198 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



A FOOD GARDEN IN A SMALL TOWN 



Here are the back yards, with side fences torn out, thrown together to make one large garden in order to make possible the use of labor-saving machinery. Thus 

 the whole tract was plowed, which saved much laborious spading, and when the crops were small a horse cultivator was employed, all these operations being 

 paid for out of a joint fund provided by the gardeners. Operations on such a scale are impossible in the more crowded cities, but the picture shows the 

 productivity of food gardens. 



who have devoted their lives to the solving of vital prob- 

 lems and whose aim through life has been to master some 

 one given profession that their knowledge might reflect 

 good upon their fellows. 



The Commission, imme- 

 diately following the organ- 

 ization, took up the work of 

 spreading the gospel of food 

 preparedness. Mayors of 

 towns and cities, boards of 

 trade, newspapers and 

 other publications were 

 appealed to and within a 

 remarkably short lime the 

 campaign caught the hearty 

 support of the nation 

 as a whole. Mayors of 

 scores of cities have wired 

 the Washington headquar- 

 ters of the Commission that 

 they have entered the cam- 

 paign, and in many cilies 

 central bodies have been 

 organized to correlate ef- 

 forts toward successful gar- 

 dening and to put these 

 efforts on a svstematic basis. 



'mfni^'^ 



LETS HAVE l.OUU.OOO OF THESE 



Here is the ideal back yard as seen by the National Emergency Food Garden 

 Commission — cabbages, beets, and turnips in trim, fertile rows instead of lawn, 

 or, as is more likely, unsightly sheds, ashes, tin cans, and rubbish heaps. Give 

 us enough back yards like this and the cost of living will have no terrors for 

 Americans. 



Public-spirited men and women are serving on the central 

 bodies, and all over the country city councils, chambers 

 of commerce, Isoards of trade, mothers' clubs, citizens' 



associations, boy scouts, 

 girl scouts, and playground 

 associations have taken up 

 the business of actually get- 

 ting the nation into condi- 

 tion where it may cease to 

 tremble for food. 



Thus has been laid a 

 fouiulation upon which may 

 lie built the future self- 

 sustaining agricultural 

 policy of every American 

 household. 



School gardens of course 

 have been maintained in 

 certain communities for 

 years, 1iut the home garden 

 as an adjunct, or rather its 

 significance as a social, an 

 educational, and an abso- 

 lutely and positively neces- 

 sary factor, is just beginning 

 to be appreciated by the 

 nation. In most cities 



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