Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-04-26
A Garden FOR EVERY HOME"
County Agent Dana's Slogan in
Food Campaign.
Pupils In Burllngton's Public schools
10 Have an Active Fart In the
Work-City Divided into
Districts.


slogan OF County Agent j. w. Dana
Thursday afternoon when he addressed
twelve of Chittenden county's school
superintendent and junior and high
school principals. at the high school build
ing regarding the production and con-
servation of food. Mr.. Dana dwelt partic-
ularly upon the increase of food produce
tion through the efforts Of both boy and
girl pupils. and following his address.
there was an Informal discussion Of var
ious phases of this work.
Besides Urging that every home have
it's own garden and that every family
so far as possible raise its own food, thus
releasing whatever quantity they would
otherwise have purchased in tho open
market. the county agent made certain
other practical suggestions. He thought
that Vermont farmers should raise
sufficient wheat for their own use. ad-
vocated the keeping of an increased num-
Der of pigs, and more fowls in order to
have more meat and eggs, winding up
with discussion OF the beef problem.
In closing. he dealt with the various kinds
Of vegetable crops which could be best
raised by Vermont school children and
the best methods of intensive cultivation.
The canning and preserving work for
girls was also made feature of the
talk.
WHAT BURLINGTON PUPILS WILL
DO.
At the close of the conference Super
intendent NJ. d. Chittenden met at his
office an industrial census committee
consisting of Principal ]. r. Colburn, Miss
Fields. Mrs. Deyette and Mr.. Millington
of the high school faculty and Principal
W. II. Douglass Of the Junior high school.
Plans for a census Of the city to ascer-
| tain the amount OF tillable land avail
able for cultivation. and to make further
inquiries regarding the seed problem, were
| discussed The work of taking this censue
| will be entered upon almost Immediately
Mr.. Chittenden has divided the city into
81 districts and the plan at present Is to
have one teacher, assisted by a commit
| tee of adults. make the census Of his dis
trict. The school children will also be
divided into four groups as follows
| Those who will do community garden
work, those who will do home garder
work, boys who are able and willing tt
work on farms where they may be needed
and girls who are ready TO do their shar'
in the canning and preserving Of food.
c. w. Brownell has already placed a.
the disposal of the Junior high schoo
pHpilS SIN acre tract Oh IdHu, iOCdtel
on Spear street near the Williston road
This will be divided into plots. each con
tanning one-fourth of an acre. which vii
be cultivated by two boys. The entir'
work will be under the direction of
competent director, whose employment
by the superintendent of schools ha
been authorized by the board of schoo
commissioners. The senior high schoo
already has one or two communit.
gardens under way and the children a
the Ira Allen school are most enthusiast
about such work.
The work of cultivating these garden
will not be a gift proposition. The pup
who does the cultivating will be charge
a nominal rental for the land and cos
price for all materials used. etc. He vii
do the cultivating and the marketin
himself and at the end Of the season vii
submit an itemized expense sheet to hi
school principal The practical side o
the mathematical problem will not b
overlooked nor merged in the patriotism
of the endeavor.
The Champlain school children had
flag raising Thursday morning at whic
Superintendent Chittenden In his address
on patriotism" emphasized this par
of tho work. This school will probabl
have community garden. All Of tn
pupils who undertake to aid in this wor
will pledge themselves to stick at 1t, j
the same manner that a soldier remain
: on duty. Those who go to work on farm
or in similar endeavors. under the supel
vision OF their teachers. will be give
full credit for their school work and tn
New England board Of college certificatio
will recommend for admission to collea
without conditions. pupils who ordinaril
would have entered college next fall. bt
Q who leave school to engage in thes
e patriotic labors.