The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-10-18
THE UNITED STATES
SCHOOL GARDEN ARMY
Origin

Origin
The United States School Garden
Army was organized in March of 1918.
President Wilson set aside $4,000
from his National Security and De-
tense Appropriation to promote the
work for the first six months. He has
since appropriated 100000 more to
carry the work through another ten
months.
Purposes
Two main purposes prompted the
planning of the United States School
Garden Army: (a) Increased food pro-
duction and (b) training of school
children in thrift, industry, service, pa
triotism, and responsibility.
The necessity for man power was
being felt This was especially true
in agricultural pursuits. Not alone
were the drafted young men going
from the farm, but great numbers Of
farm employees were being attracted
to the cities by higher wages offered
in other industries. If the millions of
city boys and girls could be induced
to give their leisure time to cultiyaE-
ing the thousands of acres of untitled
land in front and back yards and va
Gait lots of our cities, towns and vii
lagos, it would result in substantial
increase in food production and an int
provement in the quality Of our COM
ing citizenship.
The Bureau of Education undertook
to accomplish this through the organ
ization of the United States School
| Garden Army. 1t is an educational
pc lbtem an1 can he solved with - ~
omy and Efficiency only by the schools.
Plan
The plan of organization involves
(a) a general director who IL RESPONSE
BILE for rganlzation, propaganda, and
administrator. (b) Regional direct
ors who are charged with the respOn-
| sibility If writing instructions upon
gardening that will enahla superVi5-
ors and teachers to take garden COM
pany successfully thu ough II season,
even though not rXrar. gardeners.
These instructions have been put out
in leaflet form and sent from the CEN
trail offices to all who applied for
them. (c) Assistant Regional Direct
ors who work under the Regional hi
rector and whose duties are similar
to those of the Regional Director, eX-
cepting that of writing garden leaf
lets. (d) Cooperation of State Coun-
Gil of Defense through State repre-
sentative appointed by them. te) The
Army plan of organizing school boys
and girls into companies of $50 or
| hA Of
teacher, captain, first lieutenant and
second lieutenant. ~ An insignia for
each enlisted soldier. A double bronze
bar for the captain, single bronze bar
with two stars in the border for the
first lieutenant, and one star for the
second lieutenant, and combination
bronze and black enameled bar for
privates.
What Has Been Accomplished by the
United States School Garden
Army in Six Months.
l. One million five hundred thou
sand boys and girls have responded
to the call of the President and en-
listed in the United States School
Garden Army.
g. Twenty thousand acres of I'M
productive home and vacant lots have
been converted into productive land.
This will release an equal acreage
now used in truck gardening for the
| production of other foodstuffs more
important for war purposes. 1t will
| also relieve transportation congestion
through home consumption of home
produced foodstuffs.
3. Fifty thousand teachers have
received valuable instruction in gar
dening through the garden leaflets
written by experts in this office and
distributed from here.
a. Boards of Education and other
civic organizations have been influ-
enced to give financial and moral sup
port to the school and home garden
movement and to pay extra salaries
for supervision and teaching.
5. Hundreds Of thousands of pa
rents have become interested in the
garden movement and are working
with their children in home gardens.
In Salt Lake City alone 5000 mothers
representing siXty-two parental asso-
Citations are actively supporting food
production in the schools.
6. Thousands of civic, commercial
and patriotic organizations have be-
come interested in the movement and
are giving it hearty support.
One and one-half million children
have been given something to do this
summer: something that will help
carry the burden of their country in
this struggle for freedom, something
chat will help them to build character
and something that will appeal to and
develop their patriotism.
| 8. Home and vacant lot gardening
in cities, towns and villages have been