New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-23
DAY FOR BOYS
Four Hundred Get Crops In at
Thomas Jefferson Park.
GARDEN LEAGUE SHOWS HOW
Such Swarm of Eager Young
East Siders That Many Must
Come Again.

/ When the international School Farm
Garden League started to inform the boys
and girls around 114th street and the East
River that the garden OF a thousand gar
dens." in the Thomas Jefferson Park, was
about TO open for the season of 1912, II was
momentarily stumped When the league
wants to summon the young farmers in the
neishborhood Of De Witt Clinton Park TO
the spring planting in the gardens there It
sends them postcards, but the tenement
dwellers in the Thomas jefferson Park re-
gion are so poor that they don't have letter
boxes
Postcards, therefore, were impossible But
Mrs. Henry Parsons, director Of the league
who knows boys. didn't hesitate a minute
when she heard of the difficulty.
Tell one boy" she commanded her help
ers. That's all you have to do"
This resort 10 the wireless Telegram ply Of
boydom proved perfectly satisfactory
Three o'clock yesterday afternoon was the
hour set for the first planting, and the min
ute school was out crowds OF boys. process
sons Of boys, perfect regiments OF boys
might have been seen sprinting from all
directions for the farm in Thomas Jeffer-
son Park.
\ motley lot they were as to clothes as
they stood scores upon scores OF them
juggling and shutting impatiently outside
the gate held in check by a fat policeman
until Mrs. Parsons and Henry Griscom
Parsons. her son. and their assistants were
ready for the onslaught. Some We're nearly
swallowed M in red jerseys. Some wore
their fathers overalls and some were
I IL
had on
\ few wore whole suits neatly patched.
but rags appeared to he rather the fashion
among the small Italians-they were most
Is Italians-who swarmed at the gate But
rags or no, they behaved we'll, punching
only one another's anatomies and not the
fat policeman's, and when the gate was
opened only a bout third Of them were
knocked down in the rush 10 the Enclosure
At the north end Of the garden. where
row n young women waited 70 enter their
names as farmers and give eacL the tag
that showed which bed was his
Nearly six hundred bows came. but only
three hundred and seventy-hve planted
their plots. Mr.. Parsons who certainly
had his busy day sorting out the appli-
cants as they dashed FOR the registers 70
get their tags. thought ii would make TOO
long a session T. all were admitted. Those
who didn't get their tags wee told 10
come again Friday.
To-day will be the girls turn. HaH the
beds are for boys and half for girls, and
the farmeresses-or farmerettcs-are quite
as enthusiastic the boys
As soon as a group Of BOYS was properly
tagged they were led TO their sections Of
the garden. where q teacher would plant
bed 10 show them how 70 do II. 1t was
curious 10 sec the intense look on tho faces
Of those small Italians as they watched the
momentous planting OF the practice bed.
When the teachers got through there
wasn't one Of them who didn't know that
beans are planted one span spart-a span
being the reach OF nrger-aud that beer
seed and carrot seed are "sprinked Ike
salt" That when YOU plant corn Won put
one kernel in each hole and that IN the
school farm gardens YOU have n fringe Of
lettuce around the edge Of your bed
No tools were used IN the planting. Mrs.
Parsons has made new reading 81 the
old saving Fingers were made before
forks" Fingers" she saws. were made
before hoes rakes or measures.