FIELD AND SIEGE BUILDING AT ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL

Third floor looking west through main section of building-Erecting Bay shows at extreme right

BY JAMES F. GARVIN

It is reported by Mr. Hoover that there are 86,500,000 people in Europe in actual need of food and that these people are dependent mainly on the United States for their supply until such time as the maturity of their crops is realized.

The supplying of food to these people is a gigantic problem, but none is so capable of fulfilling the needs as the United States. Yet to meet this demand will cause a considerable deficit at home, unless the citizens of the United States perpetuate the spirit of conservation which prevailed during the war.

There has, therefore, been an appeal made to the American people to continue their back-yard or vacant-lot gardens this year, in order that foodstuffs from the large farms may be had for those in need in Europe.

The back-yard or home gardener has often been the butt of the joker and has been brought before the public in cartoons in magazines and newspapers throughout the country; but for all the jibes and jokes, the home gardens of the United States last year added millions of tons of food to the world's supply.

The writer has had a so-called back-yard garden for about eight years, and just to prove to the "joker" that it is profitable, the following table of the results of the summer of 1918 is compiled and submitted:

$5.00
10.82

$13.15

84 quarts of beans (green and wax)

*Spading fork broken, cost of new one put in expense column.

†The "Returns" were taken from the garden and a credit given which represented an average market price for which the vegetable might be selling at the time it was picked; therefore, the prices varied throughout the season for most of the products.

$19.69

Total expense

Total gain as represented in money

The vegetables were not sold, but a monetary value was placed on them which would represent a cost to anyone going to the market to purchase at the time they were harvested.

The products which were not used on the table at the time of gathering were either canned or stored and we have had a good supply of vegetables all winter.

This is the result of an amateur on a piece of land about 50 feet x 60 feet; and results could have been better, but this is given to show that the home garden is profitable, and to me a pleasure.

IN STONE & WEBSTER LOCALITIES

The managers of the companies operated by Stone & Webster write to the Management Division of Stone & Webster about the first of each month with reference to business conditions in their respective localities during the preceding month. A digest of these letters is published each month in the Stone & Webster Journal.

Baton Rouge, La., March 11th:

Building permits for February, 1919, were valued at $25,521, against $11,690 last year.

Post office receipts for February, 1919, were $9,577, against $8,322 last year.

The average number of employees at the Standard Oil Company in February, 1919, was 2,180 against 2,177 last year.

A normal amount of general business was transacted during February. Building operations started to boom. Rents have increased during the past year. No spring planting of consequence has been done.

The February railway receipts of the Baton Rouge Electric Company exceeded the high level of January, despite the fact that February was a short month. The dark, rainy weather again tended to increase the consumption of electricity. Gas receipts were 30% in excess of February, 1918, notwithstanding a higher average temperature of 8 degrees this

year.

Bellingham, Wash., March 17th:

Building permits at Bellingham for February, 1919, were valued at $21,730, against $6,513 last year.

Post office receipts at Bellingham for February, 1919, were $7,928, against $7,350 last year; at Mount Vernon they were $1,906, against $2,479 last year; at Burlington $314, against $393 last year and at Sedro Wooley $1,260, against $982 last year.

Although the shipyards will undoubtedly close down during the month of March, the lumber industry continues to prosper. All the mills are running on full time with large payrolls, there having been no reduction in wages.

The work of opening the coal mine is continuing and the owners are looking forward to an increased payroll.

Spring will undoubtedly witness the beginning of a large amount of road improvements, which have been authorized by the state and county. This will have a tendency to absorb the surplus labor.

Indications still point to an early spring. The farmers have already taken advantage of some of the clear weather and started plowing.

An increase of over 40% in the receipts of our city lines reflects the general condition of business in this community during the month of February, and an increase in the passenger business on the interurban likewise reflects the general condition of business in the surrounding territory.

Labor conditions are improving somewhat, and there is apparently very little surplus labor at the present time, even though demobilization has turned loose a large number of soldiers.