Evening star., 1917-05-19
$500 GARDENS
IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Expert Connolly Also Estimates More
Than rs Per Cent Under Guilt
vation for First Time.

There are in the District about $500
vegetable gardens. These gardens ems
acres. More than IS per cent of them
are under cultivation for the first time
this year.
This is the estimate made by II. NJ.
Conolly, garden expert of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, after spending
practically all his time this week in
making vegetable garden survey of
the District.
In these gardens there will be raised
this year, Mr.. ConolIy estimates:
Seventy acres of tomatoes (early and
late), so acres of Irish potatoes (early
and late), 40 acres of beans Qima and
snap beans), 20 acres of cabbage (early
and late). Is acres of onions. 25 acres
of beets. carrots, sweet corn and various
other crops.
This will make. in all, about 230
acres of crops produced on 200 acres
of land, by the intelligent use of rota-
tion," Mr.. Conolly said.
Figures Based on Actual Survey.
"Of these $500 gardens about rs per
cent were not under cultivation last
year, and of the 25 per cent that were
under cultivation the efficiency has been
increased from so to rs per cent
Mr. ConolN's figures are based on an
estimate after actual. survey OF the
numbers and acreage of gardens in each
section of Washington. This week the
Girl Scouts are to make an exact CEN
sus. For this purpose 10000 blanks,
supplied by the Department of Agricul-
ture, today were distributed among the
thirty-two Girl Scout troops.
The girls will make house-to-house
canvass. Among the questions asked
on the blank forms they will use are:
Did you have garden last year,"
Have you a garden this year," IF
not, why not?" What help do you
need?" DO you desire instruction in
garden?" What did you learn from
the visitors?"
Calls It a Revelation.
Mr.. Conolly's survey indicates that the
home garden campaign in Washington
has been more successful than the op-
timists believed. Previous claims of
the central garden committee placed
the figure at 1000.
"If anything. the $500 figure is too
low." Mr.. Connolly said. 1T is a reve-
lation to go into many sections like
Brookland. Anacostia. Saurs Addition.
Petworth. Brightwood. Woodbridge and
other outlying communities and see
how every available bit of ground. is
being titled. Moreover. there is an en-
couraging tendency to plant staple
crops. which can be kept or canned.
like potatoes, tomatoes, beets, onions
and beans. The planting of lettuce and
radishes is not more than it ought to
be to supply immediate needs.
There are very few amateur gar
deners, many of them novices, who
have made serious blunders in their
work. Every one who did not under
stand the work apparently has had
competent instruction"
Mr. Conolly made personal visits to
more than 500 of the gardens. He now
records of their gardens. Blanks for
this purpose are being distributed
through the central garden committee
These records will result in greatly
increased efficiency next year.
Girl Scouts Doing Their Bit.
Girl Scouts today combined the es-
thetic with the utilitarian by meeting
at their garden back of Memorial Con-
tinental Hall and learning from Miss
Minnie Hawke a folk dance, which will
be the Girl Scout dance. and then 60
ing to work to clear trash and stones
from the tract before it is narrowed
Already it has been plowed up by
teams engaged by Mrs. Albert S. Bur-
Lesson.
The girls will raise tomatoes, snap
beans, lima beans. cabbage. sweet corn
and black-eyed peas.
The national emergency food garden
commission has donated seeds for use in
the Girl Scouts garden. Each girl was
given a primer. containing instructions
for the amateur gardener.
The Boy Scouts today went to work
with grubbing hoes on their garden in
east Potomac Park. They already
have put out about seventy acres in
corn and four acres In vegeta bles.
They began early in order to have a
larger acreage ready for planting he
fore a visit Of inspection they expect
ed this afternoon from Colin H. Lty-
ingstone. president of the Boy Scouts of
America,