Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-05-01
URGES RURAL WORK
FOR CITY CHILDREN
Value of School and Home
Garden Activities Theme
of O. H. Benson.
WANTS CLUBS FORMED,
WITH SKILLED LEADERS

OpSdAS oSlO1C AuV1CuC6 II WILSON
Normal SCHOOL,. L. Haycock
Also Delivers Address.
The school and home garden activi-
ties. directed by paid. sympathetic. ef-
f1cient leaders, are worth more to the
education Of the city boys and girls
than artificial parks. Fairgrounds and
expensive playground equipment. Many
of our cities have made the serious
on the patented playground equipment
would rather have the leadership of a
sympathetic human being for twenty
minutes for my boy in a bleak and
barren desert than to have the use of
the artificial equipment in an artificial
playground for twenty days."
This statement was made last night
Department of Agriculture in a public
address at the Wilson Normal School.
The lecture. which advocated giving
city boys and girls rural occupation"
was delivered under the auspices of the
Mothers Congress and Parent Teach
ers' Association, which organizations
are working in cooperation with the
public schools of the District for the
advancement of City Home Garden
Club work.
tages Of home garden club work were
explained by Mr.. Benson, who used
more than 100 colored lantern slides to
illustrate what the boys and girls In
other cities have done with home gar
dens.
Need Of Club Work Emphasized.
The speaker. in emphasizing the "cry-
ing need" for the club work he ad-
vocated. said, in part:
Rural childhood Is more fortunate
than city childhood. City boys and
girls, not the rural, need your sympa-
thy.
The city playground is man-made-
all too often devtl-made-cobble stones
and concrete for a landing, while the
and Is carpeted with the green, deco
rated with trees, shrubbery and flowers,
scented with natures musicians, aero
bats and opera troupes in the form of
animals, birds, insects and worms, per-
forming in natures theater.
City children should be given coun-
try opportunities for their own con-
servation and education. Country men
and women should be given the BUSH
ness training and advantages of city
life"
Suggestions for Club Forming.
Some of the tentative suggestions for
the forming Of the home garden clubs
which Mr.. Benson believes will go far
in the task Of remedying the condi-
tons he set forth were as follows:
"All boys and girls ranging in age
from ten to eighteen years, inclusive,
parents may enroll as co-operators and
receive the same Instructions, but can
not compete with the boys and girls for
prizes
records on blanks furnished by the
committee in charge. attend to matters
OF marketing, exhibiting products at
the local home garden festival, and
studying and carrying out the sug-
gestions, SO far as possible. in regard
to methods of marketing, canning of
the surplus and by products, and the
use Of the products on the home table
or their sale on local markets.
Explains the Objects.
The definite objects Of the clubs were
mentioned as follows:
1. To offer, In a measure at least, ru-
raj opportunities to city boys and
girls throughout the summer vacation
period.
e To develop in the city boys and
girls a love for the soil, plants and tho
i
3. To teach economical business man.
agement Of small lots and develop hab-
Its Of thrift through the home garden
4. To cultivate in city children love
a common interest in identifying. not
only the front yard, but the back yard
S. To teach wider use Of fresh vese-
tables in the daily diet and a more
balanced ration by not only
using fresh products. but by canning
the surplus for winter use.
9. To encourage the correlation of
the home project work with the school
activities.
z. To give boys and girls manly and
derstand, but to feel and appreciate the
cost of real achievement.
8. To furnish opportunity for direc.
ton and supervision of city young peo-
pie during their otherwise idle hours
and vacation periods.
.. To teach creative and constructive
work. as against destructive activities.
10. To offer in definite form vocation
al guidance and direction in the bust
ness of soil and plant management.
Cooperation Suggested.
The work. under Mr. Benson's tenta-
tive plan. Is to be conducted by the
Mothers Congress. through its educa-
tfonal committee. IN cooperation with
tho public schools. United States De-
partment of Agriculture, bureau Of
education. and encouraged by the Cfti-
zens' Association. Chamber of Com
merce and the local newspapers.
Suitable prizes and awards will be
secured from tho citi8ens' associa tions
Chamber Of Commerce. business people
and the local press. who are interested
in the promotion OF home garden activ-
tiles throughout the city.
Address by Mr.. Haycock.
R. l. Haycock, supervising principal
third division. also made an address.
THE home garden has a higher value
to the home and to the child than the
mere unitarian value Of supplying
good fresh vegetables for the table,"
said Mr.. Haycock. AT this time. when
there are so many things that call the
child away from the home. the garden
10 an interest that holds him there at
least a part Of his time. Every boy
should have his little library, and a
work bench II he is inclined to things
mechanical. When spring comes there
is nothing better for the child than a
back yard garden well planned and
managed with the cooperation of his
parents who will help him to make it a
success.
'aThe schools have encouraged home