Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 March 1919 — SCHOOL GARDEN WORK PLANNED [ARTICLE]

SCHOOL GARDEN WORK PL ANNED

Enlist Many More Children This Year. DID GREAT WORK IN 1918 Profit Averaged $lO for Each of the 1,680,000 Garden Soldiers Engaged —To Enlist 4,000,000 in Work This Year. By LESTER S. IVINS, Regional Director for Central States. Washington The United States school garden army, organized at the request of President Wilson to stimulate food production among the children of the country, as well as to give them an opportunity to utilize their spare time In a pleasant I£nd profitable manner,, enlisted 1,680.000 garden soldiers in the United States during the year 1918. This number represents the boys and girls in cities, towns and villages who actually planted, cultivated and harvested crops at their home-or on grounds under school supervision. Many more than this number started, but only those pupils who did the work satisfactorily were granted the government U. S. S. G. insignia as a recognition of their work. The average profit was a little more than STO per pupil, of $16.500,000 for the entire army. This amount represents both the fresh and canned good* used and sold. The average amount of food canned was one dozen pint cans per pupil. This profit was produced on land which would not otherwise have been used and by children in many cases who would not have been otherwise employed. This food was in most cases consumed while fresh, where produced, without cost of transportation or handling and without deterioration on the market. Considering these facts, the real results are of greater value than the figures wquld indicate. More Gardens This Year. Reports from more than one-half of the towns and cities that were not organized under the federal plan in 1918 indicate they will be a part of the United States garden army in 1919. Many cities and towns had gardens, but the superintendents of schools for various reasons did not have the children to organize along the lines of the federal garden army plan. However, It should be added that these communities did a greut amount of work toward increasing food production in their localities. - The garden work is one of the first educational movements in the state and nation that has been enthusiastically supported by schoof authorities in public, parochial and private schools. All these school systems joined in many localities and employed the same garden supervisor and garden teachers. The garden division of the bureau of education was greatly increased lust September by the employment of regional directors for all the

states and some special state sentntives for the state council of defense In many of the states. These additional helpers make It possible to do more Intensive work. The Increased number of administrative federal and state directors will be very materially aided by the special garden supervisors that are to be selected in all of the principal dtles and towns of the country. Learn Valuable Lessons. Educational leaders representing systems that were most successful last year With the'garden work learned many valuable lessons. They find that children are much more Interested In testing seed if these seeds are to be planted in gardens of their own; that all school work was of greater Intel* est wrhem it be related* to Trome experience; money made as the result of garden work provided funds Tor .‘tamps, bonds, saving accounts, necessities of life, Red Cross and #rher such drives; children had greater appreciation of food after having had

experience In Its production and preservation ; parents became Interested while working With the children, who never before attempted the production of garden cropst that in addition to the health, civic and educational values, children were taught valuable lessons In thrift. Industry. - patriotism andTesponsibillty. Judging from past experience It Is only a question of time when the cities and towns in America, will have full courses in gardening In their schools as has been the case in the old world for many years. School officials throughout the country, in order to aid the nation In fulfilling its guarantee of 20,000,000 tons of food for Europe In 1919, and In order to give the cliildren under tneir charge this newer type of education are aiming to make a readjustment in their programs. They will use garden books as a part of the supplemen- • tary reading, and will change nature study, elementary and general science courses to garden courses. Such a plan or some other shifts that will provide a place for garden work in the school, as well as actual production at home, will once again convince the public in general that the schools will be just as able to aid in reconstruction as they were in winning the war.