What Left-Over Plants Will You Give? 



An Appeal to the Members of the National Association. 



Last Sprini;- — or rather early in the Summer of 1912, 

 the National Plant, Flower and Fruit Guild (New York 

 City Branch) maintained a Neighborhood Garden for 

 the children around the neighborhood of Sixty-sixth 

 street and Avenue A, a district of the city almost as con- 

 gested as that of the lower east side. The Guild already 

 has applications from more than 200 children for a "little 

 farm" and with the assistance of the readers of the 



WHERE FLOWERS ARE .APPRECIATE! i. 



Chro.n'icle, these applications can be filled. The (Guild's 

 I)lan is a simple one and just as free from red tape as 

 anything possibly could be. The big space in front of 

 the Rockefeller Institute at Sixty-sixth street and the 

 East River has been loaned to the Guild for the purpose 

 of giving to the children of that neighborhood a happy, 

 wholesome, instructive summer. Each child is assigned 

 a plot 5 X 10 feet in which are planted six varieties of 

 vegetables and one row of flowers. In the center of the 

 farm space is a pool with aquatic plants, fish, etc., the 

 first of its kind ever seen in a children's garden in this 

 country. After the little farms have been laid out, there 

 will be a space of twenty feet all around the plots which 

 the Guild wants to fill in with growing plants. It is for 

 this space that the help of the members of the National 

 Association of Gardeners is asked. Small donations of 

 bedding plants, salvia, coleus sweet alyssum, etc., etc., 

 will, if sent in by many friends, soon amount to suflicient 

 to fill in the borders. Then the Guild can use hardy 

 shrubs and hardy plants of taller growth. In fact space 

 can be found for any variety, and moreover they can be 

 sent W'ithout expeuse to the donor. The free label of the 

 Guild — which in its eighteen years has carried five 

 million bunches of flowers to the sick poor — is at the dis- 

 posal of every donor. This label is given to the Guild 

 through the courtesy of all the express companies in the 

 United States. If plants are packed in packages weigh- 

 ing not more than twenty pounds and come from a dis.- 

 tance not exceeding 100 miles outside New York City, 

 the plants will come to the Guild free of charge, and the 

 office — Room 47, No. 70 Fifth avenue. New York — will 

 be most happy to give further details upon application. 

 In fact, the Guild wants letters. It wants to spread the 

 knowledge of its work and how each individual member 

 of the N. A. of G. can be of service to the "other half" of 



the big cities. Could your members have seen the happy 

 faces, the eager expectancy and the intense satisfaction 

 of the small farmers at the Harvest Day of the garden 

 last summer, no other plea would be needed to insure 

 plants for that same garden this summer. It was a gala 

 day for the small people. Long before the appointed 

 hour, the "farmers" had decorated the open air shack 

 which the Guild used as a meeting place, with shucks of 

 corn and wild flow'ers sent in from the country. Each 

 child had his exhibit of vegetables (raised in his own 

 plot), arranged, on the bench .set aside for that purpose. 

 Hefore the, prizes were awarded, the farmers were filled 

 up with ice cream and cake, thereby ensuring good 

 humor for the disap])ointed ones. Two silver loving cups 

 suitablv engraved, were presented with due ceremony to 

 the boy and girl having the best plots. Tw'o second 

 prizes of growing ferns were awarded to the next best. 

 Strange to say, while the decision as to the plots was 

 made by a "grown-up" committee, each child when asked 

 (before the prizes were awarded) voted for the same boy 

 and girl as those selected by the committee, and there 

 was absolutely no "kicking" on the part of the other 

 children as to the justice of the awards. During the 



SEND YOUR FLOWERS TO THESE CHILDREN. 



winter a Garden Club, meeting in the old Schermerhorn 

 Mansion on the grounds of the Institute, has kept the 

 children's interest alive. Next spring the Guild must 

 assign 200 plots to 200 expectant children. Each plot 

 averages $.^, a paltry sum to these neglected children 

 busy and happy all summer. If the members of the 

 N. A. of G. will see to it that plants are sent for the outer 

 spaces, then the funds of the Guild can be used for the 

 farms alone. An experienced teacher and a working 

 gardener are necessary to exercise supervision and to 

 give the elementary instruction to the children. Once 

 more the Guild pleads for donations of plants from the 

 readers of the Chronicle. Those who cannot send in 

 time for the planting of the Garden, can donate their 

 plants to the annual plant sale which the Guild holds each 

 June for the benefit of the poor of the city, so give, .give, 

 give ! Advise your secretary. Mr. M. C. Ebel, what plants 

 vou can donate. He will make shipping arrangements 

 for you. 



Katharine Paul. 

 Rec. Sec'y., N. Y. Branch. 

 Room 47, No. 70 Fifth .Avenue. 



New York City. 



