The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-21

r.. w. Mitchell Suggests a>Prac-
teal Garden Plan.
He Would Provide a Supervisor
for Topeka Schools.
GIVE PLOT TO EVERY PUPIL
Show Each One How to Guilt
vate His Crops.
Then Give Him the Profits
From Sales Made.
BY II. w. MITCHELL.

Inc writer mas Deen asked TO pre-
sent an outline or a suggestive public
school garden plan that is practical
The following plan is the result of
research work. actual demonstrations
by public schools, and individual
gardening.
First-The writer would suggest
that the school board ~of Topeka pro-
cure a practical agriculture teacher,
who understands soils, tillage, and
garden vegetables that Will mature IN
this locality, and for which there Is a
market.
Second-Have the school board
lease Il tract of land, not less than ten
acres, as is done by some other towns
and cities of much less population, or
do as the city of Baltimore did on
Tuesday of this week: ordered that
the city parks be used for truck gar
deninS. Topeka has much available
land for this purpose, and no DOUBT
the Topeka park commissioner wouio
lend his cooperation at this time.
Third-Plat the tract into at least
fifty parts, if ii comprises ten acres
and allot each subdivision 10 an in
dividuaI pupil. If park grounds are
used, plat the same way. using those
grounds especially adapted to the
plants to be grown.
selection of Workers.
Fourth-Pupils for this work should
be selected from the grades between
the ages of l 2 years to 4 years, sexes
about evenly divided. The teaching or
agriculture is now mandatory IN our
public schools. The public, parents
and pupils. will find that the theory OF
teaching agriculture by practical dem
onstration on the child's own plot of
ground. under proper supervision OF
this kind of a director. far superior to
trying to furnish information from
book.
Fifth-Pupils working 10 their gar
dens during school hours should be
given full credit for attendance at
school, and in addition, extra credit in
their agriculture study for overtime
in their garden. if the work is credit
ably done. which work would be re-
ported to the several teachers by the
director in charge.
SiXth-The instructions in preparing
the soil, planting seeds, filling the
ground come under the tuition of this
teacher or garden director-the writer
prefers the latter title-in charge
who later instructs the pupils how to
cut, tie, clean and prepare the vege-
tables for marketing.
Seventh-The garden director should
make arrangements with some of the
local merchants to buy these products
before they are ready for market, and
ask them to advertise their vegetable
products: RAISED and Marketed by
the School Children of Topeka"
Selling Products.
Eighth-When these products are
delivered to merchants a receipt of
same is given in triplicate to the party
delivering the vegetables, showing the
exact amount and price received for
same, and signed by the merchant
buying same, one each for the secre-
tary of the school ard, garden di-
rector. and secretary of the School
Garden club. respectively. These bills
to be audited weekly by the garden
director, and verified by the others.
This teaches the children actual bust
ness accounts.
Ninth-The school children who en-
gage in this work should receive one
half of the net profits arising from
e-sale of garden products from their
respective plots of ground In some
cities additional prizes are offered by
the Chamber of Commerce, banks,
merchants and private citizens to pu-
pills who show actually large earnings
from their tracts. Topeka citizens
have always shown cooperative
spirit along this line, and the writer
feels confident in saying that addi-
tional prizes will be offered
Having compiled the statistics for
the past two years, from personal as
ISOLATION along garden lines. beg to
submit d maximum expense and a
minimum income on ten acres of gar
den land to-wit;
Maximum Expense.
Lease for ten acres of ground 1900. $4,000
Flowing same Observation-Disclosures. 1000
narrowing same ....-.-'--...-.'.... 3p
Floating same ....-.-------.--.-.... 300
Seeds avg. about $500 per acre.. COCO
Marketing products .....--. 10000
Salary of garden director for mo-. 1360.OO
Iucidentals. tools. eN. cult, etc. 5000
Maximum expense on ten acres 49,. $SS1. 90
Minimum Income;
Ten acres Of garden products S2OO.OO
per acre ..-...-......-- .S-,Vuu.OO
Maximum expense .--....S -SSl-OO
Net minimum income 1.119OO-S2.O OO.0 90
one half Of net minimum income,
s55g5O, TO be apportioned among the
bows and girls, besides competing for
additional prizes.
The real asset. these boys and girls
will have is the matter of knowing
what they, themselves, can produce
and be competent to prepare credit
able paper telling how it was done.
thus spreading the gospel of how our
food production is increased by the
school boys and girls of our nation.
Many pupils who take up this class
of agriculture will exercise their own
Judgment, and put this instruction
into practice nextN year by leasing a
piece of ground and operating it in
dependently and absorbing all of the
profits This is the writer's ultimate
aim-more producers of food pro-