New Britain herald., 1917-11-22


Frank H. Afford, Frederick Parsons,
Thomas H. Kehoe, William B. Ross
berg and Harold r. Jones. Harold
Elms and Albert F. Corbin, originally
appointed to this committee, did not
attend. Mr.. Tallard was elected
chairman, Mr.. Rossberg auditor, and
Mr.. Jones, secretary, whereupon the
committee at once began to formulate
plans for the seasons work. In an
ticipation of the creation of such
committee by the Common Council
Mayor Quigley and Mr.. Rossberg had
previously contracted for two tractors
and other tools, and also purchased
742 bushels of seed potatoes which
they turned over to the committee.
AS the season advanced the commit
tee purchased additional supplies. all
contained in the fiscal report attached.
The committee leased 43 acres Of land
from Mrs. Mary Tracy in Stanley
Quarter at the rate of $40 per acre,
and imm ediately began the work OF
blowing and planting. Early in the
undertaking many individuals were.
deeply interested in the municipal
farm, and many volunteered their
services at least one day a week.
A system whereby school boys could
work on the farm and still obtain
credit in their classes was also adopt
ed, and 1t was thought that the labor
question was solved. Subsequent
events, however, proved the inade-
quateness of volunteer labor. While
many men and boys labored, es-
pecially the High school boys under
Principal L. F. Slade, the pastor and
children Of the Sacred Heart church,
and the pastor and children of st.
Mary's church. and the Boy Scouts
under Scoutmaster Dwight A. Skinner.
the volunteer plan OF labor was not
what was expected.
During the spring, summer and
fall, the committee met weekly to
consider the farm situation, and Mr..
Tallard gave practically his entire
time, which was very effective, to the
active management of the project
Other members OF the comittee gave
of their time and ability as they could.
While the planting was delayed to
some extent by the spring rains the
entire field was planted by the middle
OF June, and work of cultivating part
Of the crop begun. Early in July
bugs made their appearance and as
the season advanced other blights
appeared. The potatoes were sprayed
time and time again, but many of the
plants died. In order to utilize all
available soil and to increase the
citys crop production, the committee
set out 10000 cabbage plants which
have been sold at a fair profit. When
| 1t appeared that natural couses had
1nterfered in such way as to make
a bumper crop impossible, the COM
| mittee was empowered by the Com
mon Council in October to use it's I'M
! expended balance to buy potatoes.
| Through Vanderveer & Coleman Of
Port Evan, N. Y, orders were placed
| for six carloads 1t being understood
! that the average car contained about
700 bushels. The potatoes arrived.
| but one car, an exceptionally large
one, the only one Vandeveer & Cole
| man could obtain at the time, con-
! tanned 1,173 IL bushels. This large
. and unanticipated consignment caused
! the committee to overdraw Its appro-
| priation. Storage room was secured
| in the Smally, East Street and Smith
J schools, also in H. r. Walker Co. >
| storehouse, in the Mayors cellar. In
| the Dickinson Drug Co.'S building,
| and in Rossberg's block. The pota-
| toes were purchased at prices rang
ing from $1.35 per bushel to $40
! per bushel, and in reference to the
| variance in the price it might be ex-
| planned that owing to the unsttled
| conditions of the market this fall the
! quotations f1uctuated widely from day
| to day, and all purchases had to be
made at the daily prevailing price is
| the New York market. Thus, pota-
! toes might be purchased on Monday
at $40 per bushel, while the price
might be $1.35 per bushel on Tues
| day. in the same week.
| "After considerable difficulty be-
! cause of the Observation-Disclosures Of
help. the committee succeeded in 11ar-
vesting Its farm crop Of 3,1O2 bushels