The Washington times., 1917-04-07
SENATE INDORSES
GARDEN CAMPAIGN
Reed of Missouri Says Home
TilIers May Greatly Assist
Nation in War Period.

The home and vacant lot garden
ate yesterday after a resolution was
offered by Senator Reed Of Missouri
calling upon the Secretary of Agri-
culture to furnish a comprehensive
plan for getting a maximum food
production from cultivation of town
lots and unused lands adjacent to
towns, in view of the high price of
foods and any food emergency that
may result from the war.
The resolution, as amended by Sena-
tor Borah and agreed to, reads:
Resolved, That the Secretary Of
Agriculture is hereby requested to
Immediately submit to the Senate a
comprehensive plan for increasing the
production OF food supplies, especially
by the cultivation of town lots and
unused land adjacent to towns, and
OF the arid or semi-arid lands, and by
promoting the raising Of all classes
of food or food-producing animals,
and for the creation of an organiza-
ton to promote and in a practical and
enective way carry out the purposes
aforesaid, together with his estimate
OF the amount of moneys necessary
to be appropriated by Congress for
the promotion OF the purposes afore-
said"
Speaking on the resolution, Senator
Reed said:
81 can remember only a few years
ago when almost every man living in
a small country town cultivated a
town lot, grew a portion of the vege-
tables for his family, and raised pigs
and chickens; but afterward we pro-
gressed so far as to regard the rails
ing on a town lot of anything to eat
as quite beneath the dignity of the
ordinary citizen.
"I have not the slightest doubt but
that IL the Secretary OF Agriculture
can devise a plan that will result in
all the governors of States taking
hold of this proposition, and IL the
movement is carried on by the mayors
of all our cities and by them be
extended so that the people will
actually take hold, there can be
raised in the aggregate, upon the
vacant lot sof towns and upon the
farm lands which are unused, enough
food supplies to very materially af-
feet not only the price of food, but
the convenience and the happiness OF
the people.
I'VE know that in Germany, after
the government has done all that II
can do, the food supplies are never
theless so short that the people are
actually starving. We know that in
England by a recent order the food
supply has been limited. We know
that this war we are entering upon
may call from Industrial and produc-
tive pursuits millions of men. We
should begin to understand how grim
the task is that we are entering
upon.
1--WE may as well understand that
oppressive, in many In
stances almost crushing; the man
who supports the family must in
many cases be sent to the training
camp, and from the training camp to
the war trench, and that those who
at home must sustain the
home and also help sustain the alb
sent one.
1--WE have a war on our hands. or
It has been declared on our part to
be a war; and It may be a war to
the knife, and the knife to the hilt;
and you had as well prepare for 1t.
of thousands of acres OF
unused lands all over the country
are not being cultivated. That Is
the fortification that in the long
run will save this country in case
Of war 1t will sustain the army; IT
will sustain those who are not en-
gagged in war, those embracing the
various communities"