The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1916-10-06
HOME DEMONSTRATION
WORK IN Other PLACES
GREAT RESULTS BEING ACCOM-
PLIsHEp IN VARIOUS SEC.
TIoNs OF THE U. s.

WASHINGTON. September H.
When James Wilson was Secretary ol
Agriculture he took a notion one day
that 1t was all well enough for Uncl,
Sam to do al he could TO help the mer
and boys that live on the farm to
provide them with every possible ad-
vantage-but what was the matter also
with trying to make things a bit easier
forthe women and the arls? For
weren't there about as many women
and girls on the farms as men and boys
And weren't they all working toward
; the same end?
II was a homely sort OF an idea, not
bit Spectacular or sensational, but IL
furnished the beginnings for many ac-
tivities within the Department OF Agri
culture which have not assumed a
broad and national importance, The
idea of Secretary Wilson was tried out
in an experimental way by the orgam
cation OF girls canning clubs-four OF
them. in two States. Now more than
nifty thousand girls and thousands OF
women are enrolled for home extern
sion work, under the supervision OF the
Bureau of Homo Economics. Last
year 1873 first-year members of can
ming clubs put up 6,091, 237 pounds OF
tomatoes, gathered from home gardens
of one-tenth OF an acre in area each.
These products were put up in 1875
o24 cans, jars and other receptacles,
and their estimated value was s2S4,sS0.
of which nearly 100000 was clear
profit. The average estimated profit
per member was s23SO. That was
-. III. 49,.
also put up thousand of dollars
worth of other products from the farm
and orchard.
Promoting "Tama Jim's" Idea
Two bureaus, called, respectively,
the offices OF extension work in the
South. and in the North and West,
have been active in carrying to wom-
ed and children the assistance born
of the "Tama jim" Wilson idea Most
OF it thus far has been carried to the
South. and Miss Mary r. Creswell and
Miss Ola Powell have been directing
this work under the supervision OF
Bradford Knapp. chief of the extern
sion work Miss Powell, native of
Texas was appointed to her position
an the Federal service from Cleve-
Pennsylvania, but was appointed from
Georgia Their work is typically
woman's work, and a crops OF trained
and expert women, employed by the
Department of Agriculture, is travel
ing through the States and counties,
carrying into effect the plans OF these
exceedingly skilled and thoroughly
experienced leaders in the movement.
They are teaching the girls and wom-
en- on the farms how to use the re-
sources at their disposal so as to
bring in cash returns as well as to
make them valuable auxiliarles Of the
home At present there are 450 wom-
en- State and county agents carrying
out the plans thus divulged to them.
The State agent has charge OF the
work as a unit in her State and she
appoints the county agents and super
intends their activities. The field
agents Of the department supervise
the State agents, and Misses Creswell
and Powell keep the field agents sup
piled with ideas and energy. THE
main object of it ALL" says Miss Pow
ell, showing her grasp of the situa-
ton and its possibilities and condens-
ing the doctrine nto a sentence lis
to raise standards of living"
One Tenth Acre Required
So they began at the beginning.
The canning club work as ii is now
carried on embraces a four-year
course for girls between the age of
10 and IS. Each girl must have for
her own use one tenth of an acre OF
ground. During the first year the plot
is given over to the raising OF to-
matoes, some of which may be sold in
bulk, but which are especially used for
canning and packing In ways which
being profit. The second year the
girls grow tomatoes on one-half of
their one-tenth acre and one other
garden crop such as beans, peas, pep
pars, okra. beets or onions the
other. Third year girls grow three
crops, and and the fourth year girls
specialize along the line of fancy pack
ing of special products The girls take 3
care also of surplus fruits from the
orchards, while they are canning their !
demonstration garden products, and
the experience gained is putting up
vegetables assists them in proper
canning of the fruits Sometimes the 7
extension office encourages the girls to
substitute five or ten fruit trees for
one of the vegetables crops after the
first or second year. In such case,
when the girl reaches her focrth year,
her plat is set to perennials on the
theory for high school or college the
perennial plot will be cared for by
those who remain behind.
Another feature of the club work is
the winter garden. An 11-year- old
club member in Virginia began a
winter garden on November 16, plant
ing spinach, lettuce radishes, rape,
kale and mustard in November and
December in a 20 by 50-feet strip. and
potatoes and peas in March and April
She gathered in all s57 pounds OF
vegetables and sold 700 collard plants,
800 cabbage plants and 400 tomato
plants This crop brought $17.05, Of
which SLABS was profit. my mother
has learned to take a great many new
dishes out of the vegetables in my
winter garden" the girl wrote to Miss :
Powell.
A Proud Mother II
Many homely letters on the subject !
are received by Miss Powell. Most ]
Of them show the pride taken in the