CHAPTER II 



THE STORY OF THE WAR GARDEN 



How American Gardeners Sowed the Seeds of Victory 



WHILE the organizers of the War Garden Com- 

 mission were optimistic and looked forward 

 confidently to the accomplishment of large 

 results, they little dreamed that the war-garden move- 

 ment would grow so rapidly. The war-garden idea 

 struck a patriotic chord. The American people answered 

 the call to help win the war by producing food in their 

 back yards with the same unanimity and enthusiasm 

 they had shown in responding to each other appeal 

 the country had made for service. One reason for 

 the prompt and eager response to the National War 

 Garden Commission's appeal to "Sow the Seeds of 

 Victory, " was that immediately after the United States 

 entered the war everybody was patriotically desirous 

 of rendering help in some form. Millions of people 

 realized that they would never be able to take part as 

 actual soldiers in the great task of overthrowing Prus- 

 sian militarism. Because of this they wanted to take 

 an active part in some effort which would show tangible 

 results in the struggle for right and justice. 



War garden?ng offered the opportunity. Although 

 small home plots might not produce large amounts of 

 food, such gardens made possible the saving of some 

 of the wheat and meat and other foods which were 



