The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-06-02
INCREASE IN j. S.
SCHOOL GARDENS Re.
PORTED THIS YEAR
iOOl Children Over This Division
Are Backing the School Garden
In Large Numbers.

Washington.-An increase or hfty
per cent. in the 1919 enlistment in the
Southwestern States Division of the
United States School Garden Army Is
recorded, as the states comprised in
the southwestern division, including
Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Kan
sas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arkansas,
Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico re-
port 100000 enlistments. Not only is
there a huge increase in the enroll
ment, but the school and home gar
dens of the young gardeners of the U.
S. S. G. Army promise to double in
value when harvested this summer
and fall.
Each of the ten states included in
the Southwestern States division has
introduced gardening as required
subject in the curriculum of the
schools of the state. This has been
done by the formal action of the State
Department of Education. Most OF the
larger cities and many Of the smaller
ones have introduced gardening in the
fourth fifth and sixth grades and are
giving credits for the work, just as is
done in other subjects. The number
of cities that have conducted garden
ing operations under the plan outlined
by the United States School Garden
Army is $40, and represents the lar
gest number of cities doing garden
work in any region in the United
States. All Of the larger cities have
paid supervisors, and assistants, and
in instances where the finances OF the
city boards of education has not per,
mitted of an appropriation, many
teachers have volunteered to super
wise the work
A large percentage Of the popula-
ton of the southwestern states is ru-
raj and not reached by the School
Garden Army activities, but practical
ly all towns with a population in ex-
cess of 1900 has taken an interest In
the plans Of the garden army.
In many of the homes in the larger
cities the service flag of the Garden
Army, with its crossed hoe, and rake
is displayed in the windows just as the
Red Cross and Liberty Loan flags were
larger cities in Oklahoma almost ev-
cry other house is displaying its gar
den flag, and the boys and girls of the
families are proudly cultivating their
U. S. S. G. Army gardens In the back
yards of the homes.
Arkansas has an enrolment Of H.
1896 students in the arm ytoday and
has 519 teachers and supervisors in
the work. Kansas has 1871 enroll.
ed with 344 supervisors. Louisiana
which is a distinctly agricultural
state has an enrolment of 40,512 gar.
den workers and 1863 supervisors. The
returns from Missouri are not vel
complete but to date the state has A..
200 with 1890 teachers and supervis.
ors. Tennessee and Kentucky are the
most eastern states in this section ant
they have been little slow in getting
garden work started but at present
Kentucky has some $4,000 young gard
eners, Tennessee about $4,000 ant
both Of these states will be makinl
larger returns within the next few
weeks.
Oklahoma reports approximate!
100000 young gardeners. with 1888 cit
les actively engaged in school super
vised home garden work. Texas re
ports 1870 900 with 1923 cities doing thi
work Both these states have place,
placed gardening work upon perma
nent basis and have adopted II as
distinct part OF the curricula Of thei
schools through the action Of III
State Boards Of Education. In III
most western states. Colorado an
New Mexico the U. 8. 8. O. A. has me
has an enrolment OF about $4,000 wit
500 teachers using the literature Q
thu School Garden Army.