The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-12-15
VACANT LOT GARDEN"
WORK IN CITIES
Described at Convention Of American
Civic Association in Washington
By Leroy ]. Boughner Of
Minneapolis.

i
Washington, D. c., Dec. l5.-Ciyic
economic and social benefits were derived
by Minneapolis from the garden club
campaign" carried on there during the
past season for the purpose OF having
all the city's vacant lots turned into
flower and vegetable beds, according Ia
Leroy j. Boughner, Of Minneapolis, who
told the American Civic association in
convention here to-day of the vacant
lot garden work done in his home city
1t was matter of civic pride, not
an economic motive, which early last
spring started the garden idea, Mr.
Boughner explained. A civic celebration
was to be held early in July, he said
$50 we decided to have gardens to beau
tify the city for its hundred thousand
visitors" The fact that there were 5000
acres of vacant lots in the city, "sufli-
ciont to supply the entire state with
vegetables" was not enough appeal to
get the citizens of Minneapolis interest
ed but the appeal 10 their civic pride
caused them to plant 100000 square
feet to vegetables and 100000 to flow
ers, said the speaker.
Mr.. Boughner held Minneapolis up as
model for other cities, pointing out
in detail how the vacant lots there had
been transformed into bowers of flow
er and vegetable beauty, and called at
tention to some Of the mistakes which
had been made. So successful was this
years garden club campaign, however,
that it viii be continued with renewed
vigor, Mr. Boughner declared during the
coming year.
"a g1rden Is bit of land where
plants and people grow and love each
other" said the speaker in describing the
benefits of the work. First and fore
most he placed the fact that "the use
of vacant lots had satisfied the farm
craze, had taught more than 700 men
and women whether they desired to 60
back to the land How better could
man find out than upon the small
patch Of land that lies next to his
home |"
From an economic standpoint, Mr.
Boughner declared that $50 many veg
etables were grown ON the vacant lots
of Minneapolis that tomatoes were plen-
tiful at IS cents a bushel whereas a
AAdl tEo AhtN Ntit NNaANN gnu nolu AVt
$3.50 a bushel."
A third benefit he found in this, that
most Of those who had gardens belonged
to the Office class, whose opportunities
for getting out in the fresh air are
small" Travelling about he said he
saw hundreds of GLOWING faces" as
result OF "hoeing and wedding and muir
dering out worms"
Again there was such contrast this
year, he declared. between the lots oper-
ated by the Garden club and those which
it had not touched that "the mayor
has instructed the police during the
season of 1912 to enforce the ordinance
covering the cutting Of weeds and re-
moyal OF rubbish from vacant lots"
which ordinance had fallen somewhat
into disuse.
The excellent impression which visit
ors gain of a city, Mr.. Boughner point
ed out as great advantage. The mod
el vacant lot garden at the fair grounds,
he said, was seen by 10000 people.
In social way the results were
great, be asserted. As q concrete ex-
ample of this he cited garden in a
block where lived two Jews, Nor
wegian, two Germans and New Eng
land family. Before the garden ex-
pertinent none Of the families had ever
had anything in common, but before
the summer was over, said Mr. Bough-
ner, "alI the families were visiting free
ly. The gardens in many instances were
social eenters"
In telling of how the citizens were
aroused to Join the Garden club, Mr..
Roughner, who is its president and who
was chairman Of the garden committee
OF this years civic celebration" de-
elared that various methods were used,
but that he found that intelligent
publicity alone will cover
city with gardens