ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY. Number of members in a company: Ten to one hundred and fifty. Age limit: Any school child, but preferably the more important companies should be enlisted from the pupils above the third grade. Requirements for enlistment: The signing of an obligation card in which the pupil agrees to raise one or more food crops and to keep records of his work and the results, reporting them to the teacher or garden supervisor. These cards will be furnished by this bureau. Officers: Each company to have a captain and one or two lieutenants, the latter depending upon the number of soldiers enlisted. Insignia: For the privates, a service bar with U. S. S. G. in red letters on a white background with a border of blue. For the second lieutenant, the same bar with one white star in the border. For the first lieutenant, the same bar with two white stars in the border. For the captain, the same bar with three white stars in the border. For the garden teacher or supervisor, similar insignia without stars, with blue letters and a red border. Enlistment of existing organizations: Any organization of school children now doing garden work will be eligible to enlistment. Such organizations may keep their existing form, if they so desire and have the additional impetus of belonging to a national army fostered by President Wilson, the Secretary of Interior, and the Commissioner of Education. The aim of this army is to nationalize and unify the great work now being carried on among school children of America. Five regional and one general director were chosen to organize and carry forward the work. The regional directors were selected because of their expert and practical knowledge of gardening and their extensive experience as garden and agriculture teachers. Their duties were to include the writing of garden leaflets in language and form suited to the boys and girls of school age, and adaptable to class organization. Each region was to be furnished separate leaflets. They were to meet climatic and soil conditions of the district to which they were to be sent. As an illustration, the southeastern region has five zonal districts, and separate leaflets were written for each. These garden lesson leaflets were highly appreciated by teachers who were able through their help to conduct companies successfully through the garden season. A partial report made July 10, 1918, showed the following results: 1. One million five hundred thousand boys and girls responded to the call of the President and enlisted in the United States School Garden Army. 2. Twenty thousand acres of unproductive home and vacant lots were converted into productive land. This released an equal acreage used in truck gardening for the production of other foodstuffs more important for war purposes. It relieved transportation congestion through home consumption of home-produced foodstuffs. 3. Fifty thousand teachers received valuable instruction in gardening through the garden leaflets written by experts in this office and distributed from here. One million five hundred thousand leaflets were sent out. 4. Boards of education and other civic organizations were influenced to give financial and moral support to the school and home garden movement and to pay extra salaries for supervision and teaching. 5. Hundreds of thousands of parents became interested in the garden movement and worked with their children in home gardens. In Salt Lake City alone 5,200 mothers, representing 62 parental associations, actively supported food production in the schools. 6. Thousands of civic, commercial, and patriotic organizations became interested in the movement and gave it hearty support. 7. One and one-half million children were given something to do last summer; something that helped to carry the burden of their country in the struggle for freedom, something that helped them to build character, and something that appealed to and developed their patriotism. 8. Home and vacant lot gardening in cities, towns, and villages was dignified and made popular to a degree that practically insured it a prominent place in the school system of our country. It would be difficult to estimate the educational and material value of such results. No other movement in history promises so much in aiding the "backto-the-soil" movement as this. President Wilson made a second appropriation of $200,000 to continue the work until July, 1919, and some changes were made in the organization. A slight readjustment of territory assigned to the regional directors was necessary. The southeastern region was enlarged by adding West Virginia, Alabama, and Mississippi from the southern region. The southern region in turn was given Missouri and Kansas from the central section and Colorado and New Mexico from the western section. The five regional directors remain the same as before the new adjustment. Twenty-five assistant regional directors were appointed. The duties of the assistant regional directors are similar to those of the regional directors, but are on a more intensive scale and in a more limited territory. They work under the direction of the regional director in a part of his territory assigned to them and make weekly reports to him. Under this organization the United States School Garden Army is working for the season 1918-19. O ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE AT 5 CENTS PER COPY RECENT PROGRESS IN NEGRO EDUCATION. By THOMAS JESSE JONES. CONTENTS.-Introductory-State supervisors-Jeanes industrial teachers-County training schools-Rosenwald schools-Phelps-Stokes fund-Public school facilities-Recent publications-Educational meetings-Church boards-Private and denominational schools. The past year has witnessed considerable progress in the field of negro education, despite adverse conditions brought about by the war. Probably the most significant event of the year was the appointment in Texas of a State supervisor of rural Negro schools, whose salary and expenses are paid entirely by the State. Short terms, poor schoolhouses, and low salaries continue to hamper the works of the public schools, but the problem of Negro education has been called to the attention of the white South by the recent exodus of Negroes from that section, and some improvement has already been made. While there has been a considerable increase in the actual amounts appropriated by the Southern States for salaries of colored teachers, the Negroes still receive no greater proportion of the sums expended for teachers' salaries. The official reports of State superintendents of public instruction show that these officials are trying to increase the school facilities for Negroes and are calling the attention of the public to the matter. During the year bulletins and leaflets dealing with various phases of Negro education have been published by State departments of education. The number of Jeanes industrial teachers has increased, and their work has been so effective that one State superintendent recommends in his official report that similar supervisors be employed for white schools. The cooperation of the General Education Board has enabled these teachers to organize home makers' clubs during the summer months. In doing this home club work the teachers give demonstrations of cooking, canning, and preserving. The General Education Board has also cooperated with the States in maintaining supervisors of rural schools and in furnishing equipment for county training schools. The county training schools, supported by the counties with the aid of the Slater fund, have passed the experimental stage, and only the high cost of labor and materials prevented the building of additional schools during the year. The Rosenwald fund has made possible the erection of a number of rural school113930°-19-1 3 |