"DIG FOR VICTORY" CAMPAIGN

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24028, 17 August 1943, Page 6

"DIG FOR VICTORY" CAMPAIGN

EFFORT BY SCHOOLS IN CANTERBURY The demand for vegetables in the coming season would be such that every possible opportunity should be taken to impress upon the public Individual resnonsibility in the “Dig for Victory" campaign, Mr S. A. La Roche, chief agricultural instructor of the Canterbury Education Board, said yesterday, when speaking of the effort school children will be making this spring. Mr La Roche is supervising this effort. but he is also interested in the problem from a civic viewpoint as a member of the Dig for Victory Committee. His personal opinion was that while land might be available elsewhere for civic garden plots, the planting of some of the central squares in vegetables would do much toward stimulating public interest in the campaign. New Zealand’s increased obligations to provide foodstuffs for the forces of the United Nations would absorb great quantities of vegetables, and in these circumstances it was disappointing to see the public apathy to the campaign in Christchurch, Mr La Roche said. The main problem seemed to be the handling of the vegetables on production. There was no organisation to distribute surplus vegetables grown by the home gardener, Mr La Roche said. He added that he would personally be glad to hear from any organisation which would undertake tojreceive sur- . lus vegetables from school gardens and arrange their distribution, either for war purposes or to needy families. The basis on which Canterbury school children work their school gardens is that each school is allotted money for seeds at the rate of 6d for each plot. Comprehensive circulars on garden management are sent out from the Canterbury Education Board’s office, and the agricultural instructors are visiting schools as much as a limited staff and restrictions on travelling permit. An effort is being made to establish experimental sections for growing vegetables out of season.