12 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Early corn was abundant and sold well, but later this crop was 

 hardly worth picking, except in some special markets. This 

 fall beets, carrots and cabbage have been very low, while 

 squash has been almost unsalable. The large squash crop is 

 undoubtedly the reaction from the enormous prices of last 

 winter, when sales were made as high as $80 to $90 a ton. 



War Gardens and the Farmer. 



There should be a definite understanding in every one's mind 

 of the distinction between war gardens and children's gardens, 

 the latter of which this department has always encouraged, 

 believing that through the influence of this work many of our 

 future farmers would be found. But the war garden was a 

 distinct result of the demand for more food during the war, and 

 in getting this greater supply of food, costs and methods were 

 not considered to any great extent. The war garden has been 

 stimulated through almost every national as well as through 

 many private agencies, with the result that towns, cities, cor- 

 porations and large land holders have set aside tracts of land 

 for any one to use who so wished. Persons in all walks of life 

 took up this land, and no doubt large quantities of food were 

 produced. 



Prices for vegetables have been unfavorably affected by the 

 war gardens. While these have been necessary as a war 

 measure, I doubt the wisdom of continuing this amateur com- 

 petition with the bona fide farmer. If the farmer who has to 

 get a living price for his crops is forced to compete with the 

 amateur who raises vegetables as an amusement, and will sell 

 them for any amount, the farmer will sooner or later be forced 

 out of raising those crops. A movement seems to be on foot 

 to continue the artificial stimulation of back-yard gardening 

 which has prevailed during the war period, and to call them 

 victory gardens. The farmer's position on this should be clear. 

 Anybody who wants to raise a garden is of course at liberty to 

 do so. But with the return of peace it is unwise and unjust to 

 use public money to try to convince people that the cultiva- 

 tion of a garden is an essential element of patriotism. If 

 private organizations intend such a movement at their own 

 expense, let them do so; but farmers are heavy contributors to 



