The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-12-11
CHILDREN AS GARDENERS
Nearly 10000 Vermont Pupils Raised
Produce.

s 81 I
Reports of results of the food cam
paign conducted by the educational
department of Vermont have been re-
ceived from 81 Of the sc superinten-
dents of the state and show the fol
lowing remarkable results. Sixty
one superintendent report 1892
pupils engaged in successful garden
ing. Forty-nine superintendent rer
port 929 boys and girls excused from
High school to work on the farms
during the spring and fall OF 1917.
The pupils engaged in gardening
raised 57546 bushels of potatoes and
1926 bushels of beans. At present
market prices, this value of
over 100000. Garden vegetables
were extensively raised, the nearest
estimate based on reports being con-
siderably over 10000 bushels. Re-
ports as to canning done by the
pupils, show that in "a districts, the
boys and girls, principally girls. put
up 34,823 quart cans OF vegetables
and fruit This was actually exceed
ed because the remaining 32 dis
tricts had kept no record, but re-
ported extensive canning done.
The actual number OF pupils engag-
ed In gardening as result Of the
appeal of the State Committee of
Public Safety and under the supervis
ion of the state department of educa-
ton was over $4,000, but the above
report is based only upon known re-
suit
The efforts of the boys AMI girls
have brought TO the State. food to the
value of over $150,0O0 involving q
money expenditure on the part of the
State Sommttee of $4,000 to which
must be added the sums of money
voted to the work of the boys and
girls. This sum was also supple
mented by Miss Proctor, who paid
the expenses OF a woman demonstra-
lior in canning.
The credit for the fine achievement
of the boys and girls OF Vermont lies,
next to themselves, to the School
superintendent of the State. Every
one of these superintendent re.
turned from the meeting at Montpel-
Ter, called by Cobbissioner Hillegas
and devoted himself ungrudgingly to
this especial task of helping to win
the war These superintendent have
tofled day and night, gone without
vacations, paid their own expenses,
and produced results. Seconding the
efforts of these superintendent were
the faithful teachers of our schools.
They have Invariably responded TO
every call Many of them have been
acting as supervisors of gardens dur
ing the summer. such supervision be-
ing largely responsible for the excel
,ent work that has been done. Much
credit must also be given to local
committees and boards of citizens
who financed garden plots. purchased
Seed and fertilizers. paid the salaries
of garden supervisors. offered prizes
for good work, and gave unstinted
aid in eveTYipossihle way. a8 ~
& The yaluebof this work cannot be
wholly estimated s9iin dollars and
cents orlevep in3 bushels OF food
hen food il scarce. 1t ihas brought
the boys and girls close to the vital
side OF life As an example Of this
one boy nine years old sold from a
garden of 4se go. IL vegetables to the
amount of S10.s2. Another boy raised
from a single potato q pounds of po--
tatoes. In one district 46 boys from
the High school earned as farm labor
ers, the sum Of $3.36S.21 and 81 High
school girls earned in farm homes
s5S0.25 In another part of the, state
Il school garden Of 1-S of an acre was
planted and from it there was har-
vested AZ IA bushels of potatoes,
so 1-2 quarts of beans and 10 bushels
OF other vegetables In this school
are some poor children who are I'M
derfed. The teacher Is using the pro
ducts of the school garden to provide
warm lunches for these children. the
cooking TO be done in the school on
an oil stove. One district reports
that only two absolute failures were
found among the 397 pupils who en-
rolled for gardening last Spring.
in several districts Pig Clubs were
organized under the patronage of To-
cal banks which furnished the money
for the purchase OF the pig and offer
ed prizes to the children having the
best success in raising their pigs. In
another district two High school
girls worked on the farm during the
summer to supplement the shortage
of labor. This is typical of what was
done very generally throughout the
State. In still another district, the
boys and girls were paid for their
services in the school gardens with
meal tickets for school luncheons
The products of the garden were suf.
ficient to largely supply the school
lunches for the year. In another part
OF the State lad OF twelve years. a
victim Of poliomyelitis lmped TO his
gardens of a half acre each and ex.
cclcd in the care OF them oven
though they we're nearly a mile from
his home.
Instances of this sort of service
rendered largely in a spirit of patrio
tism could be cited by the score. One
OF the outstanding features Is the re-
peatedly expressed with on the part
of the superintendent and teachers
that the same work be undertaken
another year
BRIEF AND BRIGHT