Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-06-24
Hon. Franklin X. Lane,
The Secretary Of the Interior,

w. '~0
Dear Mr.. Secretary: A kind Of
friend Of mine told me you wrote to
him to tell me to write a letter about
raising Vegetables to eat and all. His
name IL Mr.. Darlington or sumpthing
like that and he said he would address,
the letter and all and write what is
at the top of this letter to start with.
Well I do not know much about ris-
Ing Vegetables yet but I will tell all I
know. Miss Spence said our class bet
ter Join the u. g.. School Garden
why usulay we got to. Besides she
said the U. S. Government a. so too
and 1t Is the School Garden Army is
an Army Of the u. 8. Gov. and IL we
belong to it w are Just az much in
the Army as If we had guns. and will
get q badge and all and besides can
get some one by selling the
vegbles. Well, I would like to have
some money and go void other
it anyway because IL I am in the U.
S. s. g. I am in the Army and have
a badge. And 1 a eat some Of the
! vegbles myself and all. Well any,
body wants to be in the Army Of
course. SO / am now a going to be
member of the army. Anybody that
says l am not going to be ask who
ever they like they will tell them
quick enogh I am going to be in the
U. s. S. G.. Army. 1t has U. s.. before
it and I guess that is enuogh for me
I guess. @
Well so we thought we better get
some PRACTISE raising some veatgbles
so we went to Sam Williams yard and
got two colred. boys so Is to have
them do q good deal Of the work as
they have got to work almost all the
time anyway at. their W house.
These two colred boys they used to
live in the country out about s 1-2
miles and they know how to rase
cabaj and all.
Well am said we could dig up his
back yard and he void help some.
We also got some seeds that we got
by tradeing some old iron to the rag
man, and we had onion seed and we
had some potatoes eyes and some
corn. Well it did not look like much
use. You can dig up a yard and put
things in and cover them up and
it does not look like much use I tell
you. Well we sat around there after
school for serreval days when we had
put all those things in the ground we
felt like we whished they void come
up SO we could look at them.
This is not the first time Sam and
I have planted seeds because I expect
in u time we have planted more
cherry stones and peach stones and
apple seeds and once we must have
planted anyway 1000, 900 watermelon
seeds in our yard but you cold go to
the place 1000, 900 times and look at
it for a couple Of hours If you wanted
to but you void eve see any differ
ence. But that was when we were
little and now We are going to be in
the U. s. 8. G.. Army of course we
void know better. When we were
planting in October as any other
time.
Well sc M morning before school
Sam Williams called me to come owe
there and he was all hopping when I
got to our farm because there raj a
little plant sticking up out of the
ground and signs Of some o com
ing with little leaves and all. I tell
you We never did feel better than
own little plant on u own little farm
and 1t made u feel hungry like we
wanted to eat It ourselve right away
but we did not because Of course it
void be too. young and II we went and
eaten it we cold not sell It., Well, we
were pretty glad all day and after
school We ant and looked ut our farm
and pulled fsome weeds out and we
cold sec this plant va already some
bigger. Sam said It was going to be
potatoes and ! thought onions. YER
man said cor but he probaly. said
that because he 10 tongeutied and 1t
was the eastest for him to say.
Well anyway We thought q great
deal Of plant and Sam said he
never did like any plant as much as
he did that. one and 50 did I because
when you have raised a plant it is
different from any plant. And Sam
said theypwere coming up so fast now
we void probaly have 100 by tomor-
row morning. Il t
Well we did not. I went over there
before school next morning and Sam
aid look what happned and he was
almost crying because this ID what had
gone on. Well some old chickens had
been there, andrthey had scratched up
our whole farm the vile old chickens
and aten up all our seeds that had not
sprouted and there was not any farm,
left.
well We called the two colrsd boys
q they wers az mad as anything but
thsy mid if they cold fnd those
chickens they know what they would
do with them and 20 we void begin
all Over again and make q new farm
because the spring was early yet and