On May 5th a lecture on the two courses will be given by Mr. 
Parsons, and on June 2nd, one by Mr. Carl Bannwart on "Vacant 
Lot Gardening." This is part of the regular free Spring Lecture 
course delivered in the Lecture Hall of the Museum Building of the 
Garden, Saturday afternoons at four o'clock. 
The Women's Club of the Bronx is borrowing vacant lots, clean- 
ing them up and installing vegetable gardens for the children and 
grown people of the Settlements and Neighborhood Guilds. 
National Emergency Food Garden Commission 
210-220 Maryland Building 
Washington, D. C. 
Mr. Charles Lathrop Pack, President of The American Forestry 
Association, is originator of a movement to stimulate the interest in 
planting small food gardens all over the United States. 
As a first step a pamphlet has been published called "The Food 
Primer" which gives necessary instruction in simplest form. 
"The Food Garden," it says, "not only makes the individual 
family largely independent, but it takes away from the railroads a 
transportation labor that is needed for the movement of war supplies ; 
and equally important, it allows the general farmer to devote more 
land to growing breadstuff s." 
Thus sensibly and simply, it goes on to explain how, when, what, 
and where to plant. No smallest step is overlooked, emphasizing 
always the necessity of "keeping the garden everlastingly at it." 
It includes, also, a planting table and plan for a model back-yard 
garden. It does not forget to give comparative dates for different 
climates. 
The work of the Commission which is affiliated with the Conser- 
vation Department of the American Forestry Association, and is 
directed by its secretary, Mr. P. S. Ridsdale, is outlined in the follow- 
ing paragraphs : 
"In Washington there are various official agencies seeking to 
stimulate the cultivation of home gardens this year with the view of 
relieving some of the demand for rural produce. The Department of 
Agriculture is making the movement its chief spring endeavor, while 
the Bureau of Education is urging the cultivation of gardens by grad- 
ed school children. 
"The National Emergency Food Garden Commission at once 
found its place in this work. It takes the scientific lore of the official 
departments and retails it in simple, practical form to the prospective 
