32 



select unsuitable soil and employ wrong methods of planting 

 and cultivation and finally become disgusted with the whole 

 matter, creating a harmful rather than beneficial result. 



" The New York Botanical Garden has gardening courses of 

 six weeks with a fee of $25 for instruction and supplies. The 

 money we have in our Garden Committee treasury could well 

 be used to pay for scholarships, and would probably be the 

 very best use we could make of this fund. Our sum is so 

 small, that in order to accomplish anything worth while it 

 must be expended in connection with a plant already organ- 

 ized. The Gardening course meets this end. 



" The money was raised before the war to help boys learn 

 practical gardening and equip them to go out as school garden 

 attendants. It now seems probable that the Government will 

 organize boys for use on farms. It is almost certain that our 

 available land will be taken over by the city for agricultural 

 purposes. The immediate need for instruction seems great 

 and the amount we have in hand sufficient for such a trial of 

 the scholarship plan. 



" The Garden Committee will therefore assign scholarships 

 to any one indicating need of such assistance who properly 

 presents a signed application. 



"Commissioner Whittle's plan to organize gardening clubs 

 throughout The Bronx will furnish many applicants, and by 

 extending a scholarship to each group many people are 

 benefited." 



Commissioner Whittle will make a report of his new plan 

 for gardening clubs. 



The Garden Committee therefore requests proper authoriza- 

 tion to proceed with its plan of $25 scholarships, issuing 20 

 if so required, thus expending a sum of $500 now in its treas- 

 ury, and such other sums as it may have under $25 belonging 

 to this committee or raised hereafter by it for incidental 

 expenses. Respectfully submitted 



Mrs. Steven B. Ayres, Chairman, 

 Thomas W. Whittle, 

 William A. Murrill. 



