Evening star., 1915-02-21

Uncle Sam believes in encouraging
home gardening for town children as
a part Of the move
Home Gardening ment to check the
rise in the cost OF
| 1oT Cml0Icu. living. Through the
United States bureau of education.
home gardening survey has been oe-
gun under the direction of three spec
tialists who have had much experience
with the work and who believe tnat
the 100000 children between the
taees of six and twenty who are en-
Irolled in public and private schools In
cities of the United States can be IN
tterested in home gardening as prac-
teal step in increasing the nations food
supply.
DR.. c. D. Jarvis, formerly OF Corneli
University, Is the specialist in charge
of the governments home gardening
survey, and associated with him are
~. r. Randall and Miss Ethel Gowans,
specialists in school and home garden
ing. The work is going on in co-opera-
tion with the National Child Welfare
League, whose members are assisting
the government experts in gathering
Information and encouraging the peo-
pie in urban communities throughout
the United States to get behind the
home gardening movement.
| "The Significance of the home gar
den as a social, educational and in
structive factor is just beginning to
| be appreciated" said DR.. Jarvis yes
| terday in speaking of the movement
| .In most of the cities there are hum
dreds of acres of land in the form Of
| back yards and vacant lots that might
| be properly used in the production OF
vegetables. fruits and flowers. In these
same cities there are thousands of boys
and girls who, with proper guidance
would be willing to utilize these nom
| productive lands Furthermore, the
same cities are importing yearly thou
sands of dollars worth of vegetables,
fruits and flowers that might be raised
| within their borders. and much of the
money that Is sent to distant points IN
payment for these products might be
kept at home.
THE important thing to keep in mind
about the home garden Is its great
economic value. Earnings from these
gardens represent clear gam, ,o1,9d uGT
| otherwise be utilized. Think what A..
means if the 100000 children in the
city schools can be interested In this
movement. In many cities large num-
bers have already taken up the work.
II one-half of the 100000 American
city school children become Interested
in the work and raise an average OF
only ten dollars worth of vegetables
a year. there Is an increase of $780,
| 000,0UJ in food supplies and the saving
| of this amount of money to the fnhab-
itants of the cities. Ten dollars is a
a home garden. for the value of the
products of many children is from $50
| to 500 in a single season"
Commissioner P. P. Claxton of the
of the chief values of the school gar
den. outside of the large amount of
agricultural wealth which can be pro-
duced by the children working under
gardens will supply a need of suit
| able. educative. purposeful and pro-
ductive occupation for millions Of
school children. who. In the cities,
suburban districts now have no par
ticular employment out of school
hours.
The federal commissioner Of educa-
ton believes that the dangers of idle
ness and unsuitable occupation for
children can be cut down greatly II
cities through the United. States take
up the home and vacant lot gardening
of Los Angeles. Philadelphia. Detroit,
Portland (Ore.) and Cleveland. DR..
Claxton suggests that the vegetables.
berries and fruits grown on the home
for the children and their families:
then the surplus should be marketed
to the best advantage SPEAKING of the
utilization OF the back yards and va
cant lots for gardens for the children,
DR.. Claxton says:
"At this early stage of the move
ment 1t is difficult to estimate all the
results Of the home garden plan. For
the children 1t will mean health.
strength. Joy in work. habits of indus
try. an understanding of the value of
money as measured in terms of labor,
and such knowledge of the phenomena
q Nd n moi m 1gf ha Ha
for an understanding of most of their
school lessons. They will also learn
something at least of the fundamental
principles of morality; that every man
and woman must make his or her own
living; must, by some kind of labor of
the head. hand or heart. contribute to
the common wealth as much as he or
she takes from it."
DR.. Jarvis is now furnishing infor-
nation 20 hundreds of school officials
who are asking for detailed instruc-
tions on the establishment of home
gardens By school children. These de-
tailed Instructions include information
on cleaning up the back yard or vacant
lot, the selection of crops, the procur-
ing of good seed. preparation of the
soil. planting. thinning and wedding.
and care of the growing crop.
| In another week the Illicit traffic in
cocaine, morphine and other habit
forming drug 6 8
Restrict Tratfic In will be closed
| Dangerous Drugs. ernmen, ~ in+e1us, &
revenue agents, under the authority of
the Harrison anti-narcotic law. This
measure, which was introduced dur
ing the early part of the present Con-
gress by former Representative Fran
els Burton Harrison of New York. now
Governor-general of the Philippines.
was passed after many delays by the
House and Senate and was signed by
President Wilson December II. last.
Beginning next Monday. the traffick-
! ers in habit-forming drugs will have
either to conform to the federal stat
ute or to go out Of business. The
Harrison law establishes a system of
registering each dealer in habit-form-
ing drugs, and each sale of the prod
ucts falling under the law must be
placed on record. The law applies to
all persons who produce. import, man.
ufactuFe. compound, deal in. dispense.
sell. distribute or give away either
opium, cocoa leaves or any compound,
manufacture. salt. derivative or prepa-
ration thereof.