The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-05-03
THE WORLDS FOOD.
sUPPLY SUFFICIENTLY SHORT TO
BE CAUSE OF DANGER.
Wherefore Everybody Ought to Get
Busy and DO His Bit in the Gar
den or on the Farm.

! 1t appears that the world is con
fronted with a condition instead of q
theory. In the old world and the new
millions who ought to be adding to
| the worlds food supply are busy
slaughtering each other or making
material for killing people who ought
to be adding to the worlds food sup
ply. Hence it devolyes upon the rest
of us to get busy upon the soil. The
New York National City's Bank Re
view says:
After all is done that can be done
in the way OF stimulating farm pro-
duction, it is perhaps true that the
best chance for immediate results is
in the extension of garden cultivation.
The supply of common vegetables can
be very largely increased by the gard
ems, but the extension OF gardens al
SO requires organized effort. Ground
must be provided and placed at the
disposal of those willing to use it. In.
'struction may be needed in the ap-
plication of fertilizers and in cultiya-
ton, and aid in securing seeds. In
every village of this country this mat
ter should be taAen i'm charge by
some organization. A garden club, in
are represented, is good medium OF
operations. In some localities the
woman's clubs are taking up the work,
in others the commercial clubs are
leading off. In Richmond, Virginia,
the school board has undertaken to
supply vacant lots for cultivation by
the school children, and this is an eX-
cellent idea for general adoption.
There is nothing which it is more de-
sirable to have taught to the children
than the mysteries of plant life aud
the processes by which food is pro-
duced. If this emergency is intelli-
gently seized upon to create wide
interest in agriculture and in garden
cultivation most valuable results will
follow. .
The people who have grounds and
help to work them should make it
point to grow their own food, thus
diminishing the demands upon the
market. Public institutions which
have ground that can be utilized
should do the same.
A most encouraging development is
the movement by large employers to
provide garden plots for their en-
ployes. The Carnegie Steel company
has rented 200 acres of land near its
Youngstown works which it will sub
divide and offer to employees for their
cultivation. The company will ploW
the land and supply fertilizer. MI
merous similar announcements are
made indicating that the movement
may become widespread and it is
highly desirable that this shall be the
case. The employer is interested be-
cause the whole industrial situation
may be disorganiZed by high prices for
food, and the wage-earners are inter
ested because unless sufficient food
supplies are grown no possible wage
advances can provide enough for all
The main facts of the situation are
such as must appeal to every one. The
and dependent upon the crop OF 1917
The fields of Europe are poorly tended
and scantily fortified with the result
that a short crop is already foreshad.
owed Our own winter wheat crop is
unpromising. We are one the verge OF
war, which will make necessary a call
of men, many of whom will come from
the farms and the withdrawal of 9th
ers from shops will create vacancies
which to some extent will be filled
from the farms. The first essential
requirement in time of war or time
OF peace is that the people shall have
food, and with world conditions what
they are now this country cannot al
ford to allow the food supply for the
, coming year to be determined. by the
ordinary influences affecting product
lion. 1t time of war governments resort
to CONSUMPTION to fill the armies, ant
abroad they are taking hold OF fooe
production in the same manner. There
! is no time now in this country for any
thing but voluntary effort, but there
S1lOulu uC ChOuSh VI -
tiative and enterprise in every com
munity to take the action which the
common interest plainly requires. l
is the first and immediate opportunity
| in which every community can share
to do something for preparedness, ant
il is patriotic duty. There is NJ
danger of an Improbable crop upoi
/ the farms, or that the people who grow
their own vegetables will lose none!
by it. A very great effort is necessar.
lin a matter OF this kind to make an!
considerable change in the total pro
lduction of the country, and rs tn
planting season is now on there Is no
dav to be lost. The price OF foo
next winter with all that hangs there
on depends upon the efforts OF tn
next few weeks. We venture to hop
that the bankers of every locality vii
be among the. first to move for CON
immunity action. $1,000
i An officer OF the Yale National ban
lof New Haven, in a recent lette
writes as follows: