Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-20

| w hSliiNGION. May 2O.---'L.ot me
suggest also that every ono who creates
| or cultivates II garden helps. and helps
greatly" said President Wilson In
| his service reclamation, thus putting
| tho home vegetable gardner i'll the
same class with tho soldier. tho mum.
| ton maker and the ship carpenter. AZ
| ono OF those whose efforts will sct the
| day OF victory. And the home gardner
has responded right nobly. While tho
revenue bill Was being riddicu By
blasts of protests while tho army bill
was plowinH through comfiultees.
whilc tho ship building urogrom was
boinG criticized and rccast. the army
OF home gardeners was shouldcring it's
winter rested soil TO hcav.r and
porting over tho government manual:
on the art OF vegetable gardening.
1t Is not too soon TO estimate .om,.
,, OF the probable results. There is still
time 10 plant fcw thousand or tens
OF thousands more gardens: tho late
ness OF tho spring gives tho moro
backward citizens n chance to rctr!v,
their patriotic standing: but enough
gardens have been planted to enable
II TO he said that tho small vegetable,
garden production OF the United
States will be about 100 per cent this
year what it was last, and that the
value OF tho products will DO Increased
by some 100000. 900. This Is a So,d
showing. and ought TO cncouragc the
gardner to stay by mis- plat with the
consciousness that his effort is mar,
of AN important factor in world cond,-
tons. but the good showing is no OK
cnsc for nny ono holding back. The
country VIII need the whole crop. ana
could use good deal more.
The enthusiasm with which the gar
dcns are being TILED Is n svvu u..,vn,
nj n nG lNo ,t,,tA
shows mat everybody Is anxious TO
help. The garden gives everybody
WIN bit OF ground IL chance to rem
der service OF great value oo
patriotism rather than profit is the
chief motive back OF tho work. con-,
iar 100 rich TO worry about the price.
or food arc having their lawns and
and their flower-beds plowod for no,a.
toes and onions. On the other nam,
people. so poor that they haven,
enough land and sun to add much to
inc total crop are working patiently
ana hhrd just 10 give vent 10 the,,
spirit OF service. Some Of the most
aristocTatic residence streets in Amer
lea viii DC fronted By rows OF cabbage {.
instead Of bluegrass and roses this
summer. And down in the ;encmcn.
districts of New York there is at lcaSl
one little girl who is raising a garden
IN the only dover pots she has-u
PAR OF battered wooden shoes brough.
over from Holland. Thousands and
thousands of apartment house dwer-
ers are planting beans and lettuce in
tneir window boxes instead OF rera
NUNS ana chrysanthcmuna Between
'hcse extremes are tho hundreds ~
thousands OF gardeners who are plant,
ing anywhere from NIFTY 70 five thou
sand square fee, o. soil 10 feed or helm
reed tho family with vegetables.
Ip,.a
INC movement has been taken up
an" IS being pushed By all sorts Of
examinations. and any ,rovcincn. IN
port OF our numerous and energetic
organizations is sure of success Boards
or trade arc behind the garden cam
paiSn IN almost every principal ci,y.
win concrete encouragement which
runs In one case as high as $4,000
'aSh. Mayors garden committees have
been appointed in several hundred OF
the largest cities I'm the nation. prac.
ideally every wo!nan's club has taken
the matter up. and in many cascs these
clubs were tho first bodies 10 start
the work In their local fields. Tho
BOY Scouts and the Girl Scouts are
pushing the campaign IN Wholesale
fashion The Young Mems Christian
Association and the Young Women's
Christian Association have done much
good work In many sections. Before
the first OF June the vacant lot with
nothing growing on II is likely TO be
fenced and exhibited AS a curiosity
Probably the leading nononicial or
ganiza;ion engaged exclusively in
pushing the campaign is the National
Emergency Food Garden Commission.
with headquarters at Washington. This
OF which Charles Luthrop
Tack il president consists OF about