The Washington times., 1917-03-19
GARDEN SOIL TONIC
Is NEED OF WOMEN
O. H. Benson Claims Advantage
of Country Life Over
City.

american women need more fresh
air and garden soil tonic, than they
do powder, paint and fashion," says
o. H. Benson, garden expert of the
Department of Agriculture, In an
article for The Times, in which he
tells why Washington residents
should go in for gardening this sum
mer, as a matter of health, as wen
as economic betterment.
''The long summer school vacation,
started by the pioneers for rural
schools, was planned from necessity.
This system of vacation became
precedent, thoroughly fixed, and was
later, as towns, villages, and cities
developed, adopted by city people,
when our public school offlclals
appreciate the fact that school day
and its program should be given over
one-half to formal book and class
room work and one-half of 1t to voca-
tional training, direction in play and
youthful contests, and the more nat
ural exercises in the education and
DEVELOPMENT OF the child, II will then
be discovered that the summer Is the
most important and worth while time
of the year for the education of our
boys and girls. Summer vacations,
resort education, and seashore abnor-
malities are enemies to safe and nor
NAL education OF American child
hood.
"Rural childhood is more fortunate
than city childhood. City boys and
girls. not the rural, need our sym
pathy."
Mr.. Benson writes further:
City and Country.
Country boys live in homes. City
boys live in houses. Country boys
and girls have the companionship OF
parents, brothers, sisters, and hired
help every evening. CITY boys and
girls are scattered, or, II fortunate
enough to remain at home, are In
charge of nurses, or servants. with
parents in attendance at lodges, mis-
sionary meetings, moving picture
shows card parties, dances, ~or re-
ceptions,
These statements do not apply, of
course, to the best or exceptional
homes and minority of better class
city parents, but to the majority and
common class OF city dweffers. Over
60 per cent of our city homes and
parentage as well as our school men
and systems will classify in this
class, and should ponder 1t seriously.
THE country home keeps up a live
interest in farm interest, growing
stock and ripening> fruit, while the
city home stimulates thoughts of So
ciety, politics and city gossip. Coun-
try boys and girls follow the educa-
tional cycle of the grains from the
seedbin to the field. from the field TO
the table. while city children follow
the foodstuff from the commercial can
or pack to the table.
Rural children work with parents.
City children have nothing to do with
and no acquaintance with the work OF
fathers and mothers, and often plan
their activities with strangers.
Rural boys and girls are educated
on the farm, in the garden and in the
kitchen: city boys and girls are edu-
Gated in the parlors, paved streets,
summer resorts, seashores and at
moving picture shows.
MY greatest education up to my
twentieth year was received in moth
er's kitchen, enjoying its activities,
tasting fits products, studying its
methods and in company with my own
mother. / pity the child who is not
permitted to enter the kitchen, with
a mother as the manager OF the home.
Playground Man-Made.
The city playground is man-made
all too often OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
stones and concrete for a landing.
while the country boys playground
Is God-made and perfumed with Ma
lures perfumes. entertained by Ma
trolpes in the form of animals, birds,
insects and worms, performing in Ma
lures theater.
City boys have nothing to do but
play and kill time, except the few more
fortunate poor children who sell papers.
shine shoes and deliver groceries. Coun-
try boys have so much to do that they
must plan in a businesslike way every
days performance. in order TO find time
for reasonable play and rest. In this
we have much of the secrecy and origin
of rural made fame and the distinguish
ed service Of the farmers son.
Country boys have live. interesting
and usually economic pets, while city
boys have toy guns. cannonsr Zeppelins.
teddy bears and other frail artificial
toys.
. "CIties are made for mature men and
women. with habit and des .iny well fix
ed. well educated. and with sufficient
finances to make il possible for them TO
enjoy its cOnveniences for business and
social purposes. Cities were never in
tended for the natural development of
growing. adolescent children.
THE future OF America depends upon
a liberal plan of reciprocity education
ally between the city and country. City
children should be given country oppor-
tunities for their own observation and
Country men and women
may well be given the business training
and advantages OF city life. The bust
ness of city life of America depends in
a large measure upon rural training OF
men and women. The conservation OF
our city population depends upon giving
the over-strained. nerve-broken. sallow-