Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-12-14
THE PATRIOTIC SERVICE OF THE
SCHOOLS
December q, 1917

December q, 1917
The newspapers Of the state have late
ly published the results of the food aud
conservation campaign as carried on by
the school children of the state, includ,
ing some interesting statistics H2D
boys and girls excused from high school
to work ON farms; 57,1jG bushels Of
potatoes 1925 bushels of beans; 10000
bushels of garden vegetables, $4,000
quarts Of canned fruit aud vegetables,
hosd0 the large amount for which no
record was kept, The value Is estimated
ut Sl50,OOO and the cost NJ $4,000 M
contributed by the state for seed, hc,
sides the indefinite amount from local
individuals and committees,
In the Addison Central District cam.
prsiug Cornwall, MiddlchWy Middle.
bury District 80, -Four, Riptou, Sails.
bury and Wcyhlldgc, two seniors, Dun'
can aud Yates, were released from high
school 10 serve in the navy, 30 boys aud
girls 10 work ON the farms fourteen
were released from the grade, and rural
schools, In many eases, additional child,
rem stayed out for few days nj rush
times to help in getting i'm the crops aud
10 harvest then. no accurate record is
possible for estimating the results Of
such labor, but il is plain that their con,
tribulion To the production Of food il
many time, greater than that of the
smaller ones whose work is the bulk Of
that for which record was kept As
best he could, the superintendent CX.
planned ~ the children the nature Of
the need, the teachers followed mp with
help IN planning, many Of the children
are too small to grasp the idea Of war;
but the weeds they pulled and the hoe
ing they did was pust as effective as
though they did understand; and they
encountered the obstacles aud disap.
pontmcnts that all farmers are liable
to, The school garden at Bread Loaf
was destroyed by deer, heavy rains and
excessive drought wrought havoc with
many plans, even child service has been
drawn upon to help out on many farms,
where the scarcity Of help has made it
necessary TO employ children At field
tasks, 50 that not all their labor was
done in the gardens where records were
kept of their service However, of the |
children who went at it, go reported re.
suits of their work and this is it: 90 |
bushels of beans, l50 bushels of potatoes, |
900 bushels of garden vegetables, aud |
$50 quarts of canned fruit aud veg.
ctablcS. In some parts of the country, |
pig clubs and calf clubs have added Il
amount to the productive !
activity of pupils, 1t is to be hoped that
more thorough organization another wear
may make this a large feature of the
work of the children here. In the north.
west district of the country this was true
this year; but for the most part, while
the boys took good care of lot Of pigs
and calves their work cannot be- in
cluded in the figures on boys work this
year because the pigs and calves belonged
to father
This year we started late, the call
was sudden, there was difficulty in So.
curing seed, parents were hurried with
their field work. and many could not
stop to fit separate piece of ground for .
the exclusive use of pupils More can
he done another year if plans are laid +
early, seed saved now, crops studied, |
and purposes formed with time to per.
feet plans, Only one huShcl of beans
was paid for in this district from the |
state fund. One boy planted Il peek of |
this seed and raised a buShcI, another
boy planted a peek Of seed out of the
same bag and raised eight bushels. The |
latter boy probably sweat good deal
more on those hot days when there was
need of hocing bean, In Ripton, under |.
the leadership Of two teachers, the child,
rem gathered wild fruit in season. straw.
berries, hlucbcrricS, rcSpherlcs and black.
berries and put up 26j quarts of can.
ned fruit and vegetables, one girl in
put up fifty quarts; in all |
the rest of the district, 35 quarts are
reported. Surely more can he done
along this line. The need of food will |
probably be greater another year than it
has been this. ask that parents give
the children the benefit of their counsel
and their help in planning for a greater
work next year.
ARTHUR W. EDDY.