The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-05-01
FACTORY WORKERS
PLAN TO RAISE
FOOD CROPS
Employees in Dennirgton Indus
- tries to Cultivate Large Plots
LAND HAS BEEN CONTRIBUTED
Local Production of Several Thous-
and Bushels of Potatoes is
Predicted.

| The majority of the manufactures
in town are planning to raise veget
ables this summer. Groups of EN-
ployees have banded together and
taken charge OF various plots of land
about town, where they will raise po
tatoes and other crops. One of the
! large plots so taken over Is the so
| called Swift lot in Old Bennington
| just above the railroad track and op.
| posite the old Catholic church. This
| lot, consisting OF about 10 acres has
| been divided up among various clubs.
| the group from the Black Cat Tex
tiles company having promised to
take charge of Z acres, the Wax paper
company three, as well as a few
others, These groups have banded
together and the general committee
is having the entire plot ploughed this
week. after which it will be turned
over at cost TO the workers.
The employees of the Holden, Leon
ard company are divided into several
groups, some as small as <vo mem
bers, and some Of them will work on
the Swift lot, and others in various
places about the village A large
number of persons from Cooper's box
shop will work land in Woodford,
where they will raise potatoes.
Through the generosity OF Edward
II. Everett, over 90 acres on what is
known as the Grant farm have been
made available for cultivation by high
school and graded school clubs. They
will raise potatoes and beans. The
general committee of the village will
back the boys in the purchase of seed
and fertilizer The committee is also
endeavoring TO arrange for the spray
ing of these crops, charging pro rata
for each individual. ar-s
Only 40 bushels Of local seed have i
been used for the potato planting, as
it is scarce and inferior in quality.
The committee has brought in from
Maine and Rutland oyer 400 bushels
of certified seed, of both the Irish
Cobbler and the Green Mountain po-
tato This supply is all sold. The
planting of these means that the po-
tato crop in this section will be in
creased by from five to six thousand
bushels and that there will be great |
in the quality of the To- |
cal seed available for use next year.
The ladies' committee. made up of |
Mrs. George NJ Hawks and Miss |
Hilda Pratt, are working in co-opera
tion with the teachers on the home |
garden scheme. They plan to form |
every grade into a company" for the |
and care of gardens and seek |
the aid of the parents of the children
in this plan. Another division of the
headed by Village Clerk |
w. p Hogan, is trying to obtain the
use of vacant lots and to assign them
to those people who wish to raise
but have no gardens of
their own, Committees have been
appointed in each ward, with whom !
those desirous of obtaining land
should communicate.
The ward committees are as fol-
lows. Ward !, Edgar S. Buss, Will
am P. Hogan; ward 2. Harry ]. Cole,
Miss Frances ODonnell; ward 8, a.
9. LaMa;re; ward 4. John j. Hayes, C.
w. Thatcher; ward 5, William T. Bar
att, Calvin Endress; ward 6, r. b. |
Patterson, Homer II. Webster; ward
7, Lee Warner. Mrs. w. A. Peart, |
Tohn F. McGurn.