PLANTING ONE MILLION FOOD GARDENS 



203 



the ages of 6 and 20 and if this small army takes up the 

 hoe and the rake and plants food gardens the food prob- 

 lem becomes no problem at all. 



j It is not difficult to estimate the benefits to mankind 

 once the plans of the Commission are in full operation 

 throughout the country. For the children it will mean 

 health, strength, joy in work, habits of industry, and 

 understanding of the value of money as measured in 

 terms of labor and such knowledge of the phenomena and 

 forces of nature as must be had for an understanding of 

 most of their school lessons. They will also learn some- 

 thing at least of the fundamental principle of morality, 

 that every man and woman must make his or her own' 

 living; must, by some kind of labor of head, hand or 

 heart, contribute to the common wealth as much as he 

 or she takes from it; must pay in some kind of coin 

 for what he or she gets. 



i President Pack also believes that the economic and 

 sociological results are worthy of consideration. Experi- 

 ments already made show that with proper direction an 



the nation is mainly dependent upon the productive powers 

 of its people. Business and professional men appreciate 

 the value of recreation, but oftentimes neglect it for lack 

 of interest. If such men understood the principles of 



BACK YARD BLUE RIBBONERS 



The rural county fair no longer has the monopoly of lettuce heads 21 inches in 

 diameter, nine-pound cabbages, and one-pound beets such as the young planter 

 on the right is holding. These products, which would take blue ribbons against 

 the best entries of the professional gardeners, were raised on city back yard 

 gardens. 



average child of reasonable years can produce on an 

 eighth of an acre of land from $50 to $100 worth of 

 vegetables. A third of the children in the city schools 

 of the United States might easily produce the $250,- 

 000,000 worth of foodstuffs which is predicted by the 

 Food Garden Commission can be added to the annual 

 crop supply if 1,000,000 more gardens are planted this 

 year than were in existence last season. 



Aside from the fundamental and essential reason 

 why the nation should take up whole-heartedly the Com- 

 mission's injunction to produce, and produce at once, the 

 fact that a generation of men and women would be pro- 

 duced who would find their recreation, after the close of 

 their labor day of eight hours, in profitable home garden- 

 ing, is a phase of the situation which should commend 

 itself to everyone. A man's worth is measured largely by 

 his ability to produce, and the wealth and prosperity of 



GARDEN SABOTAGE 



No back yard for gardening, this tenement child has her pathetic little garden 

 anyhow in an old pair of wooden shoes, or sabots. For the benefit of those 

 who have the gardening desire but not the land the food garden movement is 

 being aided in many cities by owners of vacant property permittingits coopera- 

 tive cultivation by volunteers. 



gardening, they would find sufficient incentive to exercise 

 and would take much pleasure from work in the home 

 garden during the evening hours. 



With precise knowledge at its command, the National 

 Emergency Food Garden Commission gives the following 

 advice on the location of a garden : 



FOOD INSTEAD OF FLOWERS 



When you have no land, but live in a tenement with a concrete yard, the best 

 you can do in gardening is in the window box. And if you are homesick for 

 the taste of vegetables crisp from your own garden, you plant the window box 

 to corn, beans, and radishes, such as are growing in this window garden, instead 

 of flowers. The National Emergency Food Garden Commission urges owners 

 of vacant lots to donate them for free garden use to those who wish such an 

 opportunity. 



