The Washington times., 1918-01-25
CITY BEGINS
SPRING DRIVE
FOR RECORD
WAR GARDENS
BY BILL PRICE.

washington's 1918 campaign for
the finest war gardens in the coun-
/ try was started this afternoon at
| meeting in the office OF f. F. Col
! laday, chairman of the District gar
den committee, COS Union Trust build
! iing.
:, In few more weeks the snow and
ice will be gone, the sun will shine
! with more power, and the thoughts
iof men and women will instinctively
: turn to the outdoors and TO the cul-
ltivation of the soil.
| Chairman CollsdAy. who was named
by the District Council of Defense.
at the request of the Department OF
i agriculture, to coordinate all garden
!efforts in the District during the
present year, wants the campaign to
start early SO that everything will
'be in readiness to direct measures
for the best of early gardens. Last
! year the start was late.
The full garden committee, 'yIGl
Mr.. Colladay as chairman, cogSis's
. of Charles +. Crane, representing the
board OF trade: S. T. Cameron, ChSm-
Nber of Commerce; Joseph Berberich,
Retail Merchants; A. J. Driscoll, citi-
s--zens' associations. and Albert Doug
Z las. OF the Capital Gardens Club,
which furnished much of the incen-
tive, financial and otherwise, OF last
years garden campaign.
Attached to the committee is II. NJ.
] Connolly, Department ef Agriculture
! expert, whose work among local gard
eners in the past year is well remem-
bered. Part Of his salary and all Of
his expenses are to be paid by the
aSDistrict Garden Committee.
Permanent Quarters.
81 The committee will have permanent
office quarters in the franklin
sISehool building, in Thirteenth street,
and among the first steps will be to
raise $1,000 for expenses in the en-
Enjoyment of an executive secretary
and such other assistance as may be
needed.
Last year. in Richmond" he said,
the whole amount of money neces-
.sary there was guaranteed by Rich
mond bankers. We want to put the
campaign on a business-like basis at
."once this year, so that n,'thing may
interfere with our plans to get the
people to gardening so soon as the
= soil is in condition in the spring"
The District Commissioners. it is
, stated, have asked Congress to pro-
vide 81, 900 for garden work expenses
during the fiscal year beginning July
= next and II this is granted there
Will be little money to raise by SUBJ
scriptlon after that. This money,
even II granted, Will not be available
until the best Of the garden work
here should be well advanced.
q About 600 acres Of gardens were
planted by District amateur garden
ers in 1917" said Mr.. Colladay, "and
the results were splendid. Our slo-
gan for this year is to be 1 200 acres,
. and we believe we will make II. Peo-
/ pie generally understand the condi-
tIons they must flght growing out of
the war. and know the huge impor-
Estance OF raising everything possible
10 aid in bringing the war 10 close.
- All Year Round.
I'VE want vegetables In District
gardens all the year round, and not
conhne our plans to summer gardens.
If tho wife Of the man making small
wages is able to go into the home
garden in the winter and obtain kale,
spinach, etc, there will be money
saving"
Mr.. Collsday IS a gardener OF wide
experience. He took an interest in
these matters when child. In the |
year 1908, on a piece of ground con-
tanning one-thirty-second OF an acre, |
in Mt. Pleasant, he grew vegetables
amounting in value TO S125. doing all |
1.-THE work himself. In Paris the rec |
-aord production OF an acre of ground
runs close TO $3,700 in value, and Chi |
-nese and Japanese do as well.
Later in the season experts of the
committee will furnish full informa-
tion as to the best methods for treat |
ing the soil and planting seed, so that |
profitable results may be obtained.
:, Seed catalogues are arriving in |
Washington by the thousands and re-