Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-27
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It's worth while to take a ride
about Harrisburg and especially its
outlying sections just to see the
manner in which the vacant lots are
pelns plowed UP and back lots are
peing planted with cabbages, DO
tatoes and corn. If the people who
are bending their backs over digging
ana planting are half as assiduous in
their care of their truck patches and
gardens during the summer and fight
the weeds with the same ardor that
they are lining up their rows. this
city will be one of the greatest food
producing centers per CAPITA to be
found in the State. Lots which have
lain vacant since they were plotted
nave been plowed up and there are
halt acre, whole. acre and even two
and three acre tracts which have
been on the market for years which
are being put to a use infinitely more
pehellclai than they have known for
many years. Some of the lots about
town which raised nothing but weeds
and taxes for twenty years have been
| set out with beans and in quite a
number of cases the garden plots
nave been set about with berry
bushes and fruit trees. Some of the
tracts in the upper end of the citv
and out on the Hill which have been
idle and neglected have gotten a
value in the eyes of their owners
or neighborS and are being spaded
for various vegetables. 1t is safe
wager that there will be mighty
few properties about Harrisburg
which are available for cultivation
1 that Will not be working this sum-
mer.
Governor Brumbaugh, who is urg-
ing that every one do some planting
and that steps be taken by every
owner of land to grow foodstuffs or
else to give the use of land for the
purpose, has been struck with the
manner in which the vacant lots
about Harrisburg have been put to
work. The people of this commun-
ity have the right idea. I'm delight
ed with the garden work see under
way around here" said the Governor
Yesterday. The loafing lots and out
lying sections which have been
awaiting development seem to have
taken on new lease of life. To my
mind there is nothing better at this
time than working to increase the
food supply. 1t is a most important
thing any time but especially now, I
am proud to see that the capital
turned in for gardening. You will
Y be mighty glad of it next fall 1t
is going to be hard work, but it will
be healthful work and profitable to
I us all"
1t is to be noted that the boys
who were looking down their noses
week ago over having to lose
some diamonds" and other places
where they have been accustomed to
, play have become reconciled very
quickly and in some parts of the city
r have laid out garden plots in which
the rivalry bids fair to be as keen
as in baseball. Out on one of the
= Hill streets three squads of boys
who have been wont to meet in mat
ters of athletic skin have gone in
I for gardening and somewhat inclined
to race in the matter of the best
kept gardens and the finest prod
ucts for any prize that may be Of
fered The boys generally have be-
come intensely interested in gar
dening. Ordinarily in the spring
boys and girls turn. t,4 gardening, but
the zeal wears off, This year with
everybody doing 1t there will be much
youthful work and the young folks
will have the example of everyone
to spur them on. The city has play
grounds for the boys and there are
, parks for the girls SO that. they will
not miss the old baseball,lot and the
tennis court.
Just how. the owners of lots in
newly laid-out sections who propose
to turn their properties into gardens
because 1T is too expensive to build
this year propose to protect them is
a problem. In some districts where
y there have been extensive lot sales
. and where building is likely to be
y held back because of the material
markets the owners are talking
;, about hiring watchmen to keep dogs
and children off the plots during the
growing periods and to save the
produce when the ripening time is
at hand. It is likely that there will
be some community watchmen
named by these people so that they
will be sure of the fruit of their
labors. incidentally, it is interesting
t to see how quickly the people who
have bought lots and whose home
building plans have been interfered
with have turned them into gardens.
at wish I could meet all the re-
quests l have had for onion sets.
for cabbage and tomato plants and
for seed potatoes" said one of the
| city's merchants last night. "The
| amount of gardening that is under
way in this section is tremendous, If
the demands for supplies that have
been coming to me are anything to
go by. / have had more requests for
young vegetables to set out than for
ten years put together and I am un-
able to get any more"