228 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



GARDENING. 



On account of the national food situation, there has been an unusual 

 interest in gardening; tliis season. Seventeen counties report work on 

 this project. In some localities, all vacant land and vacant city lots 

 have been turned into garden plots ; 5,871 acres have been reported as so 

 used; this is especially noticeable in Alpena, Dickinson, Marquette, Ot- 

 tawa, and Presque Isle counties; In Houghton county the gardens have 

 increased in size as well as in nundjers; in Alpena the Boy Scouts have 

 been caring for an acre; in Manistee, over 220 acres out of town have 

 been devoted to gardens; in St. Clair 350 acres are in gardens tended by 

 boys and girls ; in Kent where 5,400 acres have been used for gardens there 

 is an increase over last year of 250% in number and of 280% in acreage. 

 The garden project has been financed in various ways. Land, seed, and 

 care have been donated in some counties; in some loans were obtained, 

 while in others appropriations have been made for the purchase of seeds 

 or other supplies. Twelve thousand six hundred dollars has been given 

 for use in garden work, in Houghton county, over |600 has been pledged 

 by school boards and civic clubs ; in Manistee |4,000 has been raised by 

 the Manistee Board of Commerce; in St. Clair |8,000 has been raised, 

 |1,000 of which Avas given by a factory owner for rent of land for boys' 

 and girls' gardens. 



HOME ECONOMICS. 



In cooperation with the Division of Home Economics, 25 counties have 

 forwarded this project by means of demonstrations and lectures; 129 

 demonstrations with an attendance of 3,931 and 120 lectures Avith an at- 

 tendance of 3,897, were given; in addition IG talks and 17 demonstrations 

 relating to child Avelfare work were held. In furtherance of the food 

 conservation policy 107 canning demonstrations were given in nineteen 

 counties. Plans have been made to reach practically all sections in many 

 of the counties, with these demonstrations during July and August, and 

 local demonstrators are now being trained. 



Miss Ilena M. Bailey, Home Demonstration Agent of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, Avho has been located in St. Joseph county for 

 the last fifteen months concluded her work on June 30th. During the 

 time she was in Michigan she started and developed the girls' club work, 

 assisted in the organization of several home economics clubs, and helped 

 a number of other women's clubs to Avork out programs on home econo- 

 mics subjects. She conducted one-week schools in home economics, gen- 

 eral women's institute meetings, numerous canning demonstrations and 

 made a survey of more than a hundred farm homes to determine the 

 needs of farm women which can be met by extension workers of the Col- 

 lege and department. Miss Bailey has also been interested in many 

 lines of miscellaneous work which will be of value to the women of St. 

 Joseph county. 



EXHIBITS AND FAIRS. 



The results of the demonstration Avork in the counties have been given 

 wider circulation through exhibits at the county fairs, at the Michigan 

 State Fair at Detroit, at the West Michigan State Fair at Grand Rapids,, 

 at the Northern Michigan Agricultural Congresses at Cadillac and Lud- 

 ington, at the State Potato ShoAv at Escanaba, and at various local meet- 

 ings. The policy followed in all of these exhibits has been to make them 



