Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-21

a dwellers," who live in large
NV apartment houses of brick,
concrete and steel and
who own no land, are en-
thusiastic amateur gardeners. TINS Is
made possible through the klndly
heneyolence of Uncle Samuel. who
provides special allotments OF Govern
ment land for such purposes
More than $40 adults and some go
t1nior gardeners play the plebeian role
of the man or boy behind the noe
every Saturday. Gardening on the COM
munity basis is a melting pot whefe
Navy and Army officers, ministers or
the gospel, policemen, doctors, law
yers. nurses, bakers, butchers, bust
ness men, bank clerks and automobile
statesmen plant seeds, battle weeds. and
harvest and eat, with keen appetite,
the results of their manual labors.
The Junior Washington vegetable
gardens have been modified success
fully as the training school for bad
bows and incorrigibles. Intimate &C
ouaintance with the soil and the dig
nity of honest labor are remaklng
these youths. The magnetic lure of
farming incculates them with pride
in their growing stuff" and complete
forgetfulness of former misdeeds and
mischief.
1t was in the war days that this
form of activity scared to Its crest OF
importance. Community gardening
was organized and guided to remark
able success. Agricultural science i'm
bued the Washington gardeners SO
completely with ardor for sowing seed
and picking the resultant crops that
the habit persisted. During the last
10 years our local "land,ess" garden
ers have continued to raise cabbage,
cucumbers, corn, carrots and other
green crops on Government land I'M
Ger the efficient auspices of the De.
partment Of Agriculture.
Sergt. F. NJ. Dent of the eleventh
precinct has been president of the
Anacostia Flats Garden Club SO many
terms that it's large membership now
never considers any other candidate.
The reason is that Serct. Dent is a
"dyed-in.the-Wool gardener, whose
labor of love knows no limits in the
popularzation and development of his
treasured diversion.
Several Of the Federal City's sue
cessful gardeners can, with official
justification, place the letters IN. c"
after their names, for they occupy
regular quarters in the House Office
Building. on the crown Of Capitol
It'll. They are not members of spe-
=
miniature, are testing ont some of the
foibes of farming. but they are ardent
cdltivators, who reap beneficial eXer-
csc and the wherewithal to fill the
Family market basket from their un-
usual spare time activities.
Among the congressional gardeners,
Representative Eugene Black of Texas
has long been a leader. At one time
Mr.. Black was president Of the Po-
tomac Garden Club.
The Districts community gardens
are annually writing food production
history in the land of the Potomac.
because of cooperation between the
United States engineers office and the
Department Of Agriculture. The Civil
tan Club of Washington aids the ma.
tional Department of Agriculture gen.
erously in the promotion and opera
ton OF the Junior gardens for boy
growers.
THE Potomac River is A secret and
silent partner in this remarkable
campaign OF food production, for 1t,
strange to tell, has been the source
of the soil which now produces many
truck loads of vegetables for Wash
lngton families.
The gardening enterprises are car
ried on exclusively on reclaimed land
In strengthening the channel Of the
Potomac and in deepening its navi
gable passage, Government dredges
have pumped countless millions OF
sons of silt, sand and clay from the
aver bottom and deposited il upshore
s-nlnd substantial retaining walls tc
form new land. Oldtime Washing
tonians will tell you that most OF the
terrain in East Potomac Park ano
other waterfront developments now
owned by Uncle Sam have been re
claimed from Davy Jones elusive
locker at the Potomac's base.
The Anacostia Flats Garden Club
81 $50 active members. now cultivate
40 acres Of land. pumped from the Pc
tomac and deposited above the Penn
sylvania Railroad bridge in Anacostia
Sergt Dent estimates that this ciul
will produce $4,000 worth of vege
tables in 1927. Twenty-Five OF tn
Anacostia club members are Distric
policemen and fremen. The Potomac
- Garden Club. Of 200 members. raises
vegetables on S. acres Of river-re