98 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 



lots are being planted;" "We believe we have the best 

 war gardens in the United States." Each city wanted 

 to make a record in food production. It is through 

 rivalry of this sort that cities progress. 



War gardening, again, is an asset to any city in that 

 it adds to that city's material wealth. All food grown 

 adds just so much to a city's wealth. In the first place 

 gardening gives the individual more money. By plant- 

 ing a home garden he reduces his own expenses, saving 

 many dollars on his market and grocery bills. Whether 

 he saves and invests this money in some local enter- 

 prise, or spends it for necessities or even luxuries, the 

 community benefits. The money goes into houses and 

 lots, into automobiles, books, furniture, pianos, cloth- 

 ing, into everything, in fact, that modern man needs 

 for his comfort and happiness. Thus while he is help- 

 ing himself, he is also helping the merchants and the 

 tradesmen of the city. He is adding to his own and 

 the community's resources. 



The financial gain to a city from the war-gardening 

 enterprise is strikingly revealed by figures on the 

 amount of produce raised. A few cases will be illus- 

 trative. For instance, Indianapolis estimated the value 

 of its war-garden crop in 1918 at ^1,473,165, an in- 

 crease of more than ^600,000 over the previous year. 

 Denver placed its yield at ^2,500,000 and Los Ange- 

 les at $1,000,000. The figures for a few other cities 

 were as follows: Minneapolis, $1,750,000; Washing- 

 ton, District of Columbia, $1,396,500; Grand Rapids, 

 Michigan, $900,000; Salt Lake City, Utah, $750,000; 



