VACANT LOT GARDENING 15 



beds, or may purchase them at wholesale for -the members. 

 Thus the gardeners are supplied with an assortment of such 

 plants as tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, pepper, egg-plant, and 

 others at nominal cost. 



Seeds in any desired amount and of all kinds are supplied 

 from local distributing stations, at actual cost. Manures and 

 fertilizers are applied to the land in the spring by use of 

 teams and wagons employed by the Association. 



Instruction. — Some person well informed as to practical 

 methods of gardening is employed to give instruction to the 

 gardeners. This is done both in the garden and by circular 

 letters sent by mail. 



The Superintendent. — It is essential that a good super- 

 intendent have the entire work in charge. He should under- 

 stand not only the best ways of securing land and preparing 

 it for use, but should' have the knowledge and instincts of a 

 gardener and know how to impart this to others. He should 

 understand how to make the best use of the public press, and 

 how to interest various local organizations and officials. 



He should' be a good lecturer and understand lecturing 

 with lantern slides. He will need to have occasional meetings 

 with the gardeners, and give them instruction along certain 

 lines by means of pictures, as well as orally. The use of lan- 

 tern glides in public lectures will aid much in arousing public 

 "interest in the work. 



Funds for the Work.— The gardens are supplied to mem- 

 bers free, and materials, such as seeds, plants, fencing and 

 manure, are not entirely paid for by the gardeners. A' fund 

 must be raised to defray the numerous expenses of the asso- 

 ciation, such as salary of the superintendent and assistants, 

 labor in clearing lots, hire of teams and men in plowing, and 

 applying fertilizers, the purchase or hire of implements, rent 

 of office or garden headquarters, typewriting, telephone, post- 

 age, printing and other incidentals. 



It is often necessary and perhaps well to charge each gar- 



