TIIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTXAND, . MAY 5, 1912. AlfliMAirataii r Garden mm . Y I IGI 1U5 ollF' fewBack "tends Arc Beirg Hade Productive 8000 Children Are Cultivating Mcdel Gardens and Strain ing Every Energy to Raise Good Produce Afore Than 6000 Backyard Gardens Stand as Monument to Multi tudes of Busy Young Minds and Hands Leisure Hours After School Are Devoted to Scientific Farming. tyj I After School Are Devoted to Scientific Farming. (mors TV Fran V 14. TttT'Ti V J ..v" ... .... 1 tyzy ,1 4 TO nior liy after-achool hours for Portland yoanKsters. No mora dlaordorl? back yards. , No tnora wsad patches. No mora Id 1 Saturdays. Tho hook worm has been backed off the Portland portion of the map. The Indian sign has been placed on everything out of harmony with sci entific farming- Ideas and methods In Portland's backyards, for the school children have Joined the back-to-the-frm movement. More than (000 model vegetable rr riena In back yards Indicate the extent the new fannies: feature of the pub lic school curriculum has raptured the youngsters. Hundreds of busy young minds are straining every energy to think up new Ideas for making vege tables grow and hundreds of small hands are busy during all leisure time raking, hoeing and cultivating gar dens. Every available Inch of ground Is either tinder bondage to the ambl tloua youngsters or Is on the list for use In the near future. Never has Portland seen such agri cultural thrift and never have the pros pects been better for this city making a big agricultural showing at the tats and county fairs. Not until har vest time wends Its way around on the cycle of time will there be a lull In the proceedings, because the youths are not only In the field to learn farming, but they are out to win a series of prises wolch have been offered by various commercial and Industrial organiza tions. The farm movement was started about two years ago. but not until the present season was any great progress made. When the rainy season termi nated this year the youngsters were all ready to begin work. The chilly Winter months had been spent In se lecting garden sites and reading up on cultivating and planting methods. Agricultural books were scanned and studied, seeds were selected and gar-lt-ns were marked off ready for the spring activities. Truslrlic the Bark Tarda. When old Sol bade farewell to the chilly North and proceeded back to Ma Spring and Summer sone nearer rortland a month or so ago there was a wild scramble In back yards. As If by maglo the yards were transformed into rolling garden tracts with up raised beds of smooth, well-cultivated 01L Long, straight trenches marked the places where seeds were to be coaxed by young energetlo minds and hands to bring forth prlxe-wlnnlng vegetables, fertiliser was placed wher ever It was considered necessary. Be tween the beds were found neat path ways, over which the young farmers could walk during the months required to tske car of the plants. Where Irri gation was considered necessary com plete systems of ditches were provided, and arrangements all made for the turning In of the water. Busy eyes have scanned the pretty gardens dally since the planting was completed, busy hands have made short work of Intruding weeds. Youthful In genuity has seen to it that every plant In the rows has grown stout and healthy. Weaklings have been up rooted and the overcrowding of plants baa not been tolerated. It la probable that there are no better kept farming tracts In all Oregon than the too or more In Portland yards. Activities have not been confined to the yards at home. All the farming knowledge gleaned from study by the, v --.jT ..... -x " " TI-- 2i, - : t , ..... ..j.Ji-A X jut tA 4 f Y rt rT ' i T - 2. - w - i - . . . i . . .. . . 4. . .. . x . ; s . ... . . . w..- ..:v.; . i- -ia-a . -r i - r fLr fj eWesasf..- - - 1 ' ' - .- . . ....... m, jf ,r: - -5 - JJ v . n , "I V- . iv , - l. -.x 7r " . : 7 12ZZ7T &'c??'C?ea eU- J various members of each school has , truci. noma of them not having a sun- cii cn.iurt-n 10 caring for these gar- . the tracts. All the younarsters Join In been combined In-school garden tracts. I able place, but the majority of the I dens. This work is dono under the I the work with a will. There are no These are cared for by all the pupils of I school yards are now model farms. I supervision of older people, so that I drones. the school. Not every school has such a 1 X short time each day la devoted by nothing can happen to injurs any oz 1 xua Xarm movement baa two valu able benefits for the children. Study of the economic conditions of the coun try in recent year's has brought out the unquestionable fact that the coun try, and especially the . West, needs good farmers. There has been a de crease In - the farming population In recent years. In 1870, It has been shown, 49 per cent of the country's population was on farms, while In 1910 the number was reduced to 29 per cent. The growing city population and the rapidly growing number of "non pro ducers" In the country has brought about conditions which students de clare must be overcome. One of the methods Is to start the work with the rising generation so that the men of the future will know how to farm even If they do not follow that In dustry. It Is figured that the process will In the near future have a great effect on the unsettled parts of Oregon where magic soil awaits only the touch of the scientific farming wand to make it blossom forth with great rewards of grains and produce. Prises Stimulate Careful Work. Another purpose of .the garden move ment Is to get the children to study Nature. To center the minds of the youngsters on Nature and her methods means that attention is detracted from less Important and less instructive and ennobling subjects. The prizes offered give incentive to caretul work and study, which- means much to the youngsters in the way of mental train ing as well as education along practical farming lines. Leisure hours which heretofore have been devoted to more or less frivolous amusement are being abandoned for the nature studies and In. the change the child is not deprived of fresh outdoor air or healthful exer cise. To many families the gardens will mean much from a financial stand point. The garden stuff can bo used to great advantage when Nature and the children finish their work. No estimate has been placed upon the value of the prospective crop in the city, but it probably will run into thousands of dollars. Many of the children have planned to sell part of their produce to- secure money to Duy seeas and tools for next season. The results of the planting Is one of the main subjects of discussion among the children. All are telling of their experiences and expressing pleasure over the way their plants are growing. It Is with eagerness that the young plants are watched as they plow their way through the earth and begin to climb to maturity. For the promotion of the farming: movement a general committee has been appointed by various commercial organizations of the city and garden headquarters have been established in the Selling building. Here the work of the children Is noted and sug gestions are made for the benefit of the youngsters and their gardens. This committee also has charge of the prize contest. The committee comprises representatives from the Rotary Club, the Retail Merchants' Association, the Ad Club, the Progressive Business Men's Club, the Livestock Exchange, the Realty Board, the Y. M. C. A., the Bankers' Association, the Commercial Club, the Retail Grocers' Association, and the Live Wires. The general com mittee comprises Marshall N. Dana, chairman; James J. Sayer, secretary; B. T. Voorhorst, assistant secretary, and Emery Olmstead. treasurer. An advisory committee comprising the principals and teachers of the various schools has been organized. . Produce to Be Displayed. The children will be given an oppor tunity to display their vegetables at the Rose Festival at the Armory. Dur ing the last days of the show the vegetables will be given ample space for exhibition purposes and prizes will ; be awarded the best vegetables of var ious kinds. The winners will send their produce to the county fa,lr and the winners there will go to the State Fair. Three prizes have been offered for the best exhibit made from any .school garden. The first prize is 25, the second $15. and the third $10. For the school having the greatest percentage of contestants among the enrolled students a challenge cup valued at $25 has been offered. This must be won by the same school twice before It becomes the property of that school. A prize of $25 has been offered to the school making the best general exhibit. Individual prizes will be awarded according to the ages of the pupils. For the best general display by any pupil under 13 years of age the first prize wll be $7.50; the second. $5, and the third, $3. For the best general display by any pupil over 13 years of age, prizes of $7.50, $5 and $3 will be given. The number of varie ties of vegetables shown, as well as the general arrangement of the ex hibit, will be considered in the mak ing of awards. A first, second and third prize will be awarded for each of the following: Beans Best 13 green pods; best 12 wax pods; best single plant with pods on. Garden Beet Largest speolmen; best four specimens. Early Cabbage Largest specimen head; best three heads. Loose Leaf Lettuce Best six plants. Head Lettuce Largest specimen head; best three heads. Carrot Largest specimen; best six specimens. Green Onions Best six bunches of five each. Peas Best 24 pods; best vine with pods. Early Potatoes Best 12 tubers. Turnip-shaped Radish Best three bunches of four each. Long Variety Radish Best three bunches of four each. Turnip Largest specimen; best six specimens. It is planned to make the farm movement in schools state wide. A state organization already exists for this purpose and is dolnsr good work. Produce from various school districts outside Portland will be represented at the various county fairs and the state fair next Fall. It Is thought by next year the movement will assume even larger proportions than at pres ent. The children are enthusiastic In the work, and it is thought to be but a short time before Portland schools will begin to turn out Important and valuable crops of scientific farmers. Romance of Senator Gore. Although his wife supplies the placa of eyes to Senator Gore, "the blind ora tor of Oklahoma," she laughingly dis claims all merit. "Why," she says naively, "he waits on me and does in numerable little things which many men neglect. People asked me when we were married if I was not very sorry for him. Such a thing as pity never entered my thoughts. We met first at a picnic, which was partly po litical. I heard him speak, and he fair ly wiped up the earth with his oppo nent. I was a girl of 18 and was Just carried away with admiration for his splendid Intellect, but I never dreamed of his being my future husband." On the evening of that eventful day Gore wrote to his mother: "I have met the girl that is going to be my future wife If I can win her." And his mother never doubted that he would do so. Four years later the wedding took place; and it has often been remarked that no happier family exists than that of the Geres. National Magazine.