Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-12
Arthur Says District
Has 240 Acres disable
For Victory Gardens
Commissioners Receive
First Formal Application
For Front Yard Plot

Col. Joseph D. Arthur, jr., assist
ant Engineer Commissioner, today
called attention to the fact the Hs-
trict government owns approximate
ly 240 acres of land, not presently in
use, which is available for Victory
gardens.
Civilian defense area chairmen
have been told where these lands
are located, he said. The plots are
in various sections of the city, in
Guiding some along the -Anacostia
River and in the Blue Plains area.
The Commissioners today received
the first formal application for a
permit for front-laWn Victory gar
den in front lawn since their ban
was lifted. 1t came from Mrs. Scion
j. Buck of 1903 Rittenhouse street
NV, who wrote:
Il should like to make formal re-
quest for permit for the part of
my front yard Victory garden which
is now On District property. The
garden begins six feet from the side
walk and is separated from the side
walk by hedge: the ground is level
The garden is % feet deep, so part
OF 1t is on my property.
Began Work in March.
Not knowing permit to be nee
essary, had the garden spaded be-
ginning March %, after I had con-
suited with my neighbors and found
they had no objection. I planted
the early, hardy crops in March anc
early April; the garden now is pro-
ducing for the table.
The reason for my having a front
garden is that last year I tried to
grow a few things in my back yarc
and found it was too shady for
vegetables. The whole of our front
yard is go by 80 feet, and feel that
the gardening of the front part
back OF the hedge, does not detract
from the looks of the property.
i might add that Mr.. Franklin
~. Morton Franklin, District super.
visor of Victory gardens) inspected
the land for me in March and sale
That the site in relation to sunlight
Is the most desirable on my prop.
erty, and that the soil is no worse
than that in the backyard. I fee
that gardening this part of nv lane
for the duration will make it DOS.
slble for us to have much bette,
lawn when conditions in the fooc
supply return to normal, and gar.
dens are no longer essential"
Letter Will Be Forwarded.
Mrs. Bucks letter and other permit
applications will DE forwarded t.
Mr.. Franklin by the Commissioners
He will inspect the proposed garden
sites and grant permits, unless there
are lnsurmountable objections,
The Washington Variety Club ha
given the District Government
$1,000 to support the Victory garden
program between May l and June
80. The sum will be ample to pa,
the salary of Mr.. Franklin and fri
time assistant. Their office is at 45}
Indiana avenue N. w., and the tele.
phone number is National 5000. ex.
tension 1887.
Mr.. Franklin's salary has beer
paid out of District trust funds moi
earmarked for other purposes. These
funds have been exhausted. but the
Variety Clubs gift of $500 enable.
the supervisory force to function
through the remainder of the fisca
year ending June 30. The Commits.
sloners have asked Congress to an.
propriate sufficient funds to carry
on the activity for the fiscal veal
starting July l.
Announcement of the gift wa.
made by Sam Wheeler, chief barke,
OF the Variety Club. The plan wa,
worked out under the direction O,
Rudolph Berger, chairman of the
clubs Welfare Committee. The Gift
has been formally accepted by the
Commissioners.