Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-20
j. S. DONATESPARK
LAND FOR GARDEN
Proposed Potomac Golf Course
to Be Turned Into Vege-
table Tract.
BOY SCOUTS TO WORK PLOT

Uncle Sam today donated 900 acres Of
ground in East Potomac Park to be
washington's biggest vegetable garden
More than 1000 Boy Scouts of Washing
ton and vicinity will answer a mobilza-
ton call tomorrow morning at 10 O'Clock.
and will march. with rakes and hoes over
their shoulders. to the tract. pitch their
tents there. and start work on planting
and cultivating the land.
AS the Boy Scouts pass the White
House and the State. War and Navy de-
partments their band will play patriotic
airs. and the boys will sing and whistle
them President Wilson and Secretary
of War Baker will be asked to review
the rake and hoe parade"
After mobilizing at 14th street and
Pennsylvania avenue. the boys will march
to 18th street and Pennsylvania avenue,
north on 18th street and west on Penn
sylvania avenue. and down 18th street to
Potomac Park.
Col w. w. Harts. in charge of public
buildings and grounds. this morning
formally turned over to Colin H. Liv-
ingstone. president of the Boy Scouts OF
America. and to Arthur c. Moses. pres
ident Of the scouts of the District. the
land for the use of the boys.
Colin H. Livingstone today sent out an
appeal addressed to the 2ls,0a9 Boy
Scouts in this country. to observe to-
morrow as National Planting day"
This action is in line with the emer-
gency circular cent out by James f.
West of New York, chief scout execu-
tive. that every scout feed a soldier
Patrol to Protect Crops.
Every Saturday throughout the sum
mer the Boy Scouts of the District will
establish a weekend camp in Potomac
Park. Week days they will go down in
day time or in evenings to work the
ground. A patrol will be there all the
time to protect the crops.
Col. Harts already has had 125 acres
of the tract plowed, so the boys may
begin work tomorrow. Through Mr.
Livingstone. Henry Ford will be asked
to send to Washington a tractor. to
help plow and harrow the rest of the
land.
The work will be under the direction
of Mr.. Moses. Ralph II. Campbell. H. H.
Grogan, Boy Scout commissioner. and
]. w. Patton and Hugh l.. Taylor,
deputy commissioners. Two men from
Col. Harts' office will be detailed to aid
in the supervision of the work
At present the land is accessible from
bureau. Of engraving and printing
cars. Later the scouts will establish
ferry line. by saof motor boats and
canoes. from Water and p streets, 49,,
Corn to Be Planted First.
Corn will be planted at once. Peas
and beans will be put in upon the sec
ond working. The camp will be estab-
lished in the woods at the east end of
the tract. The scouts will clear the
bush and some timber. Every scout
will take with him tomorrow a tent,
garden implements and rations for to-
morrow and Sunday. Heading the
rake and hoe parade" will be the Boy
Scout Band of sixty-fve pieces. Fol-
lowing the band will be a wagon load
of seeds and fertilizer. The boys viii!
mobilize at Pennsylvania avenue and
18th street The central garden COM
mittee. meeting yesterday afternoon
the plan.
The garden in East Potomac Park
will be on the land designed for two
public golf courses. The boys will be
away by October /, so that the work
of laying out the courses may go ahead.
Boy Scouts from other cities will be
invited to come down for short periods
to help in working the land. When the
boys get through they will leave the
land clear and they will turn over the
stalks to the District or the federal
governments. They will sell their
products at market prices.