The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-03-15
CHILDREN'S GARDEN
SHOULD NET PROFIT
Young People Out Of School Can Help
Increase Nations Food Supply

wv vs. sfs'S~s ~-'-
Increase Nations Food Supply
In connection with the movement TO
instill interest in gardening into the
young people of Rutland the coming
summer, the following suggestions by
p. p. Claxton, commissioner Of educa-
ton of the federal interior depart
mcnt, for coping with the high cost OF
living are of general interest
an the schools Of the cities, towns,
suburban communities, and manuiac-
turing and mining villages OF the
United States ther are approximately
6 900 900 boys and girls between the
ages of 9 and l6. Most Of them arc
idle more than half of the year. They
are in school less than 1000 hours IN
the year, and allowing 10 hours day
for sleep, are out of school more than
900 waking hours, more than an aV-
erage nine hours day, not counting
Sundays. National and State laws
make it impossible for most of them
to do any profitable work in mill, NINE
or shop, and many of them are form
ing habits Of idlenoss and falling inIo
vice. Even during the vacation
months only about 10 per cent have
any profitable employment; only
about five per cent of them go away
from their homes except for few
days. Still, they must live and be fed
and clothed.
Back Yard Gardens
"For four millions of these there is
eccess to back yards, side yards, front
wards. and vacant lots, which might
be cultivated as small gardens for the
growth of vegetables and small fruits
Many live where space could be easily
had for chickens, ducks, or pigeons
And there arc not less than 6,0ooooo
older boys and girls and adult men
and women for whom an hour or two
of work each day in garden would be
the best form of recreation and rest
from the routine Of their daily labor IN
Office or shop or mill or mine, and
who might easily find the time for IT.
, "With some intelligent direction
J these school children and older hoys
and pirls and men and women might
{ easily produce on the available land
( an average Of $75 each in vegetables
{ and fruits for their own tables or tor
sale in their immediate reighborhoodi
fresh ard crisp through all the grow
ing months and wholesomcly canned
4 and preserved for use in winter. This
Z would add $750,0O0,000 to the best
=. form Of food supply Of the country
: without cost of transportation or stor-
7 age and without profits Of middlcmcn
! The estimate is very conservative a'
J has been shown by many experiments
i Work is Healthful
AIN addition to the economic profits
there would be for the children heaItf
d and strength, removal from tempta
q tion to vice. and education of the bes'
! type; and for older persons, rest ah'
!, recreation in the open air and the JOY
: of watching things grow.
7 "This might all be attained at com
g paratively little cost of putting ln''
9 the public schools for every hundred
0 children between the ages Of nine an'
G sixteen, one teacher skilled in garden
s ing and paid for all the year. One sucl
Il teacher could easily direct the work 0
100 children, and of the $50 older per
sons belonging to the families OF thes'
c children or living in their community
6 Thus 10000 teachers of this KIM
It would be sufficient for the entlr
: country. These teachers might easll
e be had for an average additional sal
d ary of $500 or a total Of O,OOOOol
= There would be some cost for SEED
1t and some for fertilizers and tools, bu
s. after the first year the cost OF tines
is two items would be comparativel
IS little. The proceeds would represen
p profits to a greater extent than in an
Is other kind of production. The miracl
of it is in bringing together idle Ian
on the one hand and idle children an
in tired people on the other. Alone
re neither is productive, but all would D
1t benefited by the combination even
is the vegetables and fruits produce
le had no value; the land by the cultlva
ID ton, the children by the health-givlnt
2 educational labor, and the older peopl
N by the hours outdoors and the conta'
IS with the soil"
D. THE WEEK IN PROBATE COUR
Estate Of NJ. J. Covey, Mancheste