The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-04

GARDENS ARE URGED
Assistant Director Of the school Gar
den Army Says Work Ofcrs AL
most Endless Opportunities.
= Boston. June 3.--"School gardens,
which were so successful during the
war, should be encouraged and in
creased as a regular part of the school
work because of the almost endless
educational opportunities offered to-
boys and girls through supervised
garden work. said Mrs. John Dickin-
son Sherman, chairman of the conser-
walton department of the General
Federation Of Nvomens clubs and spe-
cial assistant director OF the United
States School Garden army. to a rep
resentative of the Christian Science
Monitor. Mrs. Sherman, who was ap-
pointed by the United States secretary
OF the interior to have particular
charge OF the work among the won-
ems organizations, has Just been in
| Boston addressing the Massachusetts
Federation of Women's clubs. which
! organization passed resolution
! pledging .heir support to the school
| garden movement.
While many schools already have
| incorporated the school garden work
in it's course OF studies. there will be
many more when the educational
| value is understood" said Mrs. Sher-
man. I'm addition TO learning how to
| produce food from the soil, and gain
| ing definite ideas of the value of
money thrift and industry. this gar
| den work trains the children in OBJ
| servation concentration, and resrrou+
sibility.
| During the war we became so used
, to the Food Will Win the War idea
! that when the war ended there were
many who assumed the food crisis had
t also ended On the contrary the food
| crisis greater than ever Food is as
essential now to maintain peace and
! order as it was to win the war. Food
is a very good antidote for what we
| call 'boishevis-n' TO eat. full
! pantry, and the next crop in the
ground. The worldwide shortage of
| food still continues and there is ac-
| tual or prospective famine in many
| lands.
| "And SO. although the war Is over,
the United States School Garden army
/ will not be aemohilized. the ranks
will not be broken. but added to. in
J order that these children of the coun-
! try may be the better defenders of the
| frontiers OF freedom their fathers have
Just established.
! The plan row under operation
under the direction OF the bureau of
| education is to establish school and
| home gardens under school super
| vision for the children OF the elemen-
/ tary grade schools and the junior high
schools in cities. towns. and villages.
| The purpose in addition to food pro-
duction is TO train the child in thrift,
| service, and responsibility and to
unity and extend the garden work
now undertaken by school children.
| Children who had supervised gar
| dens last year were more contented
| during the months Of summer vaca-
! ton because they had wholesome oc-
} cupation which kept them of the
streets and out OF the Juvenile courts,
The parents OF the children were also
more contenttd because the food from
the home gardens had helped to keep
the family living expenses within the
wage income. And perhaps best of
| all was the fact that the children
| were interested in their gardens and
| they carried that newborn interest
into the schoolroom. There they just
naturally saw the need of arithmetic
in planning and planting their gar
dens. In keeping their records and
marketig their vegetables. They saw
a reason for English when they could
read about gardens and write about
! their own.
In the opinion Of the 1000. 900
members Of the General Federation of
Women's clubs, there Is no other one
subject that will give the physical.
mental. and moral development to
the child that may come from learning
to produce food from the soil, We
also believe that gardening for chill
dren is a part Of the school education
OF a child. that il ranks an importance
with reading. writing. and arithmetic.
And the General Federation Of
women's clubs isn't the only organ
ization Of women that is supporting
the garden course for children. The
national council of women, with
twenty-nine national organizations. is
unanimous in its support. also. the
Parent Teachars association. And the
Child welfare committees recognize
the importance of gardening.
Almost endless educational oppor-
tunities can be offered to our boys and
girls through supervised garden work.
While the children are getting actual,
material food from the soil. they are
also learning things, the value of
which cannot be measured In bushels
and pounds. In dollars and cents. One
Of the most imr ortant things that the
child will lear Ii the vital life lesson
that he must not be a parasite. and
that honest. productive labor with the
hands is as honorable as the labor of
the brain.
Gardening. under school supervi
sion. Is SO important in the life and
education Of our boys and girls that
a community cannot be said to have
done its full dlty by Its children until
every child has been given chance
to have a garden and until the subject
OF gardening IL made a regular part of
IT. school COURSE"
MAKE SERVICE STAR PERENNIAL
An electrically lighted service star
on top OF an evergreen tree which