Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-22
POTOMAC PARK
GARDEN FOLK
HAVE PROBLEM
Whether Vegetable Raising or
Golf Is the Better
Recreation.
500 GARDENERS PEEvED
BY FREDERICK j. HAsKIN.

BY FREDERICK j. HASKIN.
WASHINGTON. D. C.--Whether cult
waiting garden deserves to rank as
recreation, and whether 1t is as much de-
serving of a place on earth as golf, are
questions now agitating a number of
persons in the District of Columbia.
Down in Potomac Park. this, city, is
tract of seventy-fve acres, which has
been for three years given over to the
citizens of the District of Columbia 70
be used for gardening. An organization,
called the Potomac Garden Club, has been
formed and placed under the general SUI
pervision Of W. c. Hall of the Depart
ment of Agriculture. In this way
fourlshing and productive community
farm has been put into operation.
Adjoining the farm is a golf course,
also on the government land. and open
to all the citizens Of the district Now
Congress has passed an act appropriate
ing all of this government ground in
Potomac Park for "recreational purposes,
and this is understood to mean that 500
vegetable gardens upon which 300 peO-
Pile work. and which supply about 5000
people with all the fresh vegetables they
need. are to be plowed and sodded in
order to add a few more holes to
golf course.
Naturally, the 500 citizens who have
garden plots In this tract are indignant,
and so are many other parts of the
who have plots In other parts of the
city Through citizens associations
number of protests have been made to
Congress. It has been pointed out to
the gentlemen on the hill that these
seventy-fve acres In garden furnish ex-
n
the same area can furnish in a golf
course The Congressman have also been
reminded of their great desire to econo-
mize 1t has been pointed out to them
that the seventy Ave acres Of garden pro-
duce $4,000 worth Of food a year and
cost the Government practically nothing,
while the golf course viii cost the Gov
eminent about $4,000 a year to keep up.
GOLF COURSE DEYoTEES
HAVE ARGUMENT.
or course. the proponents Of the golf
course have their strong arguments. too.
They claim that the proper use Of Poto-
mae Park IS that Of a playground. 1t IS
already enc Of the best in the country 10
the variety OF sports II affords In the
excellence Of the fields for them and In
IT'S adequacy to the Guys population.
Here tennis baseball, football, polo,
horseback riding. golf and swimming,
are all provided for. And the facilities
are not skinny and overcrowded Ike
those Of the New York and Chicago play
grounds. but compare favorably with
those Of country clubs.
Whether gardening has a place in the
organization Is a matter which no doubt
will admit or much debate. but IL Ger
tainly can not be denied that this Po-
tomac Garden Club is one Of the most
successful and interesting experiments In
municipal gardening which has been
made in the United States MIR. Hall
has made statistical study OF the
operations OF this tract which IS very
revealing Of the possibilities Of the
municipal gardens.
Each gardener is here given tract OF
one tenth Of an acre. Mr.. Halls re-
ports show that nearly every gardener
produces on this tract, not only enough
fresh vegetables for his own family. but
usually enough to supply several neigh
Dor families, while most Of the garden
ers also produce their own supplies Of
potatoes and canned vegetab lcs for the
winter There were $4,000 quarts Of
canned goods put up by members OF
the Potomac Club last year.
The average value Of what each farmer
produced from his tenth Of an acre was
about $50 The gardens required on an
average about one hour Of work a day
There were in all 1900 persons employed
on them. which means that members Of
family took turns at the wedding and
hoeng Call II recreation or not. just
a. you choose. but 1t f. good exercise,
and the garden workers earned on an
average Of IS cents an hour for every
hour they put In. That is probably more
than a good many of them earned In their
regular occupations. All Of this is based
upon the current market values OF the