The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-16
.BOUGHNER TELLS
 OF GARDEN CLUB Benefits Minneapolis De-
 rived From Idea IT WAS CIVIC PRIDE Appeal Caused Citizens to Plant Two Million Square Feet in Vegeta-
 bles and Quarter of a
 Million in Flowers
IT WAS CIVIC PRIDE

Washington, December 15.-Civic, economic and social benefits were de- rived by Minneapolis from the garden club campaign" carried on there during the past season for the purpose of hay ing all the city's vacant lots turned into flower and vegetable beds according to Leroy J. Boughner of Minneapolis, who told the American Civic associa- tion in convention here today of the vacant lot garden" work done in his home city.
 It was matter of civic pride, not an economic motive, which early last spring started the garden Idea, MT. Boughner explained. A civic celebra- ton was to be held early in July, he said, 50 we decided to have gardens to beautify the city for its hundred thousand visitors" The fact that there were 5000 acres of vacant lots in the city, sufficient to supply the entire state with vegetables was not enough appeal to get the citizens of Minne- apolis interested; but the appeal to their civic pride caused them to plant 1000, 900 square feet to vegetables and 250,0O0 to flowers. said the speaker.
 MT. Boughner held Minneapolis up as a model for other cities, pointing out in detail how the vacant lots there had been transformed into bowers of flower and vegetable beauty, and called attention to some of the mistakes which had been made So successful was this years Garden club campaign. however, that it will be continued with renewed vigor, MT. Boughner declared, during the coming year.
 "A garden is a bit of land where plants and people grow and love each other." said the speaker in describing the benefits of the work. First and foremost he placed the fact that the use of vacant lots had satisfied the farm craze, had taught more than roo men and women whether they desired to go back to the land. -ow better could a man find out that upon the small patch of land that lies next to his home?'
 From the economic standpoint, Mr. Boughner declared that 'so many vege- abes were grown on the vacant lots of Minneapolis that tomatoes were plenti- ful at 75 cents bushel, whereas a year ago they were scarce and sold for $1.50 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 murdering cutworms."
 Again there was such a contrast this year, he declared, between the lots op- erated by the Garden club and those which it had not touched that the mayor has instructed the police during the sea- son of 1912 to enforce the ordinance coy- ering the cutting of weeds and removal of rubbish from vacant lots," which or dinance had fallen somewhat into dlsuse.
 The excellent impression which visitors gain of city, MT. Boughner pointed out as a great advantage The model vacant lot garden at the fair grounds, he said was seen by 75S,O0O people.
 In q social way the results were great, he asserted. As a concrete example of this he cited a garden in a block where lived two Jews, a Norwegian, two Ger mans and a New England family. Before the garden experiment none of the faml- lies had ever had anything in common, but before the summer was over, said MT. Boughner, "all the families were visiting freely The gardens in many instances were social centers.''
 In telling of how the citizens were aroused to join the Garden club, Mir Boughner, who is its president, and who was chairman of the garden commit tee oe this years 'civic celebration" de- clared that Intelligent newspaper pub licity alone will cover a city with gar dens.''