Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-06
VEGETABLEPLOTS
FOR CITY SQUARES
Mayor, Datesman and For
ester Pond Will Set
Example
TO SWELL FOOD SUPPLY
First Experiments to Be Made
in Sections Where Unused
Land Is Plentiful

With the idea Of further stimulating
and promoting the cultivation Of vegetable
gardens on unused tracts Of land Mayor
smith has just concluded all details of an
arrangement by which portions of many
OF the public squares will he turned into
vegetable gardens which will be known as
War Gardens
Mayor Smith is working out the idea
through Director Datesman who is beina
assisted by Chief Cummiskey Of the Bureau
OF city Property, and Raymond Pond. city
Forester
The idea is to establish a sort Of demon
stratton garden in each Of the squares.
The gardens are to be laid out planted and
developed in such a manner as to be the
means of instr" tion as well as stimulation
To those who live adjacent to the squares
and who may be thus induced To deyelop
gardens of their own
AS a result of conference between
Mayor Smith and Director Datesman those
squares which have been selected for the
establishment of the first of the war gar
dens are in locations which are adjacent
to much open ground not used for any
purpose and which could be very well and
very easily developed
The parks and squares where the first
Of the gardens will be established are
Clark's Park, Forty.third street and
Baltimore avenue
Gorgas Park Ridge avenue and Hermit
tage street
Stinger Park, Thirty-third and Dickinson
streets
Mcpherson Square, Indians avenue and
+ street.
Vernon Park, Greene street and Chelten
avenue
Mifllin Square, Sixth and Wolf streets.
Stenton Park, Eighteenth and Wyoming
avenue
Disston Park, Keystone and Longshore
streets.
POND MAKES PLAN
The plan for the laying out Of each of the
gardens has already been finished by CITY
Forester Pond. 1t calls for a plot in each
of the parks or squares forty by forty five
feet. This plot will be divided into two sec
tions, one twenty by forty feet and one
twenty by twenty feet, with a small plot
between The plan also provides for the
kind of vegetables which are to be grown
and the space in each section of the plot
allotted for the cultivation Of each particular
kind Of vegetable.
The development and cultivation Of the
gardens will not entail any expense what
ever to the city. All the seed which will
be used nthese gardens is to be furnished,
free Of charge, by Philadelphia store
The work of planting the seed. cultivating
the garden i'm each instance is to he done
by force Of city employees now at work
in the parks and squares They are to re-
ceive no additional compensation for this
work, but have been given the privilege of
appropriating to their own use all vege-
tables raised in these gardens
WILL EXTEND SYSTEM
As the war garden scheme is develoned
it is to he extended to other parks and
squares until all possible demonstration
can he afforded to those who are interested
in the cultivation of vegetables.
The ultimate effect Of the war garden,
it is believed by Mayor Smith and Director
Datesman, will be most beneficial as re-
CARDS the food supply and prices. SO far
as they are concerned, they intend to do
everything that is possible to make these
gardens most beneficial from public stand
point, and they hope that their efforts in
this direction will be appreciated to such an
extent by those who have access to unused
ground that they will at once set to work
developing gardens of their own.