The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-04-19
GRUBBING FOR GRUB
CULTINATING WASTE PLOTS
BIG MEN OF NATION SET
EXAMPLE.

The nationwide movement for
more food for the citizens of towns
and cities is taking hold in Madison.
The idea is one adapted to the nan
who is working for a wage and who
would thereby save a few dollars of
his wage. and incidentally beautify
an otherwise waste plot of fruitful
ground. 1t would also furnish his
family with vegetables unwilted and
not shop worn and assist the enforce
ment of the non-spitting ordinance.
High schools, our own included.
over the country are taking up the
idea. The lots of a quarter of this
town were explored by the students
of the class in agriculture recently
and a great proportion of the ground
was found TO be wasted. II is pur-
posed to either secure the plots for
school cultivation, or to urge the
cultivation of it by the owners or oc-
cupants of the premises. The idea
was born of the care that both the
French and English armies take in
raising vegetables for their messes.
They. OF course caught the infection
from the prudent German over across
the dead line of no mans land.
The sentiment is wellnigh uni
versal. Some scout the idea They
say that they cannot afford 10 spend
time in a garden which might better
be employed in posting up the office
books or sweeping the floors of the
store. They may not be able to give
the time-but the man at the head
of the nation, on whose shoulders
rests the responsibility for the con
duct of our affairs in a great crisis.
finds time and can afford to devote
spare moments TO the cultivation of
l%ettuces and radishes. If he can we
can. and if we can we should.
If reports are true, there is TO be
a food shortage. There are sugges-
lions Of government supervision of
prices. and what would naturally fol
low, a supervision also of the sup
plies. Indeed. considering the prices
charged for food. that shortage is
already upon us. For it is certain
that with little or no rise in the
prices paid to labor. and when the
consumer spent the bulk Of his in
come for supplies anyway. the food
he gets for the dollar he spends is
short in quantity as compared with
what il was two years ago-the
shortage Is with us. surely.
Too many look upon the idea of
%cultivating the small plots as piffline
and trivial. To each person il is.
But to look al 1t in a broad way. the
whole product Of a city, county on
state would amount to amazing zig
ures. II may be compared TO a loss
by fire. If the value of a building
Is well covered by insurance. and II
is destroyed. 1T is commonly said
there was no loss. There is. The
( whole community loses. though the
amount to each is very small, IL Is
charged TO every subscriber in the
community either i'm direct premiums
or greater fire risk. And the prop
erty is gone beyond recovery.
If the movement for g~arden'hc
waste plots can save for a family SO.
il is $40. In this county there are
perhaps 1900 urban families who
have plots of ground which they
could use as gardens. From the low
figures here given an idea Of the saw
ing % this county may be gotten
then the state and finally the whole
nation-and the addition 10 the to
tai wealth would amount 10 an enor-
nous sum. And il all is concrete
I addition to the wealth of the locality
practicing the idea.