance
Of the District. Children OF all ages
are included in the work. Penny pack
ages of seed are sold. and these are plant
ed at home. Nearly 100000 packages
school children of the District. In some
cases really wonderful results have beep
obtained. In one plot. one-s!Xteenth OF
an acre in size. fifty-fve collars worta
of vegetables was obtained by planting
again as soon as one crop had been ex-
hausted. Over $50 bushels % radishes
were gathered. hundred odd lunches Of
onions, nearly 800 heads or lettuce. eighty
odd punches OF beets. eight bushels OF
beans. seven of toma toes, several bunches
of carrots, one peck OF tu-nips besides
nasttrtiums and petunias. many boxes
of which found their way to various hos
pitfalls in the city.
Ihelf homes are armorieS. Within ths
last few years a number OF Moros have
come into the possession of firearms.
When the Spanisrds discovered thu
Philippines. some 400 years ago, they
found the Moros occupying, as now
about ninety islands south of Minda-
mao. the large southern island OF re-
Philippine group. and stretching far
away toward Borneo.
Not very long before il spemed,
large tribe of Malays from Borneo had
made its way into the Sufu islands
people fierce and warlille in dispos'-
ton. bold and daring in action. thar
for centuries thereafter they defed thu
power OF Spain and made that part ct
the Philippines "A very uncomfortable
place for the Europeans