772 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



WAR GARDENS 

 OVER THE TOP 



down, in the days of victory, in fact there is grave danger 

 that there will be one. When the "shouting and the 

 tumult die," when the cannon have ceased to roar and 

 when victory is assured, it is so easy to say : "Now we can 

 rest ; we have fought and won ; there is nothing more 

 to do." 



But there must be no slackening. Relaxation may 

 mean ruin. Much of the good that has been wrought 

 may be lost ; indeed, worse days may come, days of 

 world-wide pestilence, anarchy and social wreck if 

 famine is allowed to sweep unchecked through the 

 nations. That is why 

 it is more important 

 than ever to keep up 

 the good work, to 

 make the "Victory 

 Gardens" of this year 

 and the next and the 

 next even more num- 

 erous, more flourish- 

 ing, more helpful to 

 this nation and to 

 humanity as a whole, 

 than were the War 

 Gardens of 191 7 and 

 1918. It can be done. 

 I firmly believe that 

 the American people 

 can do greater things 

 than they have ever 

 done before. I am 

 not mistaken about 

 their character and 

 their determination. 

 There were 5,285,- 

 000 War Gardens in 

 1918. Why not make 

 it 1 0,000,000 in 1 91 9? 

 Let us show the 

 world that we are 

 no "quitters." It's 

 harder to work for 

 something that seems 

 to be accomplished 

 than while the fight 

 is on. 



There is, however, 

 another war in prog- 



last for a number of years, five or ten at least. That is 

 why effort must be made to produce every bit of food 

 possible. 



In spite of the fact that there was such marvelous 

 response by the home food growers of the United States 

 last year and that they rounded up the "slacker land" in 

 fine shape, letting very little of it escape, it is believed 

 there can be even greater results. This applies both to 

 numbers and to average production. With the training 

 and the experience they have gained during the past two 

 years it is certain that a majority of the "city farmers" 



will be able to raise 



to- 



and cabbage 



I The Se^ds q/^ Victory 

 fnsure the Fruits q/ Poace 



FOR FREE BOOKS WRITE TO NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION 



WASHINGTON. DC. 



Pcrcival S.Ridsdale.Sccrctziry 



ress right now. It is chari^g Larhrop Pack, President 

 not visible through 

 the marching of soldiers, the bold array of battleships 

 and the reverberation of guns and cannon. But silently, 

 like a thief in the night, the grim monster Hunger is 

 leading his cohorts through the world. Like invisible 

 phantoms, wraiths of the dead, these troops march 

 through town, village and countryside, cutting down 

 women, children and strong men. This is the kind of 

 war in which the world is now engaged. It is the world 

 war for food. It will not be over this year, but it will 



more beans and 

 matoes 



than they have here- 

 tofore. And as to 

 the number of gar- 

 dens — that figure, 

 too, should be in- 

 creased. All that is 

 necessary is for the 

 people in any par- 

 ticular locality to 

 say : "We had 5,000 

 gardens last year ; 

 we'll make it 8,000 

 or 10,000 in 1919." 

 Every community 

 doubtless will find a 

 certain number of 

 lots which were not 

 cultivated last year. 

 There were some 

 back yards and a few 

 plots which escaped 

 the general round- 

 up. The thing to do 

 is to get them all 

 into the Victory 

 Garden "draft" of 

 191 9. If every city, 

 town and village will 

 make up its mind to 

 work a little harder 

 in 1919 than in 1918, 

 the thing will be 

 done ; and after it is 

 over the ease with 

 which it was accom- 

 plished will surprise 

 everybody. For instance, Boston set out last spring with 

 the idea that it could reach a mark of at least 15,000 

 War Gardens. When the count was made it was found 

 there were more than 30,000. There were many similar 

 experiences. That shows that any place can "surpass 

 itself" if it determines to do so. 



Plans have been made by the National War Garden 

 Commission for a bigger and more intensive campaign 

 this year than was carried on last season. In order that 



