The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-03-13
A City OF Gardens.

Honesdale has some vacant lots
hat could be made things of beauty
nd usefulness If there were a proper
rganized effort in that direction. The
own has done many things in the
Inc OF progress the last few years,
ut that is no reason why the good
YORK should not be continued. An
nteresting story of what the use of
acant lots as gardens did for Mimi
apolis in 1911, is told in a recent
ssue of Survey. The Garden Club of
hat city planted 325 vacant lots to
egetables and flowers last summer
100000 square feet to the vege-
hbles and 100000 to flowers. It dis
ributed $4,000 packages of nastur-
um seeds to children; covered every
acant lot along two miles OF the
balm arterial street with grass or
overs; cleared 600 acres of rub
ish, and screened 10000 feet of
treet frontage with bushy plants.
Under its influence, 700 persons,
OF including its members, also gar
ened vacant lots, and $4,000 had
ardens at home. Nineteen hundred
cres in all were improved. The ex-
enses of the Garden Club amounted
b $3,5S4.43, the value of the crop
as S11, soils.
In Minneapolis there are 5000
tres of vacant lot, sufficient to sup
ly the entire State with vegetables.
he economic value of vacant lot
ardens to those who took them up
realty outweighed the cost. So
hany vegetables were grown that
pmplaints were made by the gro
PRS. Many of the stores were sup
lied with fresher vegetables at a
pwer cost. People in the neighbor-
ood of vacant lot gardens bought
rom the gardeners; the hotels dur
pg the week. of the Minneapolis
ivic Federation served vacant lot
egetables.
OF the 325 vacant lot gardens, only
ght were abandoned through lack
interest on the part of the garden
The motive for the general gar
ening movement was provided by
be decision to make Minneapolis a
ty of gardens in honor of the civic
FEDERATION week held in July last.
IN appeal was made to civic pride in
fder to induce citizens to do what
as for their economic benefit. For
fee of 81 the Garden Club gave
beds for lot 40 by 100 feet, plowed
hd narrowed the lot; provided sup
vision and instruction all summer,
hd offered valuable prizes.
1t was soon discovered that it was
pit necessary to get formal permis-
on for the use of lots. Since there
as no cost to them, and the lots
ere to be restored in the same If not
etter condition, the owners had no
bJections. The local Congressman
fcured government seeds for all the
anting.
Before the middle OF summer the
arden fever had spread like a con-
gion. Appeals were made through
e newspapers, and then by mem
ers of the club personally appear
before the clubs, lodges, improve
ent organizations and other asso-
ations.
When the agitation had progress
little the Young Mems Chris
pm Association organized a course
six lectures on gardening, the farm
hool supplying the lecturers. A
cal seed house planted model va
int lot garden in a pen eight feet
ng and displayed it in a show win
bw. Hundreds watched it daily to
e the seeds come up, and hun
feds of applications resulted. The
ersight of gardens was entrusted to
uperintendent and six assistants,
ch of them being fifty gardens and
quired to go from garden to gar
n giving assistance and advice.
by couldn't Honesdale be made a
ty of gardens?