February, 1918 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
89 
A State Wide Organization of 
Forces for War Garden Work. 
Members of the State Horticul- 
tural Society will lie gratified to 
learn that their society has taken 
the initiative in organizing the 
war garden movement throughout 
the state. 
The declaration of war on 
April 9th, 1917, stirred the nation 
to action and horticulturists no 
less than others, but owing to the 
near approach of the gardening 
season there was no time for or- 
ganization. Everybody pitched in 
and did their utmost, but in many, 
if not most places, the result was 
confusion and much duplication 
of effort. Everybody meant well 
and everybody worked hard but 
usually there was no organized 
effort. This year it will be dif- 
ferent. 
The State Horticultural Society 
has enlisted the aid of the State 
Council of Defense and this body 
will, through the County Councils, 
organize the various working 
forces in the cities. By way of 
information the plan as prepared 
at the request of the State Coun- 
cil is given below. 
Members in cities are requested 
to take up this matter with their 
County Council of Defense rather 
than direct with this office. 
ORGANIZATION OF FORCES FOR WAR 
GARDEN WORK IN CITIES OF 5,000 
POPULATION AND OVER IN 1918. 
Submitted to the State Council of 
Defense by The State Horticul- 
tural Society. 
The State Horticultural Society 
as well as other agencies was ac- 
tive in promoting the war garden 
work in 1917, but the call for this 
extra effort came so late in the 
season that there was insufficient 
time for organization in the cities. 
This year there is no excuse 
available for any of us who are 
interested and want to help in this 
movement. Let’s begin now, there 
is no time to waste. 
In every city there is one or 
more of the following organiza- 
tions, in some all of them and all 
eager to do something: Woman’s 
Club; Commercial Club or Board 
of Commerce; Kiwams Club; Ro- 
tary Club; Associated Charities 
and Boy Scouts in addition to 
church organizations, etc. 
Usually all of these will be will- 
ing to work but it can be readily 
seen that these various forces 
should be organized in order to 
avoid duplication of effort. 
Call a meeting at an early date 
of every one interested, for the 
purpose of effecting the follow- 
ing: 
(1) To secure a sum of money: 
Sometimes a fund of $100.00 will 
be sufficient to finance the garden 
movement in a city of 20,000 or it 
may happen that $1,000 may be 
spent to advantage. There should 
be no need to furnish free seeds or 
plants or anything else wholly 
free. 
(2) List all available lots and 
vacant land and as soon as pos- 
sible list all who want gardens. 
Last year many lots lay idle when 
many people failed to make a gar- 
den for lack of land. 
(8) If possible, and not too ex- 
pensive, secure the services of 
some competent person to super- 
vise the whole garden movement 
in your city, children’s gardens as 
well as others, through April, 
May, June, and July at least. If 
the right person can be found, one 
who has both garden sense, some 
executive ability and tact, money 
paid for his services will be well 
expended. 
(4) Plan for co-operative plow- 
ing. If A, B, C, D, and E, all liv- 
ing on one street each bargains 
independently for plowing a lot it 
may cost each one $1.50 or a total 
of $7.50 and may be done by five 
different teams. By means of a 
little planning one teamster can 
do all of this work at less than 
one-half the expense; in fact a 
man and a team can usually be 
hired by the day for $7.50. 
(5) Plan for the growing of to- 
mato, cabbage and other plants, 
good ones. The plants offered for 
sale at stores are usually crowded 
in boxes, stunted and almost 
worthless. This is because ama- 
teur gardeners have not known 
the need of better plants nor de- 
manded them. Secure the ser- 
vices of some one who knows how 
to grow good plants and arrange 
to sell them at cost. 
(6) Plan to secure the volun- 
tary services of a good amateur 
gardener in every block if pos- 
sible to give advice, aid and com- 
fort to the beginner. Such per- 
sons can be found and as a rule 
are anxious to serve. Such help- 
ers are facetiously termed 
“Block-heads” in some cities. 
These six things should be 
done in every city and each city 
organization will find many other 
local needs to be met. 
The State Horticultural Society 
and the Horticultural Department 
of the Agricultural College work- 
ing together propose to furnish 
help to such cities as respond 
promptly to this appeal and to 
those only. Some of the things 
we propose to do are as folloAvs : 
The Horticultural Department 
of the Agricultural College and 
the State Horticultural Society, 
working together, offer our ser- 
vices to cities having an organi- 
zation through which these de- 
partments can work. 
