Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-21
CAMP DIX TROOPS
MAKE WAR GARDENS
Soldiers to Farm About 4po Acres
Of Unused Parade
Ground.

Camp Dix, Wrightstown. y. j., May
2I.--Thc first Of t'ncle Sans much-,iis-
cussed war gardens for army camps was
officially instituted ri Camp Dix yester-
dav by the Conservation and Reclamation
Department Of tho Quartermaster Corps
cooperating with the National War
Garden Commission Between 3O0 and
100 acres OF unused parade grounds
within the cantonmcnt reservation VIII
be put under immediate cultivation and
will be farmcd ut present by soldiers
physically disqualified for overseas ser
vice. As the department has the author
ity to uae prisoners of war, 1t ~ likely
that German captives will he assigned
Ia work under direction Of the soldier
farmers when the plans me extended
The enterprise will be directed by Lieu
tenant T. V Champin, Of Buffalo, heed
of the Conservation Department under
Lieutenant Colonel r.. X. Tompkins,
camp uuartcrmRster Norman {. Nc
Loud. of Cleveland. is the National War
Garden Commission representative IN
the undertaking
The first 300 acrrs Of the camp farm
will consist of 40 acroa planted in po-
tatocs; 30 acres in hrets, 30 in sweet
corn. 20 in onions and 80 in beans. Not
only will these crops add To the food
production rnd reduce the rost ot army
corntnisssrv maintenance, but officers
point ont that every bushcl grown here
will save lllst so much transportation.
II will provide % definite employment
for tho drafted mon unfit FOR military
scrvicc end also for many convalescents
IL the base hospital whom surgeons are
Gnxious to treat hy some form nt out
door occupnt,onM thcropy While their
duties will bc agricultural. tho soldiers
assigned Ia the farm will he kept IN CON
atant touch with military life, snd Lieu
tenant Champhn plans to form them
into y regular company
The hitting of the ban on vlaltors to
the camp nt q o',lnck last evening found
= big crowd At Nrightatown waiting to
got over tho limo The camp haa been
closed for military reasons since FRIDAY
midnight Many of tho visitors travelled
from distant States last week and pro
longed tholr stay until this evening IN
order to get into the great rentoDment
The hrst 0f tho browning merhinc
guns assigned to the National Army
here arrived Yesterday and ordnance
officers. anxious 90 see the much dis
cursed weapon IN action. ere preparing
- give II IN immediate field toat Tho
hccn thoroughly tried ont ~ target anti
field work here during the last twp months
and having been shown 90 he the most
satisfactory ot any III usc, the machino gun
following the same general plan VI con
rtrlction. hrs been the subject d many
ruthiIStnziir predictions One of tho noat
interested spectators when the guns arc
tested here will he Major General Scott.
who was q member of the army board that
approved tho original browning plans
Erection If big grandstand adIoln-
ine tho blcechCrq has heon commenced
At the division baseball diamond Cap
tain II q Caldwell now camp athletic
oihcer. hopes 70 have the stand com
petcd for tho lntcr-canp game nj the
week end CAPTAIN CALDWELL has called
conference of organic ation athletic Of
ficcrs 10 complete plans for the big
Memorial nay program when Il - plan
ned 10 hring ~ least 10000 men INTO the
games