272 
crippled or weak so that they cannot play 
even in the streets. 
But where do these flowers come from? 
Many of them come from children in the 
country. Some of the flowers are gathered 
from the roadside, but a number of the 
children bought ten-cent packages of seed 
early in the spring, and made gardens for 
the purpose, that they might send some 
flowers of their own raising to the city 
children who have no garden. 
There are several such. ‘flower clubs,” 
as they-are called. The largest and most 
successful of them is that at Rowayton, 
Connecticut. Six years ago ‘the children of 
Rowayton began to gather bunches of 
flowers and, bring’ them once a week to the 
Sanday-school‘rooms; in this way, for two 
years, they sent to New: York City as many 
as 5,000 bunches each years i. hen a flower 
club, was formed and itsamembers had all 
the” joy, ‘of Daisy and Goldenrod Picnics, 
by.’ means ‘of,which, that year, they sent to 
Ney. York’ ‘City 15,000 bunches of ‘wild 
flowers.” ie, is only during the last two 
summers, 1907 and 1908,’ that. they have 
been sending flowers from their own gardens; 
but during’r907 no less than 44,000 bunches 
went from the children of the country fields 
and gardens to those of the city streets and 
alleys. 
Is n’t it wonderful how much children can 
accomplish by giving a few hours a week? 
One of the day nurseries where the flowers are distributed. 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
/ 
And don’t you suppose it has a good effect 
on the country children too? Would n’t you 
like to have your children in such a club? 
All'you have t6 do to start such a club is 
to get the youngsters together and tell them 
about the children who never see as much as 
a blade of green grass all summer long. 
You do not need to import a lecturer — just 
tell what you have seen among the tene- 
ments. Tell some of the things that every 
country child has, but city children rarely 
or never have. ‘The interest and sympathy 
of the children will be instantly aroused. 
Then form a club—every child likes to 
belong to a club — and supply each member 
with a package of mixed seed. (These 
seeds will be sent you freely, and in what- 
ever quantity you desire, from the office of 
the National Guild, for this office is itself 
supplied by the generosity of florists through- 
out the country.) You will be surprised 
to see the flowers that will be raised in these 
tiny gardens. The Rowayton Club boasted 
several gardens, in 1907, that produced 
500 bunches each. 
Another way you could help is by getting 
the grown-ups to send the surplus from their 
gardens. You could go around to your 
friends and neighbors and secure from them 
the promise of enough flowers to make it 
worth while for the express company to 
carry them for you. Then someone should 
be appointed as collector, who will go from 
These children have no gardens 
JANUARY, 1909 
Eerhaps you think flowers aren’t appreciated in 
the hospitals! 
house to house, gathering in the bunches of 
flowers contributed, and send them to the 
express office, putting on the basket or box 
the label of the society, by which they are 
carried free of charge. There should also 
be patronesses, whose only duty is to pay a 
yearly due of one dollar. There are other 
details,,of course, but they are few anc 
simple, and will, gladly be sent you if you 
will write to the gftice of the National Plant, 
Flower, ané#ruit Guild, 70 F i Avenue, 
New York City. 
“But what,” perhaps you are saying, 
“has all this to do with Christmas time? 
What can a Plant, Flower, and Fruit Guild 
do during the winter, and why should we 
be told about it now?” 
During the winter the officers of the City 
Branches solicit the flowers that are used in 
such lavish abundance at large functions 
throughout any big city — at weddings, at 
receptions, at dinners, at balls. After these 
are over, the society collects and distributes 
the flowers among the poor and the sick. 
If in summer their advent is hailed with joy, 
think what pleasure they must bring in the 
dreary cold of winter! Another important 
winter duty is to distribute jars of home-made 
jelly, preserved fruits and bottles of grape- 
juice — all of which are sent in from the 
country branches — to the sick poor in hos- 
pitals or in their homes, and to the old and 
the crippled and the house-bound. 
As each year its scope spreads wider, each 
year the society finds itself wholly unable to 
progress as it should and as it desires. Two 
things you can do, if you will, to help its 
work along: If you live in suburbs or 
country you can start a branch. If you 
can’t do this, perhaps you would like to send 
some money now, for the Guild wants to 
make back-yard gardens in the tenements, 
and put window-boxes in front, and see that 
vacant lots are farmed, and plan school 
gardens. But above all it wants to send 
more and more flowers to the children, for 
there are never enough to go around and they 
are always so glad to have them. 
