30 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



home conservation of foods and economic distribution of food 

 and supplies. Subcommittees were appointed to go into various 

 questions related to the program, such as labor, seeds, fertilizers, 

 women's work, crops and animals. Thousands of pamphlets 

 and fliers were printed on many subjects related to gardening 

 and conservation. 



The work of this committee has done much to stimulate 

 amateur gardening, and through its organizations in practically 

 every town did much to encourage planting by the distribution 

 of seeds, tools and fertilizers at cost. 



So far as the farmer is concerned the work of this committee 

 is questionable, for while food was no doubt increased in fair 

 amounts, the increased use of seeds, fertilizers and tools, as well 

 as the restriction of labor caused by the amateur garden 

 propaganda, placed the farmer in competition with an element 

 not known before. Particularly was this difficult to adjust in 

 this State, where many of our farmers are producing largely the 

 crops which amateur gardeners would produce. It will be 

 difficult to ever get at the cost to the State of this experiment 

 in amateur gardening, as many who put money into gardens 

 and garden work will be unwilling to tell of their losses; but in 

 one instance known to the writer over S15,000 was expended, 

 and the returns in crops at market prices would hardly total 

 $5,000. Such instances can be multiplied in large and small 

 amounts all over the State. It would seem that if there are 

 people who are willing to assist in the problem of food produc- 

 tion their efforts might be directed in more profitable channels, 

 and instead of trying to grow the crops themselves they might 

 finance the farmers sufficiently so that the crops may be grown 

 by experienced people. 



We are far too apt to consider that agriculture is any one's 

 business, and that if a person cannot do anything else he can 

 run a farm. The sooner the public gets this idea out of its 

 head just so much sooner will we have a firmer foundation to 

 build agriculture upon. 



• Not all of the work of this committee was directed in this 

 direction, however, for farmers were urged to plant grain, 

 roots, potatoes and to increase the meat animals in so far as 



