90 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 



postmasters; school superintendents and college in- 

 structors; superintendents of park departments and 

 health officers; women's clubs and home demonstra- 

 tion agents; insurance companies and railroads; lumber 

 and mining companies; banks and business houses; 

 commissions for beautifying cities and tenement- 

 house inspection officers; lighthouse-service supervisors 

 and bureaus of municipal research; public libraries and 

 church societies; ministers of the gospel and leaders of 

 boys' clubs and many others who were able in various 

 ways to cooperate in spreading the message and in 

 rendering active assistance in getting the vacant places 

 of our cities and towns to work growing food. This 

 service was given in both the production and the con- 

 servation campaigns of the Commission. 



This cooperation took many forms. In some cases 

 it was of an active and constant character, beginnine 

 with the start of the drive to get the war gardeners 

 lined up in the army of the soil and continuing until 

 the last tomato was pulled and the final potato dug; 

 or until the last canned or dried vegetable had been 

 placed on the pantry shelf and the final prizes awarded. 

 In other cases it consisted merely of the distribution 

 to interested parties of a supply of the Commission's 

 gardening or canning and drying manuals, with a word 

 to each home food producer wishing him success in his 

 patriotic work and praising him for his undertaking. 

 More than 4,000,000 of the Commission's books on 

 gardening and canning and millions of its bulletins and 

 leaflets were given interested persons in 191 8. 



