The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-02-14
WAR VEGETABLE GARDEN
ING BY COMMUNITIES
AND NEIGHBORHO0DS

In this year of war time food
emergency the production of food in
war gardens is a patriotic duty. The
best way to stimulate the planting
and cultivation of war gardens Is
through organized effort.
In every city, town and village are
tracts of vacant land which should be
used for growing vegetables. 10 Gull
tiyate these and make them add their
contribution to the national food sup
ply is a duty that no community. can
afford to overlook. People who have
no vacant land of their own should be
encouraged to grow gardens for their
own protection from the high cost OF
living and to help the general stu
alton. Land owners should be glad to
contribute the use of their property
for this patriotic purpose. Communi-
ty organization should bring gardener
and land together.
Cooperative gardening, through
community organization, has many
advantages. 1t enables gardeners to
purchase supplies in large quantities
and secure the benefit of wholesale
rates. 1t makes it possible for ex-
merit SUPERVISION to be provided. Where
orranized work is done it is possible to
employ teams for blowing, which is
not always convenient in the single
small garden worked independently.
One team will pillow several gardens
in day, at slight cost to each gar
dener.
Organizing a Community
Before a community can intelli-
gently plan a garden campaign it must
know how much land it has available
for cultivation, the location and char
acter of the land, the kind and guam
tity of manures and fertilizers avail
able, the skilled directors it can secure
and the probable numberao of garden
ers, To ascertain these facts an in
yentory of the towns gardening re-
sources for community work should
be taken.
Such a survey can be made by ex-
listing agencies, or special force can
he created.
If garden production is to be stimu-
lated to its maximum possibility, 1T
will be necessary to survey all the
lands within the community, including
private yards as we'll as vacant lots.
Thus the project will become truly
a community affair. The Chamber of
Commerce, the Board of Trade or the
Civic Club is the nucleus for such an
effort, but the school board or a church
or a political club, can just as effec,,
lively conduct the work. The local
Council of Defense or Mayors War
Committee should help.
The first step should be to secure
the cooperation of the local newspa-
pers. The community must be made
acquainted with the plan to put every
foot of idle land to work. The move
ment may also be advertised at NOV
ing picture shows and on bulletin
boards.
A public meeting should be held to
enlist interest and secure general CO.
operation. An effort should be made
to secure the attendance of the minis
tiers, the school superintendent, the
local officials. prominent civic workers
and club leaders.
A survey force should be selected,
with a leader and assistant, one for
each district in the community. The
survey force itself can very well con-
sist "a eiS SShioi SiaSs ~
school, or troop OF the older BOY
Scouts, or Sunday school class.
Finally, survey day shuld be CHOSEN
and well advertised. In preparation
for the survey, large scale maps OF
the community should be procured
which will show the different parcels
Of land. The high school drawing
classes can well prepare such maps
as part OF their work. In larger CIT
les it may be necessary to secure DIS
tr1ct maps.
Whether the community Is large or
small, 1t Will be necessary TO divide IL
into districts Tor the survey, An as
sistant to the leader should be MADE
responsible Tor each district
On the survey day the force of can
vassers should go out in twos, one to