The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-03-25
VOL. xx.-No. 81.
Garden Worth $15 Month to Average Family
By WILfON NEWELL, Plant Commissioners.

The "high cost of living" has be-
come a serious matter with most of
as. As long as we read about it
in the newspapers it produced much
the same impression as the other
new items. 1t is no longer neces-
sary for US to read about it, for we
face the problem itself in an acute
form three times a day-if we are
luckily enough to get three meals a
day.
Government agents may "watch"
the price of foodstuffs going up, and
commissions may investigate" the
reason, but folks go on eating just
the same-and prices go on rising.
One fundamental law governs
prices, the law of supply and demand.
The demand for foodstuffs has stead
ily increased; the supply has not. In
fact the supply has been steadily de-
creased through many causes, chief
among them being the war in Eu-
rope and reported shortage of
crops throughout the world. High
prices as result of such combina-
ton are inevitable and will continue,
with fluctuations due to minor causes
until the supply" has been relative
ly increased in proportion to the ode
mand."
One remedy, and the only one
which is practical, is at hand, and
that remedy is to increase the sup
ply Of eatables.
All too many of our people have
ceased to be producers of food, even
in a small way, and have become
exclusive consumers. Thousands OF
states as well, can with very little
labor raise gardens or a few chick
ems. In the smaller towns, at least
to say nothing of the farms, there
are innumerable vacant lots and
yards where vegetables can be
grown. Owners of vacant lots will
in most cases, gladly donate theil
use for this purpose, thus converting
unsightly weed patches into things
of usefulness and while cabbages may
not produce as handsome landscape
as roses, there are many thing:
about a cabbage patch which-at
present prices-we can all admire.
In a garden patch of only few
square feet enough vegetables car
be produced to make very appre'
cable difference in the family gro
Gerry bill In one instance which
came under the writer's notice the
living expenses of a small family
which kept modest garden were In
creased by SIS per month when thi;
family moved to premises where
garden was impossible. It is vel
to remember that peck of potatoes
or a pound of beans always possesses
the same food value, or utility, re
gardless of the market price ant
that manipulations by middlemen o
other factors cannot affect the foo'
value of things we raise ourselves.
Most of as remember the garden
cur parents religiously planted an
Y cared for, year after year; also tina
complaints regarding the high cos
of living we're singularly lacking.
The 'table scraps" from ever
family table, which ordinarily go in
to the garbage can, are sufficient t
maintain a flock of from three to
dozen chickens. By boiling vegeta
BILE Feelings and other scraps the
are made suitable for feeding t
poultry and but very little additions
food in the way of grain is needed
In this way waste matter is easil
and quickly converted into food prod
ucts of value, for, as every house
wife knows, two or three eggs or
fatted chicken make very percepti