152 
less than that of 1916, two hundred and forty-three million 
bushels less than the crop of 1915. Though there had been 
war there would have been serious shortages in many crops due 
to cee climatic conditions. 
ut these natural shortages have been tremendously increased 
by the withdraw m productive work of millions of men for 
the armies wae a munition plants Euro: hus the entire 
world is face to face with a very definite crisis. The world’s food 
des. 
d that the nation has entered the war and has thereby 
assumed new responsibilities. It is morally bound to give to its 
Allies in Europe the help they ne eed, and it begins to be apparent 
ood. 
The situation seems to demand an mapes ile achigvernent = 
teadily 
ui 
ane securing of gray increased cro 
of farm labor. M 
and with its aan goes the opportunity for crop production. 
Nature waits for no man 
In view of these conditions men turned naturally to two great 
economic factors which have been invested with new importance 
—unemployed land and unproducing time—that is, they turned 
to gardening. Just now it is more than a subject a — wae 
Er, } 
or 
from warring Europe has so pee neaied the situation that it 
bears heavily on every family, in the shape of abnormally high 
prices for all food products. Unless we have a superabundant 
soaring. 
When these facts were but dimly realized the country was 
electrified by President Wilson's proclamation of April 16th with 
its appeal to the soldiers of the commissariat, the ‘‘Army of the 
Furrows. 
“We must supply abundant food not only for ourselves, for 
our armies and our seamen, but also for a large part of the nations 
with whom we have now made common cause, and in whose 
support and by whose sides we ee be fighting. “The world’s 
food reserves are low. Not only during the Diesen smnereen 
but for i fter peace sae p 
