Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-31
GARDEN WORK IN D. c.
IS TO Be CONTINUED
Central Committee Plans to Keep Up
It's Activities While the
War Lasts.

With aSh1ngtonS nrSt organized conf
munity gardening movement. members
of the central gardens committee at q
meeting this afternoon in Thu. board
room of the District. building dis
cussed plans for continuing the work
through next season and for the period
of the war.
Reports made by H. NJ Connolly of the
Department of Agriculture, who has
been in charge of the demonstration
work. and Harold McAllister. executive
secretary. showed that the gardening
movement has been taken hold Of en-
Enthusiastically in every section of Wash :
ington, and that the local output of
garden produce this year should be the
heaviest of record. Mr.. Connolly said
that he had personally seen $500 gar
of cultivation, and that there are prob
ably not. less than 5000 gardens alto
gether in the District at the present
time.
That much interest has been taken by
citizens Of Washington in the subject of
increasing the city's food supply was in
dictated by detailed reports of the work
done by the Office of the executive secre-
tarys
Work of Boy Scouts.
Allan w. Gibson, one of the volunteer
dressed a large number of organization on
the subject of community gardening, told
of the interest that is being manifested
throughout the District in this undertake
the gardening line was outlined by Ralph
Campbell
He said that the Boy Scouts not only
are aiding in the production of the
greater food supply. but that yesterday
they visited 800 springs in the District
Maryland and Virginia and cleaned
these natural water sources in order
that they may be used in the event any
thing should happen to the Districts
water system.
at the meeting. stated that plans are
being made to educate the community
in the canning of foodstuffs. and that
the plant of the National School of Do
nestle Arts and Science probably would
be used in the near future for demon
stration wrok. o. H. Benson of the De-
partment of Agriculture also spoke
briefly as to the canning problem.
Several members of the committee
emphasized the Importance of steps be-
Ing taken at once to permanenti1e its
work. and committee to consider
named in the near future.
Progress of Movement.
Progress Of the home garden move
rnent in the District. instituted by The
days meeting by Hardin l.. McAllister,
executive secretary of the central
garden committee, and by H. M. Con-
oily, expert adviser on gardens from
the Department of Agriculture.
Mr. McAllister's report showed that
charge by owners for gardening pur-
poses. and 213 of these have been as
signed through the committee. These
have varied in size from ten acres to q
backward. garden Of 1s by le feet.
We have plowed $4,000 sat,ara feet
OF $751;" Mr.. McAllister. stated.
More than 1900 persons. It ID esti-
mated. have taken advantage Of an ar
rangement with the street cleaning de-
partment to obtain street sweepings for
Work Done at oMace.
'The number of persons who have
visited the Office Groom s04 Star build
hg) between. April-6 and May as has
been 1885," the report continues. THE
number of phone calls we have had
during the same time has been 1910.
Ehe Number Of, letters sent out was
s sei The vas na%ssr of circulars dis
= Mr.. Coloily's report showed that he
has had s464 ONCE consultations, 1912
consultations on gardens. where actual
demonstrations were made; he attended
ffty-seven meetings, with a total at
tendance of 2.725, made les visits to
demonstration gardens and 772 visits
TO other gardens, total of s3S garden
visits. "-"
Mr.. Connolly has travelled GIT miles in
street cars, has walked EOS miles, and
has traversed 1890 miles In an auto
mobile in the course OF his demonstra-
tion work. He has distributed 3,400
plants beside many lots of seeds and
spraying mixtures.