THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 31 



ward feeding the army was shown by a careful estimate 

 as to the amount of food which they added to the 

 nation's larder. This was reckoned in 1918 as having 

 a value of ^525,000,000. Taking into consideration 

 equivalent food values, it was figured on a conserva- 

 tive basis that our 1918 war gardens grew food equal 

 in body-building power to the meat ration required by 

 an army of 1,000,000 men for 302 days; the bread 

 ration for 248 days; or the entire ration for 142 days. 

 This wonderful saving of commercial supplies made the 

 war-garden movement eminently worth while from 

 this standpoint alone. 



Munitions represent only one of the three M's. 

 Money is another. Money makes the army as well as 

 the mare go. The value produced by home gardeners 

 went far to meet the increasing demands for money due 

 to the war. To realize the wonderful financial possi- 

 bilities of war gardening is almost as difficult as to 

 grasp the possibilities of food production. The prod- 

 ucts of the little Pennsylvania garden already referred 

 to were worth, according to the records of the gardener, 

 $63.50. That valuation was made at pre-war prices. 

 The same products, in 1918, would have been worth 

 probably half as much again, or close to $100.00. Even 

 if its products were worth only $50.00 that sum would 

 have enabled the gardener to buy, with the money 

 saved by gardening, a Liberty Bond. 



Suppose all our war gardens averaged as well, what 

 would be the result.^ The 5,285,000 gardens of 1918 

 would have yielded $264,250,000. Actually, the re- 



