CHAPTER VIII 

 THE ARMY OF SCHOOL GARDENERS 



How THE CHILDREN OF AMERICA WERE MOBILIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT 



A a factor in education the war garden and its 

 successor, the victory garden, have established 

 themselves in a way that will prove a permanent 

 influence in American life. Through the schools millions 

 of children have been awakened to the value of garden- 

 ing as a patriotic effort of war time and an undertaking 

 worth while at all times. They have been taught that 

 nature is a generous giver who requires only to be 

 encouraged. They have been impressed with the impor- 

 tance of food production and trained into an army 

 of practical producers. The national benefit from such 

 teaching and training cannot fail to be far-reaching in 

 its effects and a lasting force in the lives of the future 

 men and women of America. 



In the development of school gardeners two ideas were 

 given consideration. An immediate increase in food 

 production went hand in hand with the educational 

 value of the work. It was not expected, of course, that 

 all school children would become immediate producers, 

 but it was certain that the great volume of work under- 

 taken in the schools would be of appreciable worth in 

 swelling the total of war time food pro : duction and of 

 even greater importance in creating a vast army of 

 future citizens trained to intelligent application of the 



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