Charlevoix county herald., 1914-04-04
Minneapolis Vacant Lot Gardening

A stranger in Minneapolis during
the summer of 1911, Enless he were
totally blind to his surroundings, could
not fail to be impressed with the evil
dences of civic interest as shown by
the displays of flowers in the bust
ness sections. Along Nicollet Avenue
from the Northern Pacific depot both
wholesale and retail houses had flower
boxes at almost every window. In
the show windows of large jewelry
store were photographs of home and
school gardens. In one of the busiest
portions of the city, surrounded by
billbOards, there was a Furnishing
vegetable garden that would do credit
to a good truck farm. Lots planted
with vegetables and flowers seemed
more numerous than the uncultivated
ones. Most of this was due to the
efforts Of the Garden Club to beautify
the city for the civic celebration held
in July.
A year previously the Garden Club
was just coming into existence, pledg-
ing itself TO promote home, school and
neighborhOod gardens. Under its aus
pices one vacant-lot garden was estab-
llshed for 16 boys, members of the
Boys Club. The boys raised their
vegetables, sold them, received their
prizes, and the garden dropped from
the public sight, but the benefit to
the boys was not lost, for when the
Garden Club in 1911 began cam
~palgn for a more beautiful city 10 of
the 16 boys entered into competition
with the adult population in cultivat-
ing vacant lots.
The campaign OF the club was
started by offering through the news
papers to obtain for anybody the use
Of any vacant lot he might choose,
TO plow and harrow it for planting
to supply the necessary seed, and 20
furnish plan and expert supervision.
All gardener was required to do was
to select his lot, notify the Garden
Club, pay his dollar membership fee,
and plant his seeds. AS result Of
this offer 435 gardens were cultivated
by the club members and yielded
beautifully. Not more than per
cent of them were failures. Such a
generous offer of assistance required
money to meet the obligations The
dues furnished over $500, but the bulk
of the money came from the funds of
the civic celebration. The committee
in charge placed $4,000 at the disposal
VI IHe GdFueH SluD TO ureSS me CITY
for the celebration. Judicious and
persistent advertising, combined with
expert supervision and inexhaustible
enthusiasm on the part of those in
charge account for the success of the
work. Application blanks were sent
broadcast and the s 3.sc. fc, s... appeared
for many days in one of the daily
papers. There seemed to be little
difficulty in securing lots, owing to
the cooperation of the real estate
board. After lot was secured an
agreement was entered into by the
gardener and the owner of the lot
whereby the gardener would surren-
der the lot on five days notice. The
fiarden Club also held itself respon-
sible for the cleaning of all vacant
lots in the city. In this they enlisted
the aid Of the police department
Blank cards were given policemen
upon which reports were made of the
condition of the lots. Six hundred
lots we're cleaned by the club. All in
formation in regard to vacant lots and
gardens was carefully catalogued by
means of the card system. This in
formation was very complete. The ap-
pIication and other forms shown be-
low are worth study by those con-
templating the same kind Of work.