Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-09-05
FOOD SUPPLY IS
MUCH INCREASED
Spread OF War Garden Movement
Is Reported From Every
Section Of Country.
ODDS MUCH TO POcKETB0oK
Examples OF Progress Of Home, Chill.
dren's and Community Gardens In.
dictate They Have Come to Stay
Some Of the Advantages.

War gardens as a whole, including
home, children's and community gar
dens, are more numerous and far more
productive this year than last. accord
ing to the department Of agriculture.
This Is the consensus of opinion of
those who have been working on the
garden problem, and Is based on
specific reports of the departments
agents, and upon the observations Of
Its specialists throughout the country.
While 1t Is reported that seedsmen
sold less seed to home gardeners this
year than they did last, this does not
mean that there are less gardens or
smaller paintings. Amateurs learned
last year that they bought too much
seed. Some Of this seed was I'M
doubtedly kept over. and many gar
crop for planting this season. A few
gardeners going to work in 1917 with
more enthusiasm than experience de-
cided not to plant this year, but n
great many more who did not make
gardens last year made them this
season.
Estimates Not Reliable.
Estimates of the number Of gardens
vary, and there are no figures other
than conjectures. Department garden
specialists say that an estimate Of TO-
100000 home gardens is conservative.
hut admit that this figure represents
only q good guess.
Specific examples show how the gar
den movement has grown. Before the
war, according to the garden leader of
the District of Columbia. there were
not more than 5000 gardens In the
federal district which contains the
capital Of the country. Now there are
$4,000, including school gardens. with
n marked increase in 1918 over 1917,
Chicago has $4,000 gardens, 10000
Of which are home gardens. 10000 chill
dren's gardens and 23S.O00 community
gardens. Oklahoma City had more
than 1900 gardens last year.
Gardens on Farms.
It must not be- supposed, either, tina,
city man and suburbanlte constituted
the only classes that needed admoni
ton to start gardens. and the only
ones that needed the admonition. The
county agent Of Oswego county, New
York. maintains that the majority OI
farmers in his county have not hat
gardens and that much of the effor
toward more and better home gardens
should be expended on the farmeI
rather than On the city man.
In the South last year more thai
315,m new gardens were starte'
through the efforts of farm demonstra
ton agents. md this figure takes n,
account OF many gardens established
Us an indirect result of the work Of TIL
department Of agriculture. OF eve
greater Significance has been the grea
amount Of gardening done through til,
cooperation Of Industrial enterprises
Many Of the great lumber mills an,
cotton mills Of the South have en
couraged their employees to have HON
gardens even to the extent OF furnish
Ing the ground and the blowing, an
allowing time OF with pny for til
planting, cultivation and haryestin
Of the crops. In Blbb county, ALI
bama, mine companies furnished Ian,
seed and fertilizers. III Calhoun
county the same state. home sgardet