The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-03-18
1000 TO TILL
GARDEN PLOTS
HERE This YEAR
Leaders of Movement Find
Themselves Needing ESQ
More Acres.
BY HELEN LINDSAY
Times STAFF Writer

Seven thousand INDECENT citizens
of indianapolis will know the love of
the good earth" by the end of the
summer.
Today they stand in eager lines
at the Indianapolis Community
Garden Center and the Municipal
Garage to receive packages of seeds
which are distributed through the
Governors Commission on Unem-
ployment Relief.
Their numbers already total al
most three times as many as COM
munity gardeners of last year. New
applicants each day request tiny
plot of ground and chance to plant
the seeds and bring from the earth
the food which they hope will take
them from relief rolls, and make
them once again the heads Of self
supporting families.
At present there is a shortage Of
$50 acres of garden ground, and
1900 lots already have been assigned,
in comparison to 1900 lots assigned
during the whole of last season.
These lots, so by 100 feet, will be
cultivated and planted under super
vision Of the garden center.
20 Acres Are Donated
During the winter months those
located in groups have been plowed
by men working under the super
vision of the center, and now will
be disced and raked. Individual
lots will be spaded up or plowed
by the persons to whom they are
assigned.
The largest single plot OF ground
donated to the use of the COM
munity gardeners is 70 acres near
Butler University, lying between
White River and the Canal. This
year Indiana Central College has
offered 35 acres unused last summer
The Indianapolis Railways will
continue this year to provide free
transportation to the Butler gardens,
running one car daily to the ground.
Efforts now are being made to pro-
vide transportation to the gardens
which will be planted on the ground
donated by Indiana Central College.
Distribute 10 Kinds of Seeds
Ten different kinds of seeds are
being distributed in packages to
each gardener. The packages con-
tain seeds for beans, beetS, carrots,
radisheS. Swiss chard, corn and tur-
nips. Later cabbage and tomato
plants will be distributed
Last year as many as 500 cans Of
vegetables we're packed from single
gardens. Many of the gardeners
had their first experience in plant
ing and cultivation in these COM
munity gardens, while others re-
newed childhood memories as they
spaded and raked in the dirt.
II was born and brought up on a
farm" they say to investigators who
question them before assigning
them to garden plots.
Bpt whether they have had pre-
viouS experience with gardening, or
are making their first attempt at
raising vegetables, all have the same
enthusiasm. 1t spreads from in
digent relief workers to the college
professors who are assisting in their
instruction.
Cultivated Four Lots
Each has the same light of en-
thusiasm in his face when discuss
ing the prospects of the gardens"
one investigator said today. "They
have a different feeling in this re-
lief work than in any other. 1t is
the enthusiasm in assisting nature
to create food for their hungry
families"
One gardener last year was a
patient at the United States Vet
Grams Hospital, where he was re-
quired to report for treatment daily.
When unsuccessful gardeners turned
their plots back to the garden
center, he begged to be allowed to
take them over.
At the end of the season he had
cultivated four separate lots, and the
exercise had improved his health
noticeably," the investigator said.
Seeds are bling distributed to per-
sons bearing necessary cards from
relief workers. Supervised plant
ing is expected to begin April l.