THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 23 
nations came requests for information and instruction 
on war gardening. Even Lord Rhondda, as British 
Food Controller, cabled a request for 5,000 copies of 
the Commission’s book on gardening. 
No new movement could have spread with such ra- 
pidity and been rewarded with such results as were 
achieved, had it not been for the loyal and whole-hearted 
manner in which state, county and town committees 
and officials of all sorts, as well as numerous individuals, 
cooperated with and supplemented the work of the 
Commission. With this help the results surpassed the 
most sanguine anticipations of those who initiated the 
war-garden movement. The first season saw the plant- 
ing in the United States, according to the Commission’s 
estimates based on reports from all parts of the country, 
of approximately 3,500,000 home food producing lots. 
The reports gathered in 1918 showed the number had 
increased to 5,285,000 war gardens. 
Furthermore, there was more intensive cultivation 
and a greater proportion of large-yielding gardens in 
1918 than during the preceding year. The food value 
of the 1917 products was estimated at something like 
$350,000,000. In the second year the value reached 
an estimated total of $525,000,000. 
It is estimated, likewise, that as a result of the garden 
and canning campaigns, there were put up and stored 
away on pantry shelves in 1917 more than 500,000,000 
quarts of canned vegetables and fruits; while in 1918 
the number of such jars is believed to have been fully 
1,450,000,000. 
Assuredly tall oaks from little acorns grow. 
