Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-01-29
SCHOOL GARDEN
ARMY FOR U. S.
nj. Braham, Assistant Regional
" Director of the U. s. School
Garden Army Of Iowa i'm
City Friday.
CONFERRED WITH
LOCAL SCHOOL AUTHORITIES
Gardening Less Expense to the
School Authorities Than Any
Other Line Industrial Work

intensive Farming must be the
trend as population increases and
the demand for food production
grows greater. Gardening is but a
form of intensive farming on a
small scale. Educating the youth in
gardening is fitting him to adjust
himself to the new conditions that
are approaching rapidly in this great
agricultural empire. There has been
quite a modification in recent years
in our schools, as to the course of
study. The change has been in the
direction, of industrial education.
Schools are bringing pupils more in
contact with things than with alb
stract ideals. Manual training, cook
ing, sewing, etc., have now become a
part of the public school course.
Sehool-directed home gardening as
outlined and promoted by the Bur
eau of Education at Washington, ID.
c. and other agencies, is entering the
schools as a part of the new educa
tion. This fills up the long vacation
gap with healthful, wholesome, pro-
ductiye employment
Outside the nominal cost of
supervision, gardening is less ex-
pensive to the school authorities
than any other line of industrial
work. In this way the year around is
practicable venturous. This is the
right kind OF open air school in the
time Of the year.
The above statement was made
by N. M. Graham, assistant regional
director of the United States School
Garden Army for Iowa and Nebraska,
as a representative of the Bureau of
Education at Washington. He. was in
the city Friday comforting with local
school authorities and citizens con-
nected with various civic organiza-
tions, with view of having the De-
coAah schools identify themselves
with this movement, in which L.
100000 school boys were enlisted.
last year.
Continuing further, Mr.. Graham
said, AS already indicated the
tendency is to educate the youth so
as to enable him to best serve him
self and his fellows. Trained in thrift
and industry, the rising generation
will take its place naturally and ef-
fectively in the industrial and COM
mercial world. With their feet
planted firmly on these corner stones
thrift and industry, there is little
chance for the preachments and
theories of bolshevism to find lodge
ment in the minds of this coming
army" lg
while the primarv idea actuat-
ing the organization of the School
Garden Army, was food production
in time of war stress. yet its educa-
tional possibility have so impressed
Commissioner of Education, Clax-
tion and Secretary of Interior, Lane,
that they feel justified in urging
gardening as a permanent part oi
the school program. A juvenile
gardener, who manages a plot and
realizes from his own labor, is get
ting frst-hand information in the
fundamentals underlying the man,
lagemeht of business enterprise
When through. this training, he
catches vision Of the possibilities
of individual effort and intelligent
management, he has turned his am
bition and attention in the direct.
ion of being a successful and inde-
pendent citizen