“SOLDIER’S SALADS”

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21224, 21 September 1940, Page 10

“SOLDIER’S SALADS”

NEW WAR-TIME EFFORTS BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ CLUB PLAN GREEN FOODS FOR TROOPS Linking the Boys’ and Girls’ Agricultural Clubs’ movement with the war effort, a forward move is being made in the Waikato to combine the instruction of boys and girls in agricultural work with assistance to soldiers. The aim is to encourage the clubs to grow green foodstuffs which would be welcomed by military hospitals or camps. All could be eaten raw. The movement was given impetus at an executive meeting at Kauroa of the Raglan group of Boys’ and Girls’ Agricultural Clubs at which there was a large attendance from the whole area and at which enthusiasm was shown for the project. The meeting was called primarily to decide how to employ the £IBO balance handed over to the clubs by the now defunct Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Mr J. W. Connell, agricultural instructor of the Auckland Education Board, explained his “ soldiers’ salad ” scheme, and received wholehearted support. Purchase of Seed The meeting agreed to spend some of the interest on the fund in the purchase of seed for the soldiers’ salad plots, and that all competitors in the calf, lamb, poultry and home garden clubs competitions should be given a free trip to the R'uakura Animal Research Station towards the end of the year at a date to be fixed later. Generally it was decided that the work of the clubs should be fostered and extended as a special war effort. It was recognised that in the interests of health _green foodstuffs were required by the soldiers whether in camp or in hospital, and that many soldiers had emphasised the need that existed for such changes in the diet. The hope was general that each week consignments of “ soldiers’ salads ” might be sent from the various club centres to the camps and hospitals. Mr Connell expressed a particular desire that the town schools should take the matter up, because from numerous small plots largo quantities of greens could be produced, and the growers would simultaneously learn valuable lessons in the culture of gardens. It was considered, said Mr Connell, that for children over 10 years of age a plot 20ft by 9ft would be suitable. In this, two rows each of the following crops could be grown: Lettuce, radish, carrot, silver beet, beetroot, white stone turnip, onions, cucumber, cress, mustard and parsley. Advice on Culture For children under 10 years a plot, half the size mentioned above, would suffice, one row of each crop to be grown. The crops should be grown from seed, which should be sown as soon as possible. If it could be arranged it was advisable to have the rows running north and south. The taller growing crops should be on the western end of the plot. These were leafy crops which benefited immensely from applications of liquid manure and did well in rich soil in which there was plenty of humus. Salad crops should be grown quickly. There should be no check in growth from the time they appeared above the ground until they were ready for harvesting. Members of Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, it was suggested, might also feel in-

dined to make donations of fresh eggs, surplus cockerels and cull laying birds. The order of planting in the plot from its western end was suggested by Mr Connell as follows: Silver beet, cress and mustard, lettuce, parsley, cucumber, white stone turnip, carrot, radish, onion*.