CHAPTER II 
THE STORY OF THE WAR GARDEN 
How American Gardeners Sowed the Seeds of Victory 
W HILE 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 gardening 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 
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