CHAPTER VIII 
THE ARMY OF SCHOOL GARDENERS 
How the Children of America were Mobilized by the Government 
4 S a factor in education the war garden and its 
AA successor, the victory garden, have established 
themselves in a way that will prove a permanent 
influence in American life. Through the schools millions 
of children have been awakened to the value of garden- 
ing as a patriotic effort of war time and an undertaking 
worth while at all times. They have been taught that 
nature is a generous giver who requires only to be 
encouraged. They have been impressed with the impor- 
tance of food production and trained into an army 
of practical producers. The national benefit from such 
teaching and training cannot fail to be far-reaching in 
its effects and a lasting force in the lives of the future 
men and women of America. 
In the development of school gardeners two ideas were 
given consideration. An immediate increase in food 
production went hand in hand with the educational 
value of the work. It was not expected, of course, that 
all school children would become immediate producers, 
but it was certain that the great volume of work under- 
taken in the schools would be of appreciable worth in 
swelling the total of war time food production and of 
even greater importance in creating a vast army of 
future citizens trained to intelligent application of the 
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