SELE-HELP GARDENS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LV, Issue 5651, 26 January 1932, Page 1

SELE-HELP GARDENS.

SUCCESS AT STRATFORD. TEAM-SPIRIT THE KEYNOTE. j ' The Unemployment Board's proposal that the unemployed should,, jiby cultivating garden plots for the growing of vegetables, inaugurate a 'self-help campaign has been regarded dubiously in some quarters, and douihts have been expressed as to the practicability of the scheme. J The experience of the Self-Help •Gardening Club' at Stratford serves to dissipate all doulbt, and those of the unemployed who have a plot of ground availaible should receive in- j spiration from the achievements of Iworkless men in the Taranaki town. Judging by the subjoined comments of a prominent member of the Self-Help dub's executive, Stratford appears to be fortunate in the selection of its gardening officer, but what he has done is possible of accomplishment in varying degrees in most parts of the Dominion. The cements referred to above are as follows :—

"Our gerdening officer was selected from the lists of the local unemployedl. He has long been known as a hard' grafter and on our Club work he consistently works with his home garden till dusk. He maintains that it is only after 5 p.m. that he can get the cooperation of many men, and if they are disheartened or do not know how, to go about things he stays with them 1 as long- as daylight lasts. Even on Sundays he is often off with his men helping them, and! has actually got such a team spirit working that when one unemployed man went into Hospital recently he arranged a working bee of the others to go and l attend their mate's garden. Several more experienced memlbers of the Cllulh are entrusted with the raising of 250,000 cabbage, brocolli,

ibers have gone far out on to roadinstance our officer has arranged, for another Club member to help the wife carry on the absentee's garden.

'■Our people had) the benefit of an early start and now their gardens are giving profitable returns, and stimulating them to further planting^'

Local committees surely do not need stronger evidence than this of the soundness of the vegetablegrowing scheme when conducted 1 on well-organised' lines.

£)*f course, it is not possible to [obtain the same results everywhere. 'Conditions vary throughout the Dominion, and what may easily be achieved in suburban and country areas because of the abundance of suitable land may /be more difficult to carry out in cities, where garden space is restricted. The Unemployment Bioard will take these factors into consideration; ibut it expects the unemployed' to make an honest effort to take advantage of whatever facilities are available.