Baxter Springs news., 1917-05-03
BAXTER HAS ARMY
YOUNG GARDENERS
Vacant Lots and Back Yards
Looking COOd-But Few
Slackers in Food Drive.

Gardens are very popular this
year in Baxter Springs. Persons
who have not had gardens fol
some years are having them thi:
year.
Many families are already
using radishes, lettuce and onions
from their little back yard plots
Some are reinforcing theil
gardens by planting new seeds sc
as to have the vegetables coming
on right along. Others are just
starting to plant for the first time
"There is very little chance to
waste food in Baxter Springs,
said Mrs. Edward Polster, the
president of the Federated Clubs
to the representative of The
News when he made the PROPOSE
ton that the different clubs in
the'city might take up canning
and help conserve all that might
otherwise 20 to waste. 1.-The
mining camps. around Baxter
Springs offer ready market for
everything that the farmers can
raise" she went on. "Conse-
quently the farmers wives take
to these places the products of
their farms and get good prices.
That is one reason why we pay
more for them here than the
people do where the demands for
farm produce are not as great"
According to Mrs. Polster,
most of the people in this city do
their own canning. She believes
that more canning is done in
Baxter Springs than in many
other places. She pointed out
that the people in the country
ought to be interested in canning.
They are the ones who raise food
stuff on large scale. Where such
practice is prevalent there is
more or less chance for waste.
If the housewife knows how to
can she can turn the vegetable,
that would otherwise be doomed
to rot away, into canned stuff
for winter consumption. Nova
days the wide awake farmer can
not waste anything if he is quick
to supply the demand made by
the mining camps.
The potato growers, of this
section have had a very serious
handicap in raising that crop
when the hot days of August set
in. This heat makes it impossible
to allow the crops to remain in
the ground. Because of this,
people have to dig them out
early and store them either in
sheds or in cellars. Those stor-
ing them in sheds risk a great
chance of rotting them while
those who put them in cool
cellars or in caves can make
them last as long as they should.
Mrs. Polster had the potatoes
from her garden dug last July.
She stored them in cool cave
which they had built separate
from the furnace room. The
potatoes lasted until recently.
The News has already asked
the opinion of experts from the
Kansas State Agricultural college
about this potato situation and
as soon as replies are received
they will be printed in our
columns, for the good of the
people.
In the past the water problem
has been a great hindrance to
backyard gardeners and to those
who have tried to can tomatoes.
It is claimed that the manage
ment of the water plant has
forbidden the people the use OF
water during the summer for any
other purposes than those sbso-
lutely necessary. Things have
changed, however. A new 309
foot compressed air pump, driven
by oil, has arrived and it viii be
installed shortly. }
when we get that engine in
stalled, the people can use all the
water they want, was the assur-
ance given by Manager Brown Of
the water plant to The News
representative. Things are look
ing brighter in Baxter Springs in
the food drive campaign.
Monday morning the represen-
tative of The News made a
personal appeal to the high
school students to do their "bit"
in producing and conserving
more food. He asked them to
make good their claims Of civili-
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