The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1931-03-19
VEGETABLE GARDEN
DESERVES A PLACE
ON EVERY FARM

Recently w. R. Beatty, Senioi
Hortieulturist of the Bureau O
Plant Industry, United States De
partment of Agriculture in a ma
tionally broadcast radio talk on tn,
farm garden, stated that in every
economic crisis through which tht
agriculture of any section of the
country has passed the home gar
den and other sources of home
food supply have saved the day.
When the boil weevil struck ths
cotton growing sections, Mr.. Beat
tie pointed out, one of the first
steps taken was to start a cam
paign for vegetable gardens, poul.
try, pigs and cows on every farm
SO that the land would at least
provide a means of livelihood
Things haven't changed much and
the same principles apply today
The farmer, however hard times
may be for him, who plants and
cultivates his own garden has q
form of insurance against priva-
ton that is denied the city worker
In this respect he is far better off
than the thousands of unemployed
in the cities, many of whom left
the farm at the time of industrial
prosperity and are now looking
wistfully back at the land.
IF everybody engaged in farm
ing" Mr.. Beattie said in his adj
dress, will produce plenty of
fruits, vegetables, milk and but
ter, poultry and eggs, home grown
and cured pork ALSO fresh meats
to some extent, they can at least
have a good living at home and
that is more than a lot of people
who are out of employment have
today. But says the pessimist,
that will only increase the diff
Guilty and reduce the market for
foods that are grown in a large
way for sale Perhaps, provided the
farmer has the money with which
to buy the food, but suppose he
does not have the money, what
then? As matter of fact, it is
good business and economy to pro-
duce most of the living for the
farm family and the hired help
right on the farm"
In all parts of the country there
are farsighted agricultural leaders
who are in agreement with Mr..
Beattie in preaching the advan-
tages of making the farm as much
a self-sufficing unit; not only in
these times of agricultural and eco
nomic depression, but as a perman-
ent agricultural policy. In South
Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas and
other states, statewide campaigns
to bring about the planting of
farm gardens are being actively
pushed. In these campaigns the
agricultural colleges and the
states home demonstration agents
are taking leading part.
A well planted and cared for
half-acre garden will produce more
vegetables than the average family |
can eat, during the period when
the crops are maturing. Carrots,
late cabbage ,beets, onions, par
ships, potatoes and turnips can he
grown and stored for use during
the winter, thus cutting the winter
food bills. One acre of garden was
worth as much as 65 acres of cot
5on on farm in Texas last year
whose owner figured that the acre
yielded a profit of $500.
1t is not only from the point of
view of cutting the family food
bills, however, that the vegetable
garden deserves a place on every
arm. So much has been said and
written about vitamins during the
asst few years that practically ev-
'ryone knows they are essential
o good health. Fresh, green veg
tables are among the best sources
# these invaluable vitamins, but
entirely too frequently the far
ner, busy with his money crops,
cells that he has no time to bother
With a garden even though his wife
nd the older children may easily
e able to take care of it once it
) ploughed.
The result is that in many in
tances the farm diet is too much
estricted to meat, potatoes and
read. Green vegetables, one of
ature's best preventive medicines,
ave little place on the menu. The
arious deficiency diseases have a
nance to creep in, breaking down
ealth and stamina. Investigators
ave found that a large proportion !
f i'll health in rural districts is ,
'aceable to the absence of a we'll t
alanced diet. No diet can be call f
d we'll balanced that lacks an
bundance of fresh, green vege- I
ables. '
A vegetable garden planted this
oring will return ample dividends
health and in helping to make v
lie farm family self-sufficing, able +