Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-04-12
MAKING CITY FARMERS.
When the school and home garden


;nq movements started in the United
States few persons foresaw that some
dav this miniature farming OF urDa"
lots might prove of great economic
benefit to the entire population. up
ito the present the movement has oeeh
fostered as a social service-to give
bows and girls habits of industry,
and to afford to jewellers in congesIea
districts enjoyable, healthful and prof.
table occupation in their leisure WIN
incidental aid in beautitylng cues
and towns by cleaning up the PACK
wards and vacant lots.
The present food crisis, which may
become more acute in the eVeh' 20
serious war. seems to have brought
the day in which the idle lands with
! in American municipalities are iKeiy
to become an important source OF
food supply. So seriously is the mat
ter regarded that number OIL we'll
! known educators and philanthroplsts
have organized in Washington the
National Emergency Food Garden
Commission devoted to the purpose
of putting million men, and children
on city and town gardens this spring
To raise vegetables for their. families
j Charles Lathrop Pack, president OF
the American Forestry Assoclatlon'
! is the originator Of the movement
and the head of it. With him are as
ISOLATED among others DR.. Charles
w Eliot, of Cambridge, Mass; John
.Grier Hibben, president Of Princeton
| University; Carl Vrooman, Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture; Capt. ). b.
White, member of the United States
Shipping Board; Albert W. Shaw
editor of System Magazine; Emerson
Macmillan, of New York; John Hays
Hammond, of Massachusetts,, Fairfax
Harrison, of Virginia; Luther Bur
bank, of California and Hon. James
Wilson, former Secretary of Agricul-
ture
The Commission is affiliated with
the Conservation Department OF the
American Forestry Association, thus
placing at the disposal Of the new
work the publicity organization with
which the American Forestry Asso-
citation has been fighting the White
Pine Blister Disease and other forest
scourges. Percival S. Ridsdale, Sec
rotary of the Forestry Association, is
directing the work Of the National
Emergency Food Garden Commission.
In Washington there are various
official agencies seeking to stimulate
I the cultivation of home gardens this
year with the view of relieving some
of the demand for rural produce. The
Department Of Agriculture is making
the movement it's chief spring en-
deavor. while the Bureau Of Education
is urging the cultivation of gardens
by graded school children.
The National Emergency Food Gar
den Commission at once found its
place in this work It takes the scien-
tifc lore of the official departments
and retails it in simple, practical form
| to the prospective home gardeners
! through the medium of the daily
press, which is eagerly cooperating
to make the campaign success. The
official bureaus, too, warmly well
coined the newcomer, realizing their
| own limitations in the matter of prac
! teal publicity.
The plan adopted by the Commits
sion is first to create garden volun-
teers by making the jewellers in cities
and towns realize the danger in the
food situation this year, and then to
give these volunteers daily instruc-
ton in gardening from the sprout-
ing of seeds in hot beds to the har-
vesting of the ripe crops.
The ambition of the Commission
to create 100000 new gardeners is
conservative. The Bureau of Educa-
ton estimates that there are 100000
school children capable of cultivating
garden yards, while within our cities
and towns there is probably an equal /
number Of adults who have the leisure
for c,,ch ,rorl