THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 23 



nations came requests for information and instruction 

 on war gardening: Even Lord Rhondda, as British 

 Food Controller, cabled a request for 5,000 copies of 

 the Commission's book on gardening. 



No new movement could have spread with such ra- 

 pidity and been rewarded with such results as were 

 achieved, had it not been for the loyal and whole-hearted 

 manner in which state, county and town committees 

 and officials of all sorts, as well as numerous individuals, 

 cooperated with and supplemented the work of the 

 Commission. With this help the results surpassed the 

 most sanguine anticipations of those who initiated the 

 war-garden movement. The first season saw the plant- 

 ing in the United States, according to the Commission's 

 estimates based on reports from all parts of the country, 

 of approximately 3,500,000 home food producing lots. 

 The reports gathered in 1918 showed the number had 

 increased to 5,285,000 war gardens. 



Furthermore, there was more intensive cultivation 

 and a greater proportion of large-yielding gardens in 

 1918 than during the preceding year. The food value 

 of the 1917 products was estimated at something like 

 $350,000,000. In the second year the value reached 

 an estimated total of $525,000,000. 



It is estimated, likewise, that as a result of the garden 

 and canning campaigns, there were put up and stored 

 away on pantry shelves in 1917 more than 500,000,000 

 quarts of canned vegetables and fruits; while in 1918 

 the number of such jars is believed to have been fully 

 1,450,000,000. 



Assuredly tall oaks from little acorns grow. 



