OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 April 1942, Page 2

OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

GARDENING AT SCHOOLS (To the Editor.) Sir,—My attention has been drawn to statements made last week at the meeting held to encourage the growing of vegetables. Councillor Kemp “drew attention to the neglect ol tuition in gardening at schools and considered that the children should be given instruction.’’ To anyone who knows the true position it is quite obvious that Mr Kemp is entirely unaware of what has been and still is being done in the schools, and that he should have made sure of his facts before broadcasting his criticism. This year the area under cultivation in school gardens is being very largely increased for the purpose of growing onions and carrots as a special war effort. In addition, the Home Garden Competitions, which have been running very successfully for several years, are io be carried on and extended. Last year 419 school children grew crops at home under this scheme. As some indication of the quality of those crops, I might mention that one boy grew a crop of carrots running 80 tons to the acre, and that school children have grown mangels over 100 tons to the acre. I challenge Mr Kemp to do much better than this, even though he hd a professional gardener. Furthermore, should Mr Kemp visit the Shelter Shop in Queen Street he can buy carrots every week supplied by school children from school gardens. I am quite sure that if the newly constituted vegetable growing commitlee will make land available under the allotment plan it will be found that the school children will do their part and will receive every assistance and encouragement from the school staffs, who have "always been among the first to assist in any movement for the good of the community, whether in war time or not. —I am. etc.. F. C. BROCKETT, Instructor in Agriculture. Masterton. April 27.