The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-02-24
CITY GARDENS
Will REDUCE
LIVING COSTS
IN RICHMOND
Citizens Have Sufficient
Land at Disposal to Grow
Vegetables to Meet All
Their Needs.
QUICK ACTION NEEDED
BY FORREST DAVIS.

0Y eOnHESI ONVJO.
In the spring a householder's
fancy lightly turns to thoughts
of garden truck.
Especially in a spring when
potatoes are soaring to the 81
mark and other vegetables are
keeping pace.
More square yards of waste
land in and near Richmond will
be cultivated this spring than
ever before, chiefly because Of
the mounting Hi Cost O. Living.
Many a middle-aged Rich
mondite will go "back to Eden"
on a city lot this spring.
Will Reduce Living Cost.
This Is splendid. AS means of
combating food combines and short
ages nothing Is SO effectual as care
fu1ly-cultivated Kitchen garden.
Richmond has within its boundaries
sufficient land to provide vegetables
for every family in the city during the
entire year!
Richmond folks can be Independent
Of the potato growers OF Michigan and
the truck gardeners and cold storage
men of the country.
Here is proof:
Sixty percent of the homes of Rich
mond have sufficient land to produce
fresh and canned vegetables and ber-
rieS for the entire year.
Tables Show Percentage.
Thirty per cent have sufficient area
to product vegetables during the
season and only ten percent have in
sufficient land for garden.
There is enough vacant ground SO
that all those who are without land or
garden. ...
These statements are taken from the
vocational education survey Of Rich
mond made last year by the Richmond
and state education boards and Indiana
university.
They have been verified carefully
and found to be substantially correct.
Now, there should be concrete
force in Richmond to create interest
in back yard and vacant lot gardening
as a means of conserving community
waste and slicing the high cost OF liv-
ing.
Schools Propose Action.
The schools propose to act upon the
surveys recommendation for garden
department with full-time teachers
and supervisor.
Superintendent Giles says the board
Is pledged to install the department
within three years.
The system will not be in operation
this year, however.
Therefore, some other agency should
act The Social Service Bureau, were
IT alive to it's possibilities for con-
structive service. might assume re-
sponsibility. This is hardly to be
reckoned upon.
Can not one Of the womens' clubs.
which have been so active in promot-
ing community welfare, assume re-
sponsibility for the garden movement
until the schools can occupy the field?
They have done it in Rushville, Ind.
Clubs Institute campaign.
There the Womens' Council has in
stituted a campaign among school
children for vegetable and flower gar
dens. A contest has been arranged
ard cash prizes will be awarded in the
fall for the best gardens.
This does not extend far enough, |,
withal. 1t leaves the vacant lot plan
cut of consideration.
If womens' organization takes the |
matter over this spring it should
operate along the school. back yard !
and vacant lot spurs of the idea. !,
A clearing house for vacant lots
could be established; funds raised to
nav for plowing; instructions given to
would.be gardeners and inspections
made by committees of women with !
practical knowledge of city farming"
This plan must be energized at once
or It will be too late.
Any information at the Palladium's !
disposal gladly will be given to any |
organization acting upon this suggest.
ion.