The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1919-04-14
Bureau of Education Expects to
Enlist Many More Children
This Year.
Did GREAT WORK IN 1918
Profit Averaged $40 for Each of the
100000 Garden Soldiers Engaged
TO Enlist 100000 in Work
This Year.
BY LESTER s. WINS.
Regional Director for Central Sta

washington - Ine united States
school garden army, organized at the
request of President Wilson to stimu-
late food production among the chill
dren of the country, as we'll as to give
them an opportunity to utilize their
spare time in a pleasant and profitable
manner, enlisted 1,6SO,O00 garden SOL
diers in the United States during the
year 1918. This number represents
the boys and girls in cities, towns and
villages who actually planted culti-
waited and harvested crops at their
home or on grounds under school SUI
pervisfon. Many more than this num-
Der started, but only those pupils who
did the work satisfactorily were grant
ed the government U. S. s. G. in,
sigma as recognition of their work,
The average profit was little more
than $40 per pupil, or $16,SOO,OOO for
the entire army. This amount repre-,
Sents both the fresh and canned goods
used and sold. The average amount
Aof food canned was one dozen pint
Ians per pupil.
This profit was produced on land
Yen would not otherwise have been
and by children in many cases
%would not have been otherwise
Dloyed. This food was in most
ses consumed while fresh, where
spduced, without cost of transporta-
or handling and without deteriora-
p on the market. Considering these
cts, the real results are of greater
lue than the figures would indicate.
More Gardens This Year.
Reports from more than one-half
the towns and cities that were not
anized under the federal plan in
indicate they will be a part of
United States garden army in 1919.
ANY cities and towns had gardens,
the superintendent of schools for
rious reasons did not have the chill
en to organize along the lines of the
FEDERAL garden army plan. However,
1t should be added that these COM
munities did great amount of work
toward increasing food production in
their localities.
The garden work is one of the first
educational movements In the state and
nation that has been enthusiastically
supported by school authorities in pub
lie, parochial and private schools. All
these school systems joined in many
localities and employed. the same gar
den supervisor and garden teachers.
The garden division of the bureau
of education was greatly increased I
last September by the employment of /!
assistant regional directors for all the !
states and some special state repre- |
sentatives for the state council of |!
defense in many of the states. These |
additional helpers make it possible to |
do more intensive work.
The increased number of admins !
trative federal and state directors will !
be very materially aided by the spe-
cial garden supervisors that arc to
be selected in all of the principal cities !
and towns of the country.
Learn Valuable Lessons.
Educational leaders representing |
systems that were most successful |
last year with the garden work learned |
many valuable lessons. They find that |
children are much more interested in |
testing seed if these seeds are to be ;
planted in gardens of their own; that |
Sall school work was of greater inter |
est when it could be related to home |
experience; money made as the result |
of garden work provided funds for |
stamps, bonds, saving accounts, ne |
ressities of life, Red Cross and other |
such drives; children had greater ap-
probation of food after having had |
experience in its production and pres
ervation; parents became interested |
while working with the children, who
never before attempted the production |
of garden crops; that in addition to
the health, civic and educational val
ues, children were taught valuable
lessons in thrift, industry, patriotism
and responsibility.
Judging from past experience it is
only question of time when the cities
and towns in America will have full
NOuESeS III SdfuSuiLS III IIlSlI SCAoOAS
as has been the case in the old world
for many years.
School officials throughout the coun-
try, in order to aid the nation in full
filling it's guarantee of 100000 tons
of food for Europe in 1915 and in
order to give the children under their ,
charge this newer type of education |
are aiming to make a readjustment
in their programs. They will use gar /
den books as a part of the supplement !
tary reading, and will change nature
study, elementary and general science
courses to garden courses. Such a
plan or some other shifts that will
provide a place for garden work in
the school, as well as actual prOduc-
ton at home, will once again convince
the public in general that the schools
viii be just as able to aid in recon-
struction as they were in winning the
war.