FARMING THAT IS NOT FARMING 77 



tional movements of our time. Indeed, its educational 

 value is its chief value, although if we could have an 

 accurate census of the value of the products grown by 

 these hundreds of thousands of American boys and girls 

 both in city and country, they would receive great praise 

 for their practical contribution to our food supply. 

 For the farm boy and girl this movement has awakened 

 new interest in the science of farming, new interest in 

 farm processes, new knowledge of scientific methods 

 and a new love for growing things. It has given the 

 zest of responsibility and possession. It is also aston- 

 ishing to discover the extent to which city and village 

 boys and girls have participated in this movement. It 

 is estimated, for example, that in the state of Massa- 

 chusetts this past season not less than 75,000 boys and 

 girls who are not living on farms carried on gardens 

 or even larger enterprises. There is much testimony 

 to the awakening that has come to many a farmer and 

 a farmer's wife through the successes of the boy and 

 girl in trying new methods. It is difficult to overstate 

 the importance to agriculture and country life of the 

 boys' and girls' gardens. It is a selective process. It 

 is foolish to try to keep all farm-bred boys and girls 

 on the farm. It is equally foolish to seek a great mi- 

 gration of city people to the country. But we do want 

 something that will tend to keep the farm-minded boy 

 and girl on the farm and to send the farm-minded city 

 boy and girl to the farm. This the boys' and girls' gar- 

 dens tend to do. It also will help greatly in making fu- 

 ture consumers appreciative of good food, what it costs 

 to grow it, and how it is to be cared for in the home. 



The Estate. By this is meant the country home of 

 the man of means whose business is not farming at all. 

 The practice of living in the country for at least half 



