The Washington herald., 1920-02-11
16,5OO TO PLAN
SCHOOL GARDEN
Children Can Raise Enough
. Vegetables in Summer to
Provide for Family.
TO ORGANIZE ARMY
Regular Military Corps Be-
ing Formed to Stimulate
Interest In Work.
TO ORGANIZE ARMY

Washington is mobilizing another
army. and it is nearly as big now
as the total number IL sent into the
army and navy during the recent
conflict. But this Is to be a con-
structiye army and not a destruc-
tive one. The school children of the
city are being enlisted in the United
States School Garden Army. and
fhry are to move en- masse to the
soil. against the much discussed
high cost of living.
Those in charge of the movement
here have figures to show that a
child with a comparatively small
plot Of ground can produce enough
vegetables to make them independ-
ent of the corner groceryman.
Regular Army.
It's q regular army, too. with
captain and iieutenants hard
boiled" enough to make the men,
bers OF the company overcome that
feeling for another nap after
mother calls up the stairs in the
morning. They must answer the
reveiIle, get out and hoe the weeds
- The enlistment blank which the
children are required to sign says
that "as an enlisted soldier of the
United States School Garden Army,
agree to use my best efforts to
increase the food production of my
country by cultivating one or more
food crops. under the direction OF
the garden supervisor or teacher
chosen for this work. and to make
such garden reports as may be re-
duired"
After a satisfactory season. the
enlisted personnel receive a certifi-
cate signed by J. S. Randall. the
general in command: the Secretary
Of the Interior. and p. p. claxton
Commissioner of Education.
Is,seo Enlisted.
Al the present time there are
l6.500 children enlisted and not all
recruiting districts complete.
These children are now organized
into companies of from ten to $50
American traditions are upheld in
the appointment OF The oficers. for
they must be elected in each COM
pany. The officers are required to
inspect the various gardens regu-
larly. II in need OF expert atten-
tion, the company commander calls
in the expert gardener.
Congress 50 far has failed to pro-
vide funds to employ regular
school garden director. but the
Commissioner included an estimate
OF $4,000 with which to employ
SUFFICIENT teachers for this work.
Saved Thousands
The school garden army has al
ready saved the government thou
sands of dollars by killing off de.
structive pests Last year the chill
dren collected 100000 destructive
bag worms proving on the trees
This was In addition to their indi.
Vidual garden work.
To provide a family of five dur.
ing the entire spring and summer
with sufficient vegetables with Z
little to sell requires only a plot
Of ground about twenty by forty
feet. In addition to providing the
food. it keeps the child interested
OF the streets and gives him q
healthful constitution.
Every member of the army re.
ceiyes a celluloid bar with u. S. S
G. on it, with a pin attached. Fol
the privates there is a green field
with a crossed hoe and rake on II
and a plain center: second lieuten-
ants have a green field, crossed hoe
and rake. gold star in the center
FIRST lieutenants, green field, crossed
hoe and rake. and two gold stars
in the center. while the captain
has a double gold bar. green field
crossed hoe and rake and eagle
in the center.
The Bureau Of Education says thai
vegetables. berries and fruits grown
should be used first as food for chill.
.drsn and their families. then the
surplus should be marketed
. = uUgh the help Of the teacher thS
can ne done. Ten or fifteen cents
worth of vegetables each day from
the gardens of 200 children would
grr"unt to 500 or $50. In summer
and fall when the surplus is large
and can not be marketed to advan-
tase. the teachers direct and help
the children in canning and preserv-
ing for winter use.
The United States Council of Ma
tional Defense. recently fOllowins
an investigation of the high cost
Of living. found one of the reasons
TO be that there were too few goods
- "''''~--T and said the remedy wa.
10 produce more and in proportion
TO needs.
u'''Di~o Eerden plans
and detailed instructions for test.
~n. anIIng the crops. work
ing them and harvesting them are
now being sent to the schools. They
may be obtained by the childfer
through their teachers. These books
have been written by agricultural
college graduates.
There are five OF the manuals
covering as many climatic regions
Of the United States into which the
school garden army has been
divided. Washington gardens come
under the director for the North
eastern States.