WAR GARDEN 
 VICTORIOUS 
 
 CHARLES LATHROP PACK 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 ITS WAR TIME NEED AND ITS ECONOMIC VALUE IN PEACE 
 

Will you have a part 
 
 in 
 
 I Victory? 
 
 "Every Garden a Munition Plant" 
 
 *^ Charles Lathrop Pack, Pr,<W 
 
 THIS POSTER, USED IN 1918, AND WITH DIFFERENT SLOGANS IN 
 
 1919, WAS POPULAR WHEREVER IT APPEARED AND DID MUCH TO 
 
 EXTEND THE WAR GARDEN MOVEMENT 
 
( ; 
 
 The War Garden Victorious 
 
 BY 
 
 CHARLES LATHROP PACK 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 PRESS OF 
 
 J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
COPYRIGHTED IQIQ BY THE NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION 
 
 Ltb. 
 
 
*-* 
 
 I 
 
 THIS book is dedicated to the War Gardeners 
 of the United States and Allied countries in 
 admiration of their success in adding to the 
 world's supply of food during the World War. 
 
 Efc&s^-^ttafe* 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. How THE NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION 
 
 CAME INTO BEING i 
 
 II. THE STORY OF THE WAR GARDEN 12 
 
 III. How WAR GARDENS HELPED 24 
 
 IV. TYPES OF WAR GARDENS 35 
 
 V. UNCLE SAM'S FIRST WAR GARDEN 46 
 
 VI. How BIG BUSINESS HELPED 53 
 
 VII. How THE RAILROADS HELPED 68 
 
 VIII. THE ARMY OF SCHOOL GARDENERS 73 
 
 IX. COMMUNITY GARDENING 79 
 
 X. COOPERATION IN GARDENING 89 
 
 XI. WAR GARDENS AS CITY ASSETS 96 
 
 XII. THE PART PLAYED BY DAYLIGHT SAVING 105 
 
 XIII. THE FUTURE OF WAR GARDENING 109 
 
 XIV. CONSERVING THE GARDEN SURPLUS 121 
 
 XV. COMMUNITY CONSERVATION 126 
 
 XVI. CONSERVATION BY DRYING 134 
 
 XVII. WHY WE SHOULD USE DRIED FOODS 145 
 
 XVIII. THE FUTURE OF DEHYDRATION 155 
 
 XIX. COOPERATION OF THE PRESS 165 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 " WAR GARDENING," VICTORY EDITION, 1919 
 " HOME CANNING AND DRYING," VICTORY EDITION, 1919 
 
 ix 
 
COLOR PLATES 
 
 PAGE 
 
 " Every Garden a Munition Plant " Frontispiece 
 
 A Poster Spreading the Idea of Militant War Gardens 12 
 
 A Poster for 1919, Symbolic of Victory 14 
 
 A Poster Which Was Used in 1918, and Which, Amended 
 Following Germany's Defeat Was Also Forceful in 1919 16 
 
 xi 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 A First- Year War Garden 4 
 
 On Historic Ground 6 
 
 A Typical City Garden 8 
 
 A Veteran War Gardener 10 
 
 No " Slacker Land " Here 18 
 
 One of Cleveland's War Gardens 20 
 
 No Wonder She Smiles 22 
 
 Garden of a Chicago Amateur 26 
 
 In an Italian Garden 28 
 
 In the Champion Garden City 30 
 
 Medal in Commemoration of the War Garden 32 
 
 The War Gardener's Boast 34 
 
 Pioneers in Summer Hotel Gardening 38 
 
 An Army Garden at the Red Cross Threshold 42 
 
 A Prize-Winning Garden 44 
 
 " Now, Boys, Show 'Em How to Harvest " 46 
 
 " Potatoes Up ! Forward March ! " 48 
 
 Gathering the Potatoes 50 
 
 Going Out to Meet the Crop 52 
 
 What a Factory Worker Did 54 
 
 All the Family Helps 56 
 
 A Versatile Manufacturing Concern 60 
 
 War Garden Display in Bank Window 62 
 
 Nationality Made No Difference 64 
 
 This Is Not Neptune 66 
 
 On Pennsylvania Railroad Ground 68 
 
 Some Railroad " Soldiers of the Soil " 70 
 
 Along the East River Front 74 
 
 One of Cleveland's School Gardens 76 
 
 xiii 
 
xiv ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Planting a Community Garden 80 
 
 Boy Scouts Raised the Food 82 
 
 " Papa, See Me Hoe? " 84 
 
 Raising " Food F. O. B. the Factory Door " 86 
 
 A Polyglot Assembly 90 
 
 Down in " The Yards " 94 
 
 'Midst Towering Skyscrapers 98 
 
 War Garden on Boston Common 102 
 
 " County Fair " in Bryant Park 104 
 
 No Age Limit on Patriotism 106 
 
 Prize- Winning Canning Team in Iowa no 
 
 The Question Is : Does It " Jell "? 112 
 
 Received Certificate Number One 114 
 
 Interior of a Bank, Not a Fine Grocery 116 
 
 Getting the Winter Supply Ready 118 
 
 A Prize- Winning Exhibit 122 
 
 Girl Scouts Can Can, Too 126 
 
 Service Flag of the Home Canner 128 
 
 Achievement Club Girls 130 
 
 He Is Not Lecturing; He Won the Canning Contest 134 
 
 Preparing to Dry Vegetables 136 
 
 A Montana Prize Canner 138 
 
 They Helped to Can the Kaiser 140 
 
 Food Goes with the Flag 142 
 
 Toothsome Viands at Dried Food Luncheon 148 
 
 Drying Peaches in California 152 
 
 Preparing Raisins for the Market 156 
 
 Boxes for Drying Raisins 160 
 
 The Knights of Printers Ink Heard the Call for Food 166 
 
 Typical Headings from News Sheets 170 
 
 How Newspaper " Copy " Was Sent Out 172 
 
 With Picture and Type the Press Urged Gardening 176 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
THE WAR GARDEN 
 VICTORIOUS 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 HOW THE NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION 
 CAME INTO BEING 
 
 THE NEED OF MAKING EVERY GARDEN A MUNITION PLANT 
 
 THE war garden was a war-time necessity. 
 This was true because war conditions made 
 it essential that food should be raised where it 
 had not been produced in peace times, with labor not 
 engaged in agricultural work and not taken from any 
 other industry, and in places where it made no demand 
 upon the railroads already overwhelmed with trans- 
 portation burdens. 
 
 The knowledge that the world faced a deficit in food, 
 that there existed an emergency which could be met 
 only by the raising of more food, was apparent to every 
 well-informed and thinking man and woman during the 
 early months of 1917. 
 
 The author, wishing, as every patriot wished, to do 
 a war work which was actually necessary, which was 
 essentially practical, and which would most certainly 
 aid in making the war successful, conceived the idea in 
 March, 1917, of inspiring the people of the United States 
 to plant war gardens in order to increase the supply of 
 food without the use of land already cultivated, of 
 
2 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 labor already engaged in agricultural work, of time de- 
 voted to other necessary occupations, and of trans- 
 portation facilities which were already inadequate to 
 the demands made upon them. 
 
 In March, therefore, some weeks before the United 
 States entered the war, he organized for this work 
 a commission known as the National War Garden 
 Commission. 
 
 What were the causes which led to the world's lack 
 of food and the need of a largely increased production 
 by the United States to prevent world starvation? 
 
 When the drums sounded the call to the colors in the 
 summer of 1914, three million Frenchmen shouldered 
 their rifles and marched away from a large proportion 
 of the five million farms of France; and mostly these 
 were one-man farms. Russia, a nation almost wholly 
 agricultural, mobilized perhaps eight millions of men. 
 All the men of fighting age in Belgium were summoned 
 to the army. England, possessing only a " contempt- 
 ible little army, " straightway began a recruiting cam- 
 paign which within a few years swelled the ranks of her 
 military forces to five millions. Germany called out 
 her entire fighting force of military age, an army of 
 several millions. Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey like- 
 wise mobilized their full fighting forces. Altogether, 
 twenty or thirty million men were called away from 
 their usual pursuits. The vocation of the majority of 
 them was farming. Thus, at one stroke, practically all 
 the farms in the embattled nations were swept clear 
 of male workers. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 3 
 
 At the same time the harvests were maturing or al- 
 ready ripe for the sickle; and over these laden acres 
 swept the millions of soldiers, trampling, burning and 
 destroying vast stores of food. In Belgium and France 
 on the west front, and in Hungary, East Prussia, and 
 Russia on the east, thousands upon thousands of crop- 
 bearing acres were devastated and laid waste. 
 
 In a few short weeks this was the situation: the food 
 supply was largely decreased, vast areas of farming 
 land were rendered unproductive, and the farms were 
 practically stripped of their accustomed tillers. The 
 world's food supply was thrown entirely out of balance. 
 Ordinarily the food-supply system was as nicely 
 adjusted as the parts of a watch. Production was 
 balanced against consumption. Given markets were 
 supplied from given sources. 
 
 So unfailing was this system that each of the belli- 
 gerent nations absolutely depended upon other nations 
 for certain parts of its food, and had received its expected 
 supply as unfailingly as our daily milk and newspapers 
 are delivered at our doors. Thus England procured 
 most of her sugar from Germany, and Italy got wheat 
 from Russia, by way of the Dardanelles. At one stroke, 
 this nicely balanced system was destroyed. 
 
 Worse than the wrecking of the system of distribution 
 was the unbalancing of production itself. Millions 
 of farms, stripped of their male workers, necessarily 
 became either wholly unproductive or able to raise 
 but a fraction of their normal output. In a moment's 
 time, as it were, the food production of Europe was 
 
4 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 lessened by millions and millions of bushels. Since food 
 production is not, like Aladdin's palace, the creation of 
 a night, this inevitably meant a shortage in the world's 
 food supply. Before the European deficit could be made 
 good by increased production elsewhere, months and 
 perhaps years must elapse. 
 
 Then came the submarine, further to complicate 
 matters. By hundreds of thousands of tons the world's 
 shipping was sent to the bottom of the sea, so that in a 
 short time the food situation wore an entirely new 
 aspect. No matter what mountainous piles of proven- 
 der might accumulate in the distant parts of the earth, 
 it was not available for the nations at war. Ships 
 could not be spared for long and distant voyages. If 
 the 120,000,000 people of the Entente nations were to 
 have food, if they were to procure enough to keep them 
 from actual starvation, that food must come from the 
 nearest markets. Only by sending their ships back and 
 forth from these markets, back and forth like shuttles 
 in a loom, could food be transported rapidly enough 
 to keep this great population from starvation. Prior 
 to the war England had produced but one-fifth of her 
 own food supply, France one-half of hers, and Italy 
 two-thirds of what she consumed, and now their home 
 production was fearfully decreased. The nearest possible 
 markets where food could be produced were in North 
 America, and principally in our own country. Thus the 
 burden of feeding the Entente fell very largely upon the 
 United States. Whether we wished to undertake the 
 task or not, Fate had saddled the burden upon our backs. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 5 
 
 This fact, however, was not patent immediately. 
 At least it was glimpsed only by those of keen pene- 
 tration. In every country there were some accumulated 
 stores. These served to delay the approach of actual 
 hunger. Then came the year, 1916, which was, agri- 
 culturally, the most disastrous year the world has 
 known, in recent times. Crops failed everywhere. Eu- 
 ropean production decreased terribly. Our own fell 
 off by hundreds of millions of bushels. What was left 
 of accumulated surpluses was eaten up. The great 
 drain on our food resources wiped out our surpluses 
 also, for, in effect at least, we had pooled our food 
 resources with our fellows in Europe. Thus both 
 Europe and America found themselves living a hand- 
 to-mouth existence. 
 
 It was barely an existence, at that at least for our 
 allies in Europe. So terrible had the food shortage 
 there become that the daily rations had been cut to the 
 minimum that would sustain life and strength. The 
 peasant population of continental Europe, which means 
 a large part of the people, lives principally upon wheat 
 in one form or another. In France bread is literally 
 the staff of life, normally constituting 52 per cent, of 
 the Frenchman's food. Yet the French bread ration 
 was successively lowered until at one time it reached 
 seven ounces a day per capita. In Italy, the sale of 
 macaroni was entirely prohibited in certain districts, 
 and the bread ration was cut to eight ounces a day. 
 Hard-working laborers were allowed fifteen ounces. 
 In both of these countries even the bread ration of the 
 
6 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 soldier was sharply reduced a measure to which resort 
 is had only in situations of direst necessity. Indeed, 
 many well-informed persons attribute the disaster of 
 1917 on the Italian front to the lowering of morale con- 
 sequent upon the cutting of the bread ration. The 
 soldier well knew that if his food was cut his family 
 must be well-nigh starving to death. 
 
 All Europe had to resort to meatless days. French 
 milk production, as early as 1916, had fallen off sixty 
 per cent. Dairy products were so scarce in England 
 that cream could be secured only upon a physician's 
 certificate declaring it necessary to the health of the 
 recipient. Sugar consumption had to be rigidly re- 
 stricted. The English, who before the war were the 
 greatest users of sugar in the world, with an average 
 consumption of something like ninety-three pounds a 
 person a year, were restricted to twenty-six pounds per 
 annum, and this ration was later cut to twenty-four 
 pounds. The French were limited to thirteen pounds a 
 year, and the sugar ration of the Italian was drastically 
 cut to nine pounds a year. That is to say, persons of 
 these nationalities were allowed to buy the quantities 
 named when the foods were to be had, but often the food 
 was not to be had. There were entire districts in France, 
 for instance, where for days no bread at all was to be 
 obtained and not much else. The actual consumption, 
 therefore, was less than the ration allowed. Our own 
 consumption, too, was sharply reduced. Through meat- 
 less and wheatless days our use of wheat and flesh was 
 greatly lessened, while the high prices of butter, eggs, 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 7 
 
 milk and other foods very materially aided in cutting 
 consumption generally. 
 
 Lessened consumption, however, was not enough. 
 There had to be increased production. Obviously Eu- 
 rope could not raise any more food than it was raising. 
 Since America was the only country from which it was 
 possible for Europe to draw food, it became necessary 
 that we should enlarge our yields. The children of 
 Israel could not make bricks for Pharaoh without 
 straw; and when we attempted to create food for fam- 
 ishing Europe we experienced similar difficulty, though 
 our shortage was of man-power. For a decade or more 
 there had been a tremendous exodus from our farms. 
 Our farmers cried for help, but their cry went unheeded 
 until we found ourselves facing hunger. Then it was 
 too late. It would have been as easy to put Humpty 
 Dumpty together again as to bring back to the farm 
 the thousands of boys and men who had been lured 
 away by high wages in town and factory. How enor- 
 mous had been this exodus from the farms we cannot 
 tell accurately; but we know, from surveys made by the 
 state, that, a decade ago, Pennsylvania had 160,000 
 farm hands as against 80,000 in 1918; and that in New 
 York State in 1918 there were 45,000 fewer farm hands 
 than in 1917, and 40,000 fewer farm girls. Every agri- 
 cultural section of the nation was short-handed. When 
 the crisis came, when the production of more food was 
 absolutely imperative if the forces fighting for freedom 
 were not to be starved into surrender and submission, 
 our farms were found stripped of helpers. Our agri- 
 
8 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 cultural system, weighed in the balance, was found 
 wanting. The war drums which had called 3,000,000 
 men from the farms of France, had also created the lure 
 of high wages in munition plants, and further robbed 
 the farms of America. When the appeal went out to 
 our farmers to produce more food they replied in a 
 memorial to the President, that under existing con- 
 ditions the previous rate of production could hardly be 
 maintained, let alone increased a prophecy which later 
 proved true. 
 
 In the lexicon of the typical American there is no 
 such word as "cannot." Keen-eyed Americans who saw 
 the situation as it really was, decided that if the moun- 
 tain would not go to Mahomet, they would see that 
 Mahomet went to the mountain. The mountain in this 
 case was labor, and Mahomet the space necessary for 
 the production of food. These men, with that vision 
 without which the people perish, possessed imagination. 
 They saw little fountains of foodstuffs springing up 
 everywhere, and the products of these tiny fountains, 
 like rain-drops on a watershed, uniting to form rushing 
 streams which would fill the great reservoirs built for 
 their compounding. The tiny fountains were innumer- 
 able back-yard and vacant-lot gardens. The problem 
 was to create these fountains. 
 
 This could be accomplished only by the systematic 
 education of the people, the one hundred million people 
 of the United States. Such a huge educational cam- 
 paign could be carried out only through the customary 
 channels of publicity the daily press, the periodicals, 
 
f, ,: U.V - 
 
 ' * " .'-..'' 
 
 A .'. ' 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 9 
 
 the bulletin-boards, and other usual avenues. Oddly 
 enough, it is usually hardest to influence man for his 
 own benefit. The matter of home food production 
 was no exception to the rule. Before the people would 
 spring to the hoe, as they instinctively sprang to the 
 rifle, they had to be shown, and shown conclusively, 
 that the bearing of the one implement was as patriotic 
 a duty as the carrying of the other. Only persistent 
 publicity, only continual preachment, could convince 
 the public of that. Hence it was necessary that the 
 campaign of education be well-conducted and contin- 
 uous. This called for the creation of an organization 
 to back the movement and assure its standing. The 
 author, therefore, realizing the need of developing latent 
 resources of food supply, and after consultation with 
 other men who were eager to do their duty in the cir- 
 cumstances, conceived, and organized the Commission. 
 This organization consisted of Charles Lathrop 
 Pack, President, of New Jersey; Luther Burbank, 
 California; P. P. Claxton, United States Commissioner 
 of Education, Washington, D. C; Dr. Charles W. 
 Eliot, Massachusetts; Dr. Irving Fisher, Yale Univer- 
 sity, Connecticut; Fred H. GofT, Ohio; John Hays 
 Hammond, Massachusetts; Fairfax Harrison, Virginia; 
 Hon. Myron T. Herrick, Ohio; President John Grier 
 Hibben, Princeton University, New Jersey; Emerson 
 McMillin, New York; A. W. Shaw, Illinois; Mrs. John 
 Dickinson Sherman, chairman of the Conservation De- 
 partment of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, 
 Illinois; Capt. J. B. White, Missouri; Hon. James Wil- 
 
io THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 son, former Secretary of Agriculture, Iowa; Assistant 
 Secretary of Agriculture, Hon. Carl Vrooman, (for the 
 year 1917); P. S. Ridsdale, Executive Secretary, who 
 was also Executive Secretary of the American Forestry 
 Association, with the Conservation Department of 
 which the Commission was affiliated, and Norman C. 
 McLoud, Associate Secretary. 
 
 The sole aim of the National War Garden Commis- 
 sion was to arouse the patriots of America to the im- 
 portance of putting all idle land to work, to teach them 
 how to do it, and to educate them to conserve by can- 
 ning and drying all food they could not use while fresh. 
 The idea of the "city farmer" came into being. In 
 every part of the country were communities where 
 land and labor were already together, where it would 
 be necessary to move neither the mountain nor Maho- 
 met. Near every city were vacant lots, "slacker 
 lands, " as useless as the human loafer, to whom, per- 
 haps, Mahomet must be brought. Whether the land 
 to be cultivated was a back yard or a vacant lot, it was 
 a potential source of food supply, and the raising of food 
 on these areas would solve many problems besides that 
 of food production. Food raised by the householder 
 in his yard or a near-by lot, was "Food F. O. B. the 
 Kitchen Door. " There were no problems of transporta- 
 tion or distribution to be solved in such food production. 
 
 The creation of an army of soldiers of the soil pre- 
 sented much the same difficulties presented by the 
 creation of any other army. First of all there was the 
 matter of recruiting. This was a purely volunteer move- 
 
A VETERAN WAR GARDENER 
 
 There were hundreds of men and women throughout the United States who had passed the 
 
 three-score-and-ten mark who tilled and cared for their own garden plots. This is Lewis Hunt, 
 
 of Pearl River, New York, eighty-one years of age, who on his half-acre back yard raised a large 
 
 supply of vegetables, while his daughter canned the surplus for winter use. 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 11 
 
 ment and all recruits must come through voluntary 
 enlistment. Then it was necessary to point out the 
 importance of the work and to create enthusiasm for 
 gardening. Next, it was necessary to train the recruits. 
 Intelligent instruction had to be furnished, for many of 
 these new soldiers of the soil had never before handled 
 a hoe or a garden fork. As the campaign progressed 
 it was found that the best results could be obtained by 
 organizing communities. Hence it became necessary to 
 outline methods for community organization. So unex- 
 pectedly great was the response to the campaign that it 
 proved essential to turn attention to the matter of food 
 conservation, to the preservation of surplus products 
 which the garden campaign had brought into being. The 
 function of the Commission, therefore, was to awaken 
 interest in both food production and food conservation 
 and to provide instruction along each line of endeavor. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 THE STORY OF THE WAR GARDEN 
 
 How AMERICAN GARDENERS SOWED THE SEEDS OF VICTORY 
 
 WHILE 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 garden?ng 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 
 
 12 
 
WAR GARDENS 
 OVER THE TOP 
 
 The Seeds of Victory 
 Insure the Fruits o/Peao 
 
 Mtt^ .y~..<H-"~~ tirvv*?*' 
 
 Copyright, 1919, National War Garden Commission. 
 
 FOR FREE BOOKS WRITE TO NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION 
 
 WASHINGTON. D.C. 
 
 Charles LathropPack, President Percival S. Ridsdale, Secretary 
 
 A POSTER SPREADING THE IDEA OF MILITANT WAR GARDENS 
 

 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 13 
 
 needed by our army and which were practically the 
 only kinds of food that could be shipped to our allies. 
 Every pound of beef that could be saved through the 
 growing of food at home, it was realized, would bring 
 victory just so much nearer; and in fact, without food 
 conservation, there was positive danger that the Cen<- 
 tral Powers would be able to have their way. 
 
 The food shortage faced by Great Britain, France, 
 and Italy during the winter of 1917-18, the seriousness 
 of which was not realized by the people of this country 
 until long after the danger was passed, showed the 
 wisdom which led to the saving of every particle of 
 food. The ability of the United States to respond so 
 magnificently to the appeal of the late Lord Rhondda, 
 then Food Controller of Great Britain, for 75,000,000 
 additional bushels of wheat early in 1918, was made 
 possible in part by substituting in the dietary, war- 
 garden products for the customary commercial supplies. 
 
 Once embarked upon participation in the war it be- 
 came evident that this nation would need to exert every 
 ounce of her power in the prosecution of the conflict. 
 In various localities anti-loaf ing laws were speedily 
 enacted to put every man to work. Since food was 
 even more necessary than man-power, it was of still 
 greater importance to put to use every particle of 
 "slacker land" idle soil so located that it could be 
 worked. In our cities and towns, where the man- 
 power was available to cultivate these areas, were 
 thousands upon thousands of acres of idle real estate. 
 
 Few people realized the enormous aggregate acre- 
 
14 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 age thus standing useless. There was probably no 
 town in the United States that did not have within its 
 boundaries at least fifty acres of idle soil. In the larger 
 communities where garden space was needed most, the 
 aggregate area of vacant lots was astonishing. A survey 
 made in Minneapolis, shortly before the war began, 
 showed more than 5,000 acres in vacant lots. In 1917 
 a survey disclosed 186,000 vacant lots in greater New 
 York. ^ Altogether there were hundreds of thousands 
 of idle acres in or near our towns and cities the only 
 places where labor was available for working them; and 
 much of this land was suitable for gardening. It was of 
 the utmost importance, therefore, to place these areas 
 under cultivation. 
 
 In Great Britain steps had been taken very early in 
 the war to utilize similar open spaces for the production 
 of food. Parliament passed a law providing that any 
 untaxed land which was not being used for the produc- 
 tion of food might be taken over by the authorities and 
 parceled out to those who were able and willing to 
 rlise food. Millions of "Allotments," as they were 
 called, were asked for, and the production of vegetables 
 increased incredibly. Thus the British were able in 
 1918 to produce all the potatoes they needed, and even 
 to send a slight surplus to France. America possessed 
 vast areas, in the aggregate, of these idle lands; but 
 the importance of utilizing them for food production 
 had not been generally realized, until pointed out by 
 the Commission. .', : 
 
 " Put the slacker land to work " became a slogan of the 
 
WarGardensVictorious 
 
 Copyright, 1919, National War Garden Commission. 
 
 Every War Garden a PeacePlant- 
 
 Charles Lathrop Pack.President. 
 
 NATIONALWAR GARDEN COMMISSION 
 
 WASHINGTON, D.C. 
 A POSTER FOR 1919, SYMBOLIC OF VICTORY 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 15 
 
 National War Garden Commission; and in response to 
 its energetic campaign toward this end, the people in 
 1917 put to work more than 3,000,000 pieces of such 
 uncultivated territory. In 1918 they ferreted out addi- 
 tional vast areas. The total number of war gardens for 
 this latter season is conservatively estimated, after a 
 careful survey, at 5,285,000. 
 
 With war's destruction occurring to an undreamed 
 of and terrifying extent, involving the destruction of 
 all kinds of material wealth as well as food, it soon be- 
 came apparent that food shortage was only one of many 
 shortages the world was facing. Conservation of 
 everything became a crying need. The war garden 
 offered an opportunity for conservation along many 
 lines. First came the conservation of food itself. The 
 daily ration of a soldier in our army consists of about 
 four and a quarter pounds of food. A million soldiers 
 would require at least 4,250,000 pounds of food a day. 
 At this rate a year's supply of food for a million men 
 would weigh 1,551,250,000 pounds and we were plan- 
 ning to raise an army of four or five million men. To 
 take from the ordinary channels of trade the colossal 
 supplies necessary to feed such an army, with no extra 
 food to replace that thus subtracted, would mean that 
 householders would be forced to pay ruinously high 
 prices for the food that remained. War gardening 
 offered an opportunity to offset, in part, this tremen- 
 dous drain on our commercial supplies, to eke out those 
 supplies and make them go farther which is really 
 conservation in its truest sense. 
 
16 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 War gardening promised to make many other things 
 go farther. There was the matter of labor. There was 
 only so much labor in existence. As the primary 
 requisite of war, food would have the first call on labor, 
 although other things besides food were needed. Cannon 
 and shells and rifles and cartridges and uniforms and 
 innumerable other articles were demanded in incom- 
 prehensible quantities. After taking four or five mil- 
 lion men away from productive industry, obviously we 
 should not have sufficient man-power left to create all 
 that was needed of these various supplies. War gar- 
 dening, by adding to the food supply, released for work 
 on these lines men who otherwise would have been nec- 
 essary on the farms. In short, war gardening con- 
 served labor by making labor go farther. 
 
 The conservation, however, did not end with lessening 
 the number of men needed on the farms. Commercial 
 foods must pass through many hands before reach- 
 ing the consumer. They must go through the hands 
 of the farmer, the railroader, the wholesaler, the retailer, 
 the city deliveryman. For instance, a cabbage bought 
 in the market is handled by almost all the men enumer- 
 ated. A cabbage grown in the back yard is "Food F. 
 O. B. the Kitchen Door." No one needs to handle it 
 except the person who produces it for he or she is also 
 the one who eats it. Suppose that the average back- 
 yard garden produces only a hundred pounds of food, 
 which is a ridiculously small estimate, as a single 
 bushel of potatoes weighs sixty pounds. Based on 
 this the 5,285,000 war gardens of 1918 yielded at least 
 
What ate YOU doing? 
 
 THE KAISER niurnnn 
 
 i CANNED 
 
 "Write for Free Book to 
 
 NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION 
 
 WASHINGTON , D . C . 
 
 A POSTER WHICH WAS USED FIRST IN 1918 AND WHICH, AMENDED 
 FOLLOWING GERMANY'S DEFEAT WAS ALSO FORCEFUL IN 1919 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 17 
 
 528,285,000 pounds of food. Actually, as we shall see 
 later, the yield was many times as great. Yet the hand- 
 ling of that vast weight of provender called for hardly 
 a single public carrier of goods. The army of men 
 which otherwise would have been needed to transmit 
 this food from producer to consumer was thus released 
 for other essential labor. It probably would not be 
 possible to figure just how much was accomplished in 
 this manner by the war gardeners of the United States; 
 but it is safe to say that the men thus released for 
 other work numbered many thousands. 
 
 While this conservation of labor was being accom- 
 plished there was a concurrent saving in still another 
 way, through the release of thousands of freight-cars, 
 motor-trucks, and wagons, for purposes other than the 
 hauling of food. This saving, too, was most vital. At 
 a time when every freight-car in the country was ur- 
 gently needed for the hauling of raw materials to be 
 used in the manufacture of munitions of war, for the 
 transportation to the seacoast of finished products, and 
 for hauling lumber and supplies to cantonments and 
 army camps, it was essential that not one foot of freight 
 space should be wasted. War gardening released 
 thousands of cars for these essential needs. This saving, 
 it must be remembered, involved also the conservation 
 of coal and steam-power required in hauling, and pre- 
 vented, as well, a great amount of wear and tear on 
 railroad tracks and equipment. 
 
 To secure all these ends a campaign of education 
 was necessary. This campaign had to be extensive in 
 
1 8 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 range and intensive in method. As an educator of the 
 masses there is no power equal to the public press; and 
 from the start, the Commission, had the cordial cooper- 
 ation of the newspapers and periodicals of the en tire coun- 
 try. Inspiration and detailed instruction were furnished 
 through the columns of the daily newspapers. Articles 
 and feature stories which dealt with various phases of 
 war gardening and sought to stimulate the movement 
 to the utmost were also prepared and sent broadcast. 
 
 These appeals soon bore fruit. Requests for instruc- 
 tion in gardening and in the organization of community 
 gardening movements poured in from all sides. To 
 the requests the Commission responded with carefully 
 prepared pamphlets which gave the information de- 
 sired. In addition, representatives of the Commission 
 visited innumerable cities and towns to confer with the 
 local chambers of commerce or other organizations 
 which were directing gardening campaigns. As a re- 
 sult of this propaganda, war gardens sprang up as 
 though by magic. Gardening came to be the thing. 
 
 In order that all this enthusiasm might be trans- 
 muted into substantial accomplishment, it was neces- 
 sary that the army of would-be gardeners should have 
 instruction, for many of them had never before handled 
 a hoe or wielded a fork. Daily garden lessons were 
 prepared therefore for the daily press. These lessons 
 were short and simple, shorn of useless technicalities, 
 but carefully prepared by experts. They were lack- 
 ing in nothing essential. They gave the fundamentals of 
 good garden practice, which would enable even a be- 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 19 
 
 ginner to make a success of his endeavor. In addition 
 a book was printed explaining how to plant and care 
 for the different vegetables. A copy of this book was 
 free to any one upon request and several million copies 
 have been given away in response to requests. Many 
 copies were also distributed through the agency of libra- 
 ries, chambers of commerce, trade bodies, women's 
 clubs, banks, manufacturing concerns and the like. 
 Thousands of letters of appreciation prove how help- 
 ful were these books. 
 
 To encourage the conservation of garden products 
 canning and drying manuals were prepared and dis- 
 tributed through the same channels which had handled 
 the garden books, and daily lessons on canning and dry- 
 ing were sent to the newspapers for publication. The 
 results were most gratifying. Editors everywhere 
 devoted generous space to the articles sent them, in- 
 cluding news stories, technical matter on canning and 
 drying, and ample illustrations. Cartoonists, paragraph- 
 ers, and writers of comics also made gardening their 
 theme; and some of their productions the Commission 
 scattered broadcast, to keep alive the interest in home 
 food production and preservation. 
 
 Theprosepoem,sopopularthese days, was used to catch 
 the eye and arouse the interest of "city farmers. " Here 
 is. one, entitled "Let's Dig and Dig and We'll be Big:" 
 
 When I go down the village street in my perambu- 
 lations, most every other chap I meet is asking for 
 donations. They're seeking funds for Red Cross work, 
 for hospitals and motors; they're holding up with con- 
 
20 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 stant jerk, all wives and kids and voters. I'm helping 
 out from day to day, with no delays or pauses, tobacco 
 funds, Y. M. C. A. and other worthy causes. I'm told 
 that war bonds I must buy, in twos and fours and 
 dozens, enough to make a full supply for all my aunts 
 and cousins. For war stamps, too, those signs of thrift, 
 I dig into my pocket, to give my Uncle Sam a lift in 
 cleaning up his docket. I'm taxed for building wooden 
 ships with good, old-fashioned rigging, and in my little 
 daily trips I'm constantly kept digging. I dig to pay 
 tobacco tax, and tax for railway travel. I'm always 
 chipping from my stacks; they keep me scratching 
 gravel. But I've no kick for those who come with all 
 their pleas beguiling. It never makes me sad nor glum. 
 They always find me smiling. I know that I'm too old 
 to fight; I can't be caught renigging. So I regard it 
 just and right that I should keep on digging. And then 
 besides, it's proved to me that every man is bigger if 
 he will teach himself to be a willing war-time digger. 
 It's not enough for us to sing about the joy of giving. 
 We've got to dig for everything we need to keep on 
 living. We've got to dig in our back yards for carrots, 
 beans, and 'taters; we've got to dig both long and hard 
 as garden cultivators. So take your trusty hoe and 
 spade and start your spring-time sowing. Just dig and 
 get a garden made and set the foodstuff growing. 
 
 In order to catch the attention of the man in the 
 street, several striking posters were prepared by the 
 Commission and placed in conspicuous places in com- 
 munities in every part of the land. On bulletin-boards, 
 in railway stations, libraries, stores, at factory entrances, 
 and even in clubs, banks and commercial houses, these 
 striking posters met the eye. They were also repro- 
 
22 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 of the rapid growth of the war-garden movement was 
 the spread of the idea to foreign countries. Advice 
 was gladly given to foreign inquirers, the Commission 
 furnishing detailed information concerning the methods 
 which had resulted in such general enthusiasm for war 
 gardening in the United States. In response to numer- 
 ous requests which came to the Commission from all 
 parts of the world, large quantities of printed matter, 
 including garden and canning books, posters, and 
 pamphlets, were sent broadcast throughout the world. 
 
 " Kia Ora, " the Maori way of saying, " Salutations to 
 you all, " was the greeting which came to the Commis- 
 sion from far-off New Zealand, in a letter of thanks 
 from F. Carr Rollett, of the Auckland Herald, for data and 
 material that had been sent. From Buenos Aires, Argen- 
 tina, on the opposite side of the globe, C. D. Middle- 
 brook, of the Sociedad Anonima La Blanca, wrote a 
 hearty letter of appreciation for posters and other lit- 
 erature sent, saying that the posters were prominently 
 displayed on the occasion of the entertainment of two 
 hundred American bluejackets who visited this South 
 American capital. "Down here we appreciate this class 
 of propaganda," said Mr. Middlebrook, "and we are 
 in a position to exhibit the posters where they can 
 readily be seen by the public. Practically every Ameri- 
 can home and sympathizer displays them. We will do 
 our part in making this propaganda public." 
 
 From South and Central American countries, from 
 Cuba, India, China, Japan, the Philippines, Alaska, 
 Hawaii, South Africa, and from a number of European 
 
NO WONDER SHE SMILES 
 Thousands of men and women who had never before the war raised 
 
 YITfj-r-fi ii-tr-4- r. .**.. A 1* 1 3 * JT T~v . t -r-k - - _. &1OCU 
 
 Courtesy Minneapolis Journal. 
 
 a cabbage or a 
 
 , .. wuu .. ,. iiv ^ nctvj. iiv-vti uciuic i,iie war raisea a caDua&re or a ootc 
 were just as much p eased as is Miss Dorothy Primm, of Minneapolis, over the results of th 
 labor. 1 hey found that even amateurs could succeed. 
 
 )tato 
 icir 
 
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. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 HOW WAR GARDENS HELPED 
 
 EVERY GARDENER BECAME A SOLDIER OF THE SOIL 
 
 WHAT the "three R's" mean to preparation for 
 a life of peace, the three M's become in the 
 conduct of war. These three M's stand for 
 men, money and munitions. In its broadest sense, the 
 term munitions includes everything needed by an army, 
 and of all an army's needs the basic and most im- 
 portant is food. 
 
 The quantities of food required by our army are 
 huge. Dietitians estimate that the average man needs, 
 daily, food that will furnish 3,500 calories. The United 
 States army ration allows 4,700 calories to each man, 
 and the unusual exertions demanded of our soldiers make 
 it quite necessary that they have this generous allow- 
 ance of food. With less they might lack that abundant 
 supply of muscular and nervous energy upon which their 
 very lives depend. 
 
 Stated in terms of avoirdupois, the United States 
 army ration is slightly in excess of four and a quarter 
 pounds of food a man per diem. Four pounds of food 
 does not seem like a great quantity. It allows each 
 soldier twenty ounces of fresh beef a day, or its equiv- 
 alent in fresh mutton, bacon, fish, turkey or other 
 meat; eighteen ounces of flour or bread; twenty ounces 
 of potatoes with proportionate amounts of other vege- 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 25 
 
 tables; 3.2 ounces of sugar; 2.4 ounces of beans or 
 1.6 ounces of hominy or rice; and prunes, apples, 
 peaches, jam, milk, coffee, butter, and so forth, in 
 smaller quantities. 
 
 When these amounts are multiplied by a million, the 
 total bulks as huge as the Rockies. It means 4,250,000 
 pounds of food daily, for seven days a week, and for 
 fifty-two weeks each year. To feed an army of 1,000,000 
 men for one month, according to the quartermaster's 
 department of the United States army, there are re- 
 quired 973,000 pounds of butter, 1,000,000 cans of 
 corned beef, 1,000,000 cans of corned-beef hash, 
 2,000,000 cans of beef, 2,400,000 pounds of coffee, 
 3,000,000 pounds of sugar, 6,000,000 pounds of bacon, 
 23,000,000 pounds of frozen beef, 37,500,000 pounds 
 of flour, and other articles in proportion. 
 
 As the United States raised an army of 4,000,000 
 men, the quantity of food that had to be provided was 
 four times as great as the amounts named or 3,892,000 
 pounds of butter, 4,000,000 cans of corned beef, 4,000,- 
 ooo cans of corned-beef hash, 8,000,000 cans of beef, 
 9,600,000 pounds of coffee, 12,000,000 pounds of sugar, 
 24,000,000 pounds of bacon, 92,000,000 pounds of 
 frozen beef, and 150,000,000 pounds of flour, not to 
 mention the "and so forths." This huge total sufficed 
 to feed our completed army for one month only. 
 
 A year's supply for this completed army required, 
 in round numbers, 46,704,000 pounds of butter, 48,000,- 
 ooo cans of corned beef, 48,000,000 cans of corned- 
 beef hash, 96,000,000 cans of beef, 115,200,000 pounds 
 
26 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 of coffee, 144,000,000 pounds of sugar, 288,000,000 
 pounds of bacon, 1,104,000,000 pounds of frozen beef, 
 and 1,800,000,000 pounds of flour. 
 
 So huge are these figures that to the average person 
 they are meaningless, but that these army demands 
 constituted a terrific drain on our commercial food 
 supplies was evident to everybody. Practically all of 
 this food was food diverted from its accustomed chan- 
 nels. Not an ounce of it went to the feeding of the 
 civilian population which formerly had practically all 
 of it. At the same time, if our allies were to be saved 
 from utter collapse through hunger, and our own 
 country saved from the plight of having to carry on 
 the war single-handed and alone, it was essential that 
 greater quantities of food be sent to Europe than Amer- 
 ica had ever before exported. After the war ended, and 
 it became necessary, in some measure, to provide for 
 the population of the enemy countries, still larger de- 
 mands for food for export were to be expected. The 
 very causes that had produced these conditions had, 
 as we have seen, so stripped the farms of men that a 
 food production commensurate with the needs of the 
 situation was an impossibility. 
 
 "Those who cultivated the soil could hardly do 
 more than they were doing," said Luther Burbank, a 
 member of the National War Garden Commission, in 
 speaking of the matter. "It was becoming evident 
 that food, which before had been taken as a matter of 
 course, was in reality the foundation of all life, all know- 
 ledge, all progress. What could be done? It became 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 27 
 
 necessary to conserve carefully what already had been 
 produced, and then produce more. Agriculture and 
 horticulture had not generally been taught in the schools ; 
 the old hit-or-miss plan of farming was all too common; 
 the home garden was neglected and the school garden 
 a novelty. To the call both to conservation and to 
 increased production, the American people have re- 
 sponded nobly. How quickly they have changed 
 their attitude, how splendidly they have made good 
 by adapting themselves to the new conditions! When 
 the war garden movement was started, the problem of 
 food production was on the way to be solved." 
 
 Here, then, was the all-impelling, the all-important 
 reason back of the home food production movement. 
 This was the outstanding motive above all others which 
 made the war garden a thing not only to be desired 
 but actually to be demanded. Our allies and the neu- 
 trals, as far as possible, as well as our own people and 
 our army, must be fed : this was the cry from the 
 tower-top, this the call of hungry peoples which had 
 to be answered. Our task was Herculean! 
 
 There was one great difficulty in the road to accom- 
 plishment: the problem of common psychology. It is 
 recorded that when God called Moses to lead his fellows 
 forth from Egypt, Moses replied: "Who am I, that 
 I should go unto Pharoah, and that I should bring 
 forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" Even so 
 did the average American regard the appeal made to 
 him to raise food and save the world from starvation. 
 The difficulty was that the average American, like the 
 
28 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 deliverer of Israel, lacked imagination. He could not 
 visualize the collective contributions of millions of back-t 
 yard and vacant-lot gardens. He was like the little girl, 
 who, when asked to save a slice of bread to help feed 
 the army, replied: "Papa, I don't see any reason why I 
 should save a slice of bread. It can't feed an army." 
 Her father took her down to the harbor in New York 
 City and showed her a great transport at the wharf, 
 waiting for food to carry to Europe. He then told her 
 that if every little schoolgirl in the United States saved 
 a slice of bread a day, their combined savings would 
 fill eight large transports every week. Her blue eyes 
 opened wide as the great truth flashed upon her, and 
 after that she didn't want to eat anything at all. 
 
 In his nursery days, the average American had 
 learned that 
 
 Little drops of water, little grains of sand, 
 Make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land. 
 
 Unfortunately, however, that infantile lesson had 
 been put away with other childish things when he be- 
 came a man. The task the National War Garden Com- 
 mission set itself was to make the average American 
 feel the full truth, the actual force, of that childhood 
 jingle. The truth the truth that was to set us free 
 was striking enough. Among the garden records of the 
 National War Garden Commission is the story of a cer- 
 tain garden in Pennsylvania, which was very much like 
 other American back-yard gardens in many respects. 
 
IN AN ITALIAN GARDEN 
 
 In New Haven, Connecticut, the side lawn of a handsome home was converted into a food 
 plot. In addition to growing a lot of vegetables, so delighted was the owner that she said 
 never again would her family be without the pleasure which this experience had given them. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 29 
 
 In size it was 40x40 feet. The gardener kept a careful 
 record during one entire year of the quantities of food 
 produced in that garden. His figures are as follows: 
 
 Beets 25 bunches Cucumbers 100 
 
 Carrots 2 pecks Celery 450 stalks 
 
 Radishes 15 bunches Rhubarb 10 bunches 
 
 Rutabagas -64 Scallions 12 bunches 
 
 Early peas 32 quarts (pods) Parsley used freely 
 
 Potatoes 7 pecks Dried beans for winter use 20 quarts 
 
 Cabbage 20 heads Peaches, from two trees in corner of 
 Cauliflower 14 heads garden 7 baskets 
 
 Tomatoes 6 baskets Lettuce equivalent of 60 heads 
 
 Bunch beans 2> pecks Horseradish all desired 
 
 Telephone peas 40 quarts (pods) Onion sets 3 quarts 
 
 Peppers 9 dozen Onions dried ^ bushel 
 Pole beans 108 quarts 
 
 If this production, such as could be had from any 
 ordinary back-yard garden with good soil, were reduced 
 to pounds and ounces, it would be found that this one 
 yard had yielded considerably more than half a ton of 
 foodstuffs. It is reckoned that there are more than 
 20,000,000 families in the United States. If every 
 family could have a garden, and each garden could 
 yield half a ton of food, the total annual produc- 
 tion would aggregate 10,000,000 tons, or almost twice 
 as much in weight as we normally shipped to Europe 
 in a year in pre-war days. Of course it was not pos- 
 sible for each of our 20,000,000 families to have a gar- 
 den, but with 45 per cent, of our people living in the 
 country or in small towns, and with such vast areas 
 of vacant lots in the larger cities, it would be entirely 
 possible to have 10,000,000 war gardens. These gar- 
 dens, could they produce at the rate of this Pennsyl- 
 vania garden, would yearly supply in weight as much 
 food as before the war we annually shipped to Europe. 
 
30 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 Such were the possibilities of garden production that 
 stimulated the National War Garden Commission to 
 maximum effort. 
 
 Of course, garden food does not possess, pound for 
 pound, anything like the food value of the concentrated 
 foods sent to our allies and to our armies, but garden 
 food is provender, and it is wholesome food. Peas and 
 beans are great meat-conservers ; potatoes, both sweet 
 and white, important cereal-savers; and a little larger 
 bulk of many garden products, such as potatoes, will 
 take the place of a smaller quantity of meat or other 
 concentrated foods. To figure out the exact food val- 
 ues of the total products that might be raised in our 
 gardens is of course both impossible and unnecessary. 
 The point is that millions of pounds of food could be 
 produced right in our own yards and in neighboring 
 vacant lots and that by eating these foods we should so 
 lessen the demand on our commercial supplies that 
 these would be sufficient to meet the heavy demands 
 upon them. 
 
 To reach the entire population of the United States, 
 to convince one hundred million people of the necessity 
 of gardening, and to convince them to the point of 
 action, was such a colossal task that the Commission 
 hardly dared to hope for the creation of more than one 
 million war gardens during the first year of its activ- 
 ities. Yet the estimated total was in excess of 3,000,000; 
 and in 1918 a very careful canvass set the number of 
 such gardens at 5,285,000. 
 
 What these war gardens actually accomplished to- 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 31 
 
 ward feeding the army was shown by a careful estimate 
 as to the amount of food which they added to the 
 nation's larder. This was reckoned in 1918 as having 
 a value of $525,000,000. Taking into consideration 
 equivalent food values, it was figured on a conserva- 
 tive basis that our 1918 war gardens grew food equal 
 in body-building power to the meat ration required by 
 an army of 1,000,000 men for 302 days; the bread 
 ration for 248 days; or the entire ration for 142 days. 
 This wonderful saving of commercial supplies made the 
 war-garden movement eminently worth while from 
 this standpoint alone. 
 
 Munitions represent only one of the three M's. 
 Money is another. Money makes the army as well as 
 the mare go. The value produced by home gardeners 
 went far to meet the increasing demands for money due 
 to the war. To realize the wonderful financial possi- 
 bilities of war gardening is almost as difficult as to 
 grasp the possibilities of food production. The prod- 
 ucts of the little Pennsylvania garden already referred 
 to were worth, according to the records of the gardener, 
 $63.50. That valuation was made at pre-war prices. 
 The same products, in 1918, would have been worth 
 probably half as much again, or close to $100.00. Even 
 if its products were worth only $50.00 that sum would 
 have enabled the gardener to buy, with the money 
 saved by gardening, a Liberty Bond. 
 
 Suppose all our war gardens averaged as well, what 
 would be the result? The 5,285,000 gardens of 1918 
 would have yielded $264,250,000. Actually, the re*- 
 
32 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 suits were almost do'uble that figure, the estimated 
 value of our war-garden crops for 1918 having been 
 $525,000,000! A half billion dollars! Enough to cover 
 the expenses of the Red Cross, the Y. M. C. A., and all 
 other similar war-work agencies for a long time; or to 
 build 500 great ships; or to pay for one-twelfth of the 
 fourth Liberty Loan issue! 
 
 In thousands of cases his war garden meant to its 
 owner the difference between ability and inability to 
 subscribe to a war loan. There were more than 21,000,- 
 ooo subscribers to the fourth Liberty Loan. The esti- 
 mate of war-garden production means that the money 
 saved through war gardening enabled at least one- 
 fourth of these subscribers to become holders of their 
 country's war-purpose bonds. 
 
 Of the three M's there yet remains the third men. 
 Just as money saved through gardening can be used 
 for the purchase of bonds instead of food, so labor saved 
 in one field can be shifted to another. Specifically, men 
 released from food handling were free for service else- 
 where. And the name of the men so released through 
 war gardening is legion. The products of the little 
 Pennsylvania garden already discussed, weighed in 
 excess of half a ton. Had these products not been 
 raised at home, it would have been necessary to bring 
 their equivalent to the gardener's home. He has a 
 family of three. Families of three do not buy food in 
 half-ton lots seldom even in one-hundred-pound lots. 
 To put an equivalent amount of food in his home, there- 
 fore, would have required many trips on the part of a 
 
MEDAL IN COMMEMORATION OF THE WAR GARDEN 
 In recognition of the war time service of the War Garden a commemora- 
 tive medal was struck by the National War Garden Commission for 
 presentation to the rulers of the United States, England, France, Belgium 
 and Italy. The illustration at the top of this page shows the obverse 
 of this medal. The lower picture is a reproduction of the reverse. 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 33 
 
 deliveryman, certainly not less than twenty-five. If 
 every war gardener who made enough out of his garden 
 to buy a Liberty Bond also saved his deliveryman 
 twenty-five trips, the total saving of labor was enor- 
 mous. The number of persons employed, before the 
 war, solely to wait on other persons, was beyond belief. 
 Soon after the United States entered the war, merchants 
 began to face a readjustment of their business. It was 
 estimated that in New York City alone simplification of 
 delivery and clerk systems would release 100,000 men 
 for service in the army. In the aggregate, war gardening 
 aided to an incredible extent in this readjustment. 
 
 Nor are these all the benefits conferred by war gar- 
 dening. Nothing is more essential to success in war 
 than the creation and maintenance of an ardent patriotic 
 spirit. War gardening fostered this spirit by enabling 
 so many individuals not actually in the army to do some- 
 thing tangible in the struggle. Millions of patriots joined 
 the army of the soil because of their deep love for their 
 country, and their desire to help in the hour of need. 
 
 Many of the slogans sent ringing throughout the 
 country by the Commission breathed the spirit of 
 America and of democracy. That spirit spoke from the 
 Commission's posters and other matter. War garden- 
 ers were called on by the beautiful figure of Liberty to 
 "Sow the Seeds of Victory." Another slogan, a clever 
 paraphrase on the title of a famous song, told them to 
 " Keep the Home Soil Turning. " West Virginia started 
 the message: "Food Must Follow the Flag," which 
 became a household word throughout the United 
 
34 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 States. The Marion (Indiana) War Garden Associa- 
 tion placed it squarely up to the home food producers 
 in this fashion: "Earn the Right to Stay at Home 
 Plant a Garden. " The honored title of "Soldier of 
 the Soil" gave the home tiller the feeling that he, too, 
 was performing a service for his country although he 
 was not wearing the uniform; and when he was informed 
 that "Every Garden is a Munition Plant" he knew 
 that he was helping the boys over there to fight their 
 battles, for "The Seeds of Victory Insure the Fruits of 
 Peace." The patriotic spirit is contagious and the war 
 gardener helped mightily to spread it. 
 
 Of especial value to the nation in its days of need was 
 the habit of thrift engendered and built up into a com- 
 mon trait by home gardening. Before the war, it is esti- 
 mated, there were only 300,000 bond-buyers in the 
 United States. More than 21,000,000 people subscribed 
 to the fourth Liberty Loan. The significance of that 
 fact is splendidly summed up in a single sentence by 
 Fred H. Goff, president of the Cleveland Trust Com- 
 pany and a member of the National War Garden Com- 
 mission. "A nation that saves," says he, "is a nation 
 saved. " Truly, war gardening is as full of hidden bless- 
 ings as the widow's cruse was of oil. 
 
WE HAVE A 
 
 War G arden 
 
 National War Garden 
 Commission 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 THE WAR GARDENER'S BOAST 
 
 To war gardeners throughout the United States the National War Garden Commission furnished 
 
 window hangers, printed in green to symbolize growing vegetation. These were proudly 
 
 displayed in the front windows of several million homes. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 TYPES OF WAR GARDENS 
 
 How DIFFERENT PEOPLE PLANNED TO PLANT AND WIN THE WAR 
 
 ON plaster and ash-filled ground only a few feet 
 above the rumbling subway in New York City 
 was a war garden. From this little vegetable 
 plot in Bryant Park, where land is valued at some- 
 thing like $20,000 a square foot, to the tiny garden 
 along the railroad right of way near the tops of the 
 White Mountains, is a far, far cry. Yet both spots had 
 their war gardens. The one in Bryant Park was a 
 demonstration garden, started solely for educational 
 purposes. Here representatives of the National War 
 Garden Commission preached the gospel of gardening 
 and freely gave helpful advice and garden primers to 
 passing inquirers. On the other hand the tiny garden 
 on the cloud-capped slope of the White Mountains was 
 wholly utilitarian. A patriotic hand had planted it, 
 and loving fingers tended it, in the hope that it would 
 bring forth, perhaps, a few dollars' worth of food; in 
 the belief that its product would lessen, though ever 
 so little, the pressure on our commercial food supplies, 
 from which alone our allies could draw sustenance. 
 
 The same spirit of helpfulness, of readiness to "do 
 one's bit" animated countless other Americans. So 
 the war garden was found in tiny clearings beside the 
 
 35 
 
36 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 logging camps of Louisiana, in irrigated plots among 
 the arid sands of New Mexico, in the rugged iron lands 
 of Minnesota, and on the open, fertile stretches of 
 
 the Middle West. Even 
 the lighthouse-keeper at 
 Santa Cruz, California, 
 planted a little garden 
 under the shadow of his 
 protecting shaft. From 
 coast to coast, and from 
 lake to gulf, little areas 
 that had been barren as 
 the desert suddenly blos- 
 
 Victory gardens produce dollars somed like the TOSC. Be- 
 
 hind each of these innumerable gardens was a heart 
 animated by the desire to serve God and country. 
 
 When the National 
 War Garden Commission 
 sent forth the slogan 
 "Plan to Plant and Win 
 the War," the majority 
 of gardens started in re- 
 sponse were of the indi- 
 vidual type. Like stars 
 in a mighty flag, they dot- 
 ted the rolling landscape 
 from ocean to ocean. 
 There were few town and village homes that did not have 
 some space available for war gardening. Even in densely 
 populated cities, a goodly proportion of the inhabi- 
 
 There is no distinctive type of victory 
 gardener 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 37 
 
 tants each had at command at least a few square feet 
 that could be cultivated. And urban dwellers by the 
 hundred thousands found vacant lots near their homes 
 which could be utilized for food production. This great 
 host of individuals, each working like his fellows for a 
 common purpose, carried 
 on what, in the aggre- 
 gate, was a vast farming 
 operation. 
 
 In no previous war did 
 women play so great a 
 part as they did in the 
 world war. Not only did 
 hosts of them make mu- 
 nitions in factories, but 
 
 Other hosts joined the Draw on your back-yard type of bank 
 
 men in the production of that other sort of munitions 
 the kind that grows in gardens. With the women who 
 served as nurses, ambulance drivers, canteen helpers, 
 and munition makers, should also be ranked the women 
 gardeners. In thousands of instances- women gardeners 
 cultivated entirely, even to the extent of doing the dig- 
 ging, the home food plot, while in thousands of other 
 instances they shared with the men the task of caring 
 for the war gardens. 
 
 Thousands of letters have come to the National War 
 Garden Commission from women gardeners. In order 
 that the fine service rendered by such women may not 
 be forgotten, some of these communications are in- 
 cluded in this record. A letter from Mrs. T. J. Ulery, 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 of Seattle, Washington, whose husband wore his 
 country's uniform, well shows the spirit that animated 
 these women gardeners: 
 
 "Thanks for the war vegetable gardening booklet 
 you sent me in the spring," she says. "My husband is 
 in the navy and I have two small babies, but that did 
 
 not keep me from raising 
 a garden. We have a 
 plot fifty by two hundred 
 feet, and every inch is in 
 something. I wish you 
 could see it. I weigh 
 ninety-eight pounds but I 
 am going to do my bit. 
 Now I wish you would 
 send me your home can- 
 
 This type of green goods will cure the blues ning and drying book." 
 
 From Mrs.G.P.Dutcher, of Arlington, Massachusetts, 
 came this other typical communication : " I was seventy- 
 eight years old on March thirty-first. I expect to raise 
 what beans I need for a family of three for the next 
 year. I did it last year and did all my own planting." 
 
 We see the significance and worth of this woman's 
 service when we realize that a day's rations for one 
 million United States soldiers includes 75,000 pounds 
 of beans, and that we raised an army of approximately 
 four million men! This enormous demand for beans 
 had to be met from commercial supplies that could 
 be increased, because of labor shortage, only slightly 
 above the pre-war production. So we had the army 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 39 
 
 ffat 
 
 An office type of victory garden 
 
 bidding against the civilian population, with the result- 
 ant tremendous increase in price. Assuredly this old lady 
 was doing her share toward remedying the situation. 
 And that is exactly what 
 was done by the cultiva- 
 tor of every war garden. 
 Few of the women gar- 
 deners had reached their 
 allotted three score years 
 and ten. Most of our 
 women gardeners were 
 younger, and among these 
 younger women soldiers 
 of the soil none performed 
 a more interesting or val- 
 uable service than the eight school teachers and office 
 workers who ventured, like the pioneers of old, into a new 
 
 country, blazing the way 
 for those who should come 
 after them. Their chosen 
 field of garden effort was 
 the raising of vegetables 
 for a summer hotel. 
 
 Up at the Dixville 
 Notch, in the White 
 Mountains in northern 
 New Hampshire, is a mag- 
 
 Suit your type of garden to your job nificent Summer hotel, 
 
 The Balsams. It was customary to ship in from a 
 considerable distance the bulk of its vegetable supply. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 Where there's a will there's a victory 
 garden type 
 
 Last summer the eight young women referred to culti- 
 vated a three-acre garden at Dixville Notch, on the 
 property of the hotel corporation. They lived in one 
 
 of the company's attrac- 
 tive little houses which 
 looks out over a great ex- 
 panse of country. From 
 Brooklyn, New York, 
 Lakewood, New Jersey, 
 Rockland, Maine, and 
 Keene, New Hampshire, 
 came these young women 
 farmers. They were farm- 
 ers in more than name; 
 for in addition to culti- 
 vating their large vegetable garden, they found time to 
 assist the neighboring men farmers in making hay, culti- 
 vating potatoes, and per- 
 forming other farm labor. 
 The desire to serve, not 
 the wish to have a good 
 time, led these young 
 women to engage in this 
 work; and so successfully 
 did they perform their 
 tasks that the hotel man- 
 agement promptly ar- 
 ranged tO Continue and Put your heart into your own 
 
 expand the work in future years. Thus, in addition to 
 upbuilding themselves physically in the most gratify- 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 ing way, these young women opened the way for 
 others of their sex to perform service at once essential 
 and useful. How useful may be judged when we rea- 
 lize that but for their work it would have been neces- 
 sary to haul hundreds of bushels of garden-stuff long 
 distances over the steep mountain grades. The car- 
 space and fuel thus saved 
 were applied to the haul- 
 ing of shells and cannon 
 and other supplies that 
 our soldiers so much 
 needed. If "they also 
 serve who only stand and 
 wait," how much greater 
 is the service of those 
 who labor while they wait. 
 
 Since the labor of these Evei y ^P e can have smooth sailin s 
 young women marks a new phase of food production, 
 in this country, a phase that is certain to appeal more 
 and more to tired school teachers, clerks, and other in- 
 door workers, it may not be amiss to tell in detail of 
 the life of these girls at Dixville Notch. 
 
 Their home was in a cozy little cottage, from the 
 windows of which one could look off in any direction 
 on most beautiful mountain scenery. It was situated 
 only a few miles south of the Canadian border, in a 
 region whose towering mountains are pine-clad and 
 gemmed with clear, cool lakes and embroidered with 
 foaming mountain brooks. The girls received regular 
 monthly wages from the hotel, but provided their own 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 meals, with the privilege, however, of purchasing supplies 
 from the hotel at favorable rates. Two at a time they 
 kept house, while the other six looked after the gardens. 
 None of these girls had had any previous experience 
 worth mentioning in the cultivation of the soil. Yet 
 they made very rapid progress in the art of gardening. 
 
 Their success was un- 
 doubtedly due to the fact 
 that they stuck to a few 
 staple crops and did not 
 attempt too diversified 
 gardening. They raised 
 peas, lettuce, radishes, 
 carrots, beans, and other 
 common vegetables. Upon 
 beginning their work they 
 
 A type of victory garden to brag about received instructions f rom 
 
 the hotel farmer, Henry Bemis, who looks after some 
 of the larger tracts of land owned by the hotel manage- 
 ment, which are given over almost exclusively to the 
 raising of hay for the dairies. Such instruction was 
 not long necessary, however, as the young women 
 farmers speedily acquired considerable skill. 
 
 Even gardening and haying did not occupy all their 
 time. One rainy day, when no gardening could be done 
 they went to a neighboring farm where there were 
 several thousand bushels of potatoes which had begun 
 to sprout. The visitors started " sprouting" with a 
 will and at the end of the day had averaged twenty- 
 five bushels each. They were told that ten bushels had 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 43 
 
 always been regarded as a fair day's "sprout." They 
 continued at this task until the entire lot of potatoes 
 was finished. Then they assisted other farmers whose 
 potatoes were sprouting; 
 for labor had become as 
 scarce on New Hamp- 
 shire farms as it was on 
 farms everywhere else. 
 
 Thus these women not 
 only blazed a trail for 
 their sisters, but proved 
 what thousands of other 
 women are proving in in- 
 dustry that Woman not The community type of victory garden 
 
 only is not an inferior workman, but that her nervous 
 make-up enables her to work faster than man. These 
 
 ^ women gardeners did their 
 **1 share in the fight for free- 
 -^ ^ dom not merely that poli- 
 tical equality forwhich men 
 and women struggled on 
 the fields of Europe, but 
 that greater freedom, hu- 
 man equality. Even to 
 that cause has the war gar- 
 den contributed materially. 
 If the work of these 
 young women proved anything, it was that in union 
 there is strength. The strength that comes from union 
 it was found advantageous to utilize in many another 
 
 The sun shines for all types of garden 
 
44 
 
 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 war garden, by operating it on the community plan. 
 Instead of allowing each gardener to till his own land, 
 it was better, where possible, to have a large area prop- 
 erly plowed and har- 
 rowed and then allow the 
 gardener to care for his 
 individual plot. The ad- 
 vantages of such com- 
 munity action proved 
 great. The land was 
 
 y (flj[ uniformly and properly 
 'Kj-jy^Q 3 m3r prepared and at small 
 
 expense. Community 
 
 ic crowded city has many types gardening made for both 
 
 better gardens and better communities, for the spirit of 
 emulation at once led each gardener to do his best, while 
 common toil for a com- 
 mon end made for better 
 understanding and better 
 acquaintanceship; and 
 sympathetic understand- 
 ing is the rock upon which 
 democracy is founded. 
 
 Much of the gardening 
 done by employes of facto- 
 ries and business houses 
 was of the community sort. The well - worked ^ e involves no doubt 
 Unused tracts of land lying near mill or shop, and not 
 needed for business purposes, were divided among em- 
 ployes for gardening, after being properly plowed and 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 45 
 
 harrowed. Often it happened that the land available 
 would not accommodate all the men applying for plots, 
 and in such cases employers frequently leased additional 
 near-by lands and turned them over to their employes. 
 The mutual interests so engendered created a more 
 friendly feeling of cooperation not only among the men 
 themselves, but also between the management and the 
 employes. This was particularly true where, as hap- 
 pened in many cases, the heads of large concerns be- 
 came fellow-gardeners with their employes. Burns has 
 told us the secret of democracy in a single sentence: 
 "A man's a man for a' that!" When men get together 
 and work together for a common end, they learn the 
 fundamental lesson of democracy. Thus the commu- 
 nity war gardening which sprang up in so many parts 
 of the land accomplished more, far more, than the pro- 
 duction of so much provender, useful as that strictly 
 utilitarian end undoubtedly was. Unquestionably, 
 community gardening will continue. It will be the 
 peace-time descendant of the war garden. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 UNCLE SAM'S FIRST WAR GARDEN 
 
 HOW THE BOYS AT CAMP DlX WENT OVER THE To? 
 
 WITH the mention of the word "war" there im- 
 mediately flashes across the mind a vision of 
 long lines of soldiers marching through streets 
 crowded with flag-waving civilians; or of those same 
 long lines drilling, wheeling, and maneuvering on the 
 camp parade-ground; or of stern-taced fighters with 
 bayonets fixed charging across a smoke-clouded field 
 toward the enemy's positions. It was most appropriate 
 and fitting, therefore, that the term "war garden" 
 should come to be associated with actual soldiers. 
 
 It was at Camp Dix, New Jersey, that the first sure- 
 enough war garden was planted. At that big army 
 cantonment there was begun the first big undertaking 
 in the United States whereby the American army 
 started to help feed itself. 
 
 Early in the spring of 1918 the National War Garden 
 Commission, cooperating with the conservation and 
 reclamation division of the Quartermaster-General's 
 office, effected the plans which promptly led to the plant- 
 ing of a four-hundred-acre war garden at Camp Dix, 
 that city of 48,000 or more soldiers where men were 
 being prepared for overseas duty. This was a demon- 
 stration garden which was not only the largest but also 
 
 the most picturesque the country had seen. It was not 
 4 6 
 
>-v > ; v ;,v: 
 4 ^'A 
 
 I I 
 

 
[E WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 47 
 
 only great in size, but in the consequences that were 
 to come from it. This important innovation in methods 
 of supplying the quartermaster's store with part of the 
 food needed, not only had the backing of the officers in 
 charge, but also received the hearty commendation of 
 the Secretary of War. It proved of value in many ways. 
 
 At practically all the army camps, there were con- 
 siderable amounts of land not required for actual mil- 
 itary purposes. These plots varied from a few hundred 
 to several thousand acres. There was, however, no 
 fund available under the War Department or army 
 appropriations which could be used for the purpose of 
 placing this land under cultivation and carrying on 
 the work. 
 
 At Camp Dix there were 400 acres inside the reser- 
 vation which could be immediately utilized for food 
 production. Colctoel J. S. Fair, assistant to the Acting 
 Quatermaster-General, and head of the conservation 
 and reclamation division, helped to work out and gave 
 his active support to the plan of planting a garden at 
 this place. When it was found that the land could be 
 used and that Lieutenant-Colonel Edmond Tompkins, 
 then Camp Quartermaster, had the men available, the 
 National War Garden Commission secured nine big 
 motor-trucks and rushed over from Philadelphia, thirty 
 miles distant, thirty plows and other garden tools, 
 seeds, fertilizer, and other needed material. The final 
 arrangements were completed on one day, and on the 
 following day the supplies were on hand. 
 
 The Commission's demonstration war garden at 
 
48 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 Camp Dix was a success from the start. It furnished an 
 inspiration and gave impetus to the work all over the 
 United States; and soon similar plots growing "Food 
 F. O. B. the Mess Tent Door" were under way in a 
 number of other camps. Thousands of war gardeners 
 redoubled their efforts because of the knowledge that the 
 men in the American army were doing similar patriotic 
 work. "Over the Top with the Boys at Camp Dix!" 
 became a new slogan which aroused genuine enthusi- 
 asm and put new spirit into the back-yard and vacant- 
 lot tillage. 
 
 After the Commission had provided the means for 
 starting the project, Lieutenant-Colonel Tompkins 
 placed it in the hands of Captain E. V. Champlin, con- 
 servation and reclamation Offficer of the camp, and the 
 latter selected as farm officer Lieutenant John F. Bon- 
 ner, an energetic young officer who was a graduate of 
 an agricultural college and who had also enjoyed a 
 practical farming experience. 
 
 Major-General Hugh L. Scott, commanding officer 
 at Camp Dix, took a keen personal interest in the proj- 
 ect. He made several trips of inspection over the 
 gardens, accompanied on two of these occasions by 
 Mrs. Scott, to see how the work was progressing and 
 to encourage the young officers in charge. He expressed 
 his appreciation to Captain Champlin and to Lieutenant 
 Bonner, actively in charge of the farm enterprise, 
 and to their assistants, for the excellent results they 
 were obtaining. His interest caused the boys to work 
 with an added will. 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 49 
 
 One hundred and forty acres were planted to pota- 
 toes, both early and late varieties; seventy acres to 
 beans; forty to corn; twelve to beets; twelve to onions; 
 eight to cucumbers; five to tomatoes; one to cabbage; 
 and other areas to a variety of vegetables. The land 
 on which the camp was located had been farms, on 
 which there were a number of orchards. These were 
 cared for and the fruit gathered. In addition, about 
 three hundred tons of hay were harvested. The garden 
 even included an acre of broom-corn, which the supply 
 officer in charge of purchasing brooms figured saved 
 many a dollar. The boys, however, maintained that 
 their reward from this particular corner of the garden 
 came from the help rendered in " sweeping on to Berlin." 
 
 Aside from the food produced, the Camp Dix war 
 garden was of benefit in other ways. It afforded healthful 
 outdoor work for convalescents and other men who 
 were not physically fit for active military training, 
 but who after a few weeks or months of this exercise 
 were able to go back into the fighting ranks. Colonel 
 F. B. Beauchamp, inspector of the southern command 
 of the British army, who had come to the United 
 States on a tour of inspection of the camps here, pointed 
 out what this form of work was accomplishing for many 
 men in the British army, and how thousands of them 
 were being so benefited by the regular living in the 
 camps and the life in the open that they were able to 
 return to service on the battle-field. 
 
 In addition to using convalescents and men not 
 physically capable of service overseas the camp garden 
 
50 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 afforded opportunity for putting "conscientious ob- 
 jectors" and alien enemies to work at some useful non- 
 combatant form of labor. Among the first 150 men 
 assigned to the war-garden work at Camp Dix were a 
 number of Germans and Austrians, two Turks, and 
 representatives of other nationalities. Drafted men of 
 this sort, having declared themselves unwilling to take 
 up arms against their own countrymen, were almost 
 without exception happy and contented in their work 
 as food producers. In some cases alien prisoners were 
 transported to army camps to till the gardens. The 
 first lot was sent from Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, to 
 Camp Devens, Massachusetts, for this purpose. At the 
 camp, under guard, they cultivated a war garden of 
 ninety acres. There were one hundred of these pris- 
 oners, most of whom had been taken from interned 
 German vessels. 
 
 As a result of the. immediate success of the Camp Dix 
 project, plans were made foij greatly extending this 
 form of war gardening in 1919. The work had proved 
 its worth as an adjunct to army life. A number of 
 military men who had not approved of the plan at its 
 inception were converted by the excellence of the re- 
 sults obtained and gave it their support. The ex- 
 perience gained in the first year, coupled with the 
 greater demand which it was known that there would 
 be for food, made it desirable that this scheme be 
 carried out on a broad scale. It was realized that it 
 would furnish much relief in supplying the army and 
 the nation with food. 
 
Copyright Western Newspaper Union. 
 
 GATHERING THE POTATOES 
 
 This staple article formed the principal crop from the 4OO-acre war garden which was inaugu- 
 rated at Camp Dix, New Jersey, by the National War Garden Commission in cooperation with 
 the Quartermaster General's Office of the army. More than 5,000 bushels of the tubers were grown. 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 51 
 
 Shortly after the Camp Dix war garden was started, 
 Secretary Baker gave the undertaking his hearty en- 
 dorsement in the following letter addressed to the 
 National War Garden Commission: 
 
 The War Department finds much satisfaction in the 
 creation of war gardens at various army camps by the 
 Conservation and Reclamation Division of the Quarter- 
 master-General's office. Food production at these 
 camps has been the subject of some concern with the 
 Department. The large areas of tillable land within 
 many of the military reservations have been regarded 
 as offering potential food production on a large scale, 
 and I feel that the army is to be congratulated that the 
 utilization of this space has now taken concrete form. 
 
 Camp war gardens will serve more than one useful 
 purpose. The production of food at the mess door is 
 of great importance in that it not only lessens the army's 
 demand on the usual sources of supply but eliminates 
 transportation as well. 
 
 To the National War Garden Commission I extend 
 the thanks of the Department for its quick response to 
 the appeal of the Quartermaster-General's office for 
 cooperation. Not confining itself to. mere compliance 
 with the letter of the request, the Commission entered 
 fully into its spirit. At a time when funds were not 
 available through Government channels the Commis- 
 sion voluntarily provided seed, fertilizers, and equip- 
 ment which made possible the establishment of a war 
 garden of 300 acres or more at Camp Dix. For this 
 generous contribution and for swift action to overcome 
 the handicap of a late start I take pleasure in making 
 this acknowledgment and in expressing the hope that 
 the Camp Dix war garden of the National War Garden 
 Commission will prove an unqualified success. 
 
52 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 Thus, in teeming army camps and on isolated moun- 
 tain-tops, on the wide reaches of the prairies and in 
 sun-splashed openings in the dusky forests; beside 
 roaring factories and in sequestered nooks on which 
 deer and bear peer shyly from near-by leafy coverts, 
 there have sprung up innumerable war gardens. In 
 riding across the country one sees them beside the rail- 
 road right of way, in back yards, small and great, on 
 lawns and in open fields, in every conceivable place 
 and of every imaginable size sees these living emblems 
 that tell, as truly as the tiny Liberty Loan button on 
 the coat-lapel, where the owner stands and what he 
 stands for, because a war garden is a service badge 
 of living green. 
 
As 
 
 Copyright Western Newspaper Union 
 
 GOING OUT TO MEET THE CROP 
 
 "the man who feeds the army" Col. J. W. Mclntosh, chief of subsistence, was deeply interested 
 
 in the demonstration war garden made by the soldiers at Camp Dix. His interest in the 
 
 food supply prompted him to go into the fields at Camp Dix and the camera 
 
 caught him as he helped camp Quartermaster Tompkins pick 
 
 tomatoes. Col. Mclntosh is at the left. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 HOW BIG BUSINESS HELPED 
 
 ORGANIZED EFFORT TO CAN THE KAISER 
 
 LIKE that young man of great possessions who 
 came to Christ, inquiring, "What shall I do 
 to be saved?" hundreds of men who possessed 
 or represented immense wealth, captains of industry 
 and leaders of big business, came forward in this pres- 
 ent-day struggle against pharisaism and demanded: 
 "What can we do to help?" In their desire to back 
 up the government, they were ready to do anything 
 possible to increase the efficiency of either their works 
 or their workers. 
 
 Even before the war began, a few manufacturing 
 concerns had started community gardening among 
 their employes, though the number of such enterprises 
 was small. Once the war-time need of food was pointed 
 out, however, business and industrial plants in every 
 part of the country organized their men for garden 
 production. 
 
 Happiness has been defined as a by-product of labor. 
 Straightway the concern engaged in the war-garden 
 movement found that it, too, had a valuable by-prod- 
 uct, and that was increased efficiency among the 
 workers. It was not alone through the addition of 
 certain amounts of food products to the nation's sup- 
 plies that war gardening proved valuable. It reacted 
 
 53 
 
54 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 on the spirit of the workers themselves. It built up 
 a feeling of good-fellowship not previously existing. 
 It engendered a spirit of cooperation that carried over 
 into the work of the shop. It created that intangible 
 and invaluable thing, esprit de corps. It was produc- 
 tive of many good results throughout entire communi- 
 ties, which were reflected in the general financial and 
 social conditions within those communities. 
 
 No less marked were the gains from the employers' 
 point of view. The contented workman is the efficient 
 workman; and gardening, by providing better food than 
 can be had in the markets, and by virtually adding 
 to the worker's income, makes him more contented. 
 Money that otherwise would have to be spent for lood 
 can be used for the purchase of those small comforts 
 and luxuries that make for added happiness in the home. 
 
 Of great worth, too, is the recreational value of 
 gardening. The toiler in a noisy mill, or the worker 
 in a smoky forge or factory can find no avocation, 
 no recreation, that will build him up physically and 
 refresh his energies as will the cultivation of a plot of 
 ground. 
 
 Unexpectedly enough, also, war gardening resulted in 
 a lessening of the labor turnover. One striking testi- 
 monial on this latter point was contained in a report to 
 the Commission from a busy manufacturing city in the 
 Middle West. "Workers here," said this report, "re- 
 fused to leave the city to take work at higher wages 
 elsewhere because they had planted fine war gardens 
 and were so proud of them they would not leave them. " 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 55 
 
 Moreover, the knowledge that his employer is inter- 
 ested in his welfare inevitably creates a kindlier feel- 
 ing on the part of an employe toward his employer. 
 When officials of large concerns worked side by side with 
 their men in the factory gardens, as many far-seeing 
 managers did, a sympathetic understanding sprang up 
 that could have been created in scarcely any other 
 way. War gardening gave opportunity for the "per- 
 sonal touch" which manufacturing on a large scale 
 and collective bargaining have almost eliminated from 
 modern industry. 
 
 Perhaps these things can best be made clear by 
 quoting a captain of industry. Speaking not only for 
 himself, but also for other leaders of "big business," 
 the superintendent of Foster, Merriam & Company, of 
 Meriden, Connecticut, wrote as follows to the National 
 War Garden Commission, after war gardening had been 
 tried out for a year at his plant: 
 
 Besides the material gain, the garden work promoted 
 a fine spirit of democracy and fellowship among the 
 men. Everybody, from the president to the humblest 
 employe, had a garden plot. And officers and employes, 
 working together as they did, fourid mutual interests 
 and fellowship there. The employes took a great deal 
 of interest in the work and kept the entire ten acres in 
 perfect shape, free from weeds, and well cared for at all 
 times. Owing to the interest manifested and the good 
 results obtained, it will be necessary to secure additional 
 land next year. 
 
 Among the large companies which helped their men 
 in this way was the Carnegie Steel Company. Here is 
 
56 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 what the superintendent of one of the Carnegie plants 
 wrote the National War Garden Commission: 
 
 The plots were taken by men in all classes of employ- 
 ment. Laborers, skilled operators, clerks, and execu- 
 tives a large number of them without previous experi- 
 ence went into the work. A great variety of produce 
 was raised. Much spirit and rivalry developed among 
 the gardeners, this being increased by the offer of prizes 
 for the best gardens. In spite of the fact that the river 
 twice flooded part of the gardens during the growing 
 season, two of the prizes were taken by workers in the 
 flooded areas. The general average of the gardens was 
 above eighty per cent., and thirteen of them above 
 eighty-four per cent. Only one was adjudged a failure. 
 The committee of judges was compelled to revisit the 
 gardens twice after the first marking in order to decide 
 on the winners, and even then had to place several of 
 them on a par. 
 
 The gardens were not only an assistance to livelihood 
 and a decided profit to the average worker, but were 
 also an inspiration and fascination, as well as a means 
 of pleasure and healthful education and exercise. 
 
 From the rock-bound coasts of New England to the 
 far-flung shores of the Pacific, the war gardens of the 
 workers in industry stretched in an almost unbroken 
 line. The lumber camps of Washington and Oregon 
 and the mining settlements of Arizona boasted their 
 war gardens. The iron, cement and motor-car makers 
 of the Middle West had their garden plots. The cop- 
 per regions of Michigan, the shipyards of Texas, and the 
 roaring mills of the East, all beheld the sudden up- 
 springing of great gardens. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 57 
 
 "Our purpose is to encourage the raising of fresh 
 vegetables at the mills and logging camps of this state 
 and Oregon where employes are engaged in the pro- 
 duction of essential war material for shipping and air- 
 craft purposes," was the inspiring word from Robert 
 B. Allen, of Seattle, secretary of the West Coast Lum- 
 bermen's Association. C. S. Williams, vice-president 
 of the F. B. Williams Cypress Company, of Patterson, 
 Louisiana, reported thus to the Commission: 
 
 We are pleased to advise that practically every avail- 
 able piece of land that we own around the plant is 
 being used for war gardens for our employes. There 
 seems to be a great interest in home gardening through- 
 out this territory. We have never seen the land so 
 entirely and carefully cultivated. Hardly a family is 
 without a garden. Almost every one of our men has a 
 garden. The books you sent were quickly taken and 
 have been of great service to our people. They are now 
 planning a great canning campaign. 
 
 One of the most interesting instances of this eager- 
 ness to help both the country and its employes, was 
 furnished by the Inspiration Consolidated Copper 
 Company, of Inspiration, Arizona. Before a thing 
 could be planted, it was necessary to dig five artesian 
 wells to furnish the water needed for the two hundred 
 and seventeen acres of war gardens cultivated by the 
 miners in the first year of the enterprise. The land 
 was situated 3,300 feet up in the mountains. The re- 
 gion was arid. The employes were cosmopolitan. 
 Italians, Chileans, Mexicans, Indians, Finns, Swedes 
 
58 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 and other nationalities were represented in the poly- 
 glot assembly. Few of them spoke much English, and 
 more than seventy per cent, of them spoke no English 
 at all. It was necessary not only to instruct them, but 
 to translate and print bulletins and lesson-sheets in a 
 number of languages. 
 
 A garden expert from the Arizona Agricultural Sta- 
 tion was engaged to take charge of the enterprise. The 
 double-crop system was employed so that as soon as one 
 crop was harvested another was started. If any war 
 gardener was found who did not take proper care of 
 the plot assigned to him, the ground was taken from 
 him and given to another. A market was established 
 to which the growers could carry any of their surplus 
 product and have it sold for them without charge for 
 the service. Nothing was permitted to go to waste, and 
 the food which could not be used at once was canned 
 or dried and stored for future use. On account of the 
 climate most of the conservation was by the drying 
 process. The amount of food grown was large and 
 the saving in this instance was particularly great be- 
 cause of the distance of the mining center from great 
 supply markets. 
 
 Something as to the methods used by other corpora- 
 tions in promoting the war-garden movement among 
 their workers may here be of interest. From Mr. 
 Luther D. Burlingame, industrial superintendent of 
 the Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company, at Prov- 
 idence, Rhode Island, comes an instructive report. 
 
 This concern opened the war-garden campaign by 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 59 
 
 posting a notice on the shop bulletin-boards, announc- 
 ing a chance to serve country and family by helping 
 to meet the serious shortage in the food supply, and 
 informing the men that the company would furnish 
 land, and plow and fertilize it free for those who would 
 raise crops. Cards for applicants were furnished to 
 the clerks in each department of the shop. 
 
 The plots were divided into several groups, in order 
 that the men might secure gardens as near as possible 
 to their places of residence. After the drawing, the 
 numbers of the gardens were filled in on the cards. 
 The required requisitions for fertilizer and seed went 
 through the supply department. The supplies pur- 
 chased were obtained at wholesale prices, the men being 
 charged only enough above cost to pay for the handling 
 and accounting. 
 
 To each gardener was given a card which bore his 
 name, address, and the number of his garden plot, to 
 constitute proof that he or any member of his family 
 carrying it had a right to the particular plot desig- 
 nated. These cards were issued for the protection of 
 both gardens and gardeners. Printed on them were 
 the following rules : 
 
 1. Members shall keep their plots weeded and as free 
 from bugs and injurious insects as possible. 
 
 2. Members shall not throw refuse on neighboring 
 plots, or in paths. After harvesting, lots are to be 
 cleaned, and refuse taken to places provided. 
 
 3. Members shall not plant closer than 12 inches 
 from the boundary line. Any one working your lot 
 must show this card. 
 
60 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 A gardening club was organized with elected officers 
 representing as far as possible the different depart- 
 ments of the shop and different plots of land. The 
 general administration of the project was in the hands 
 of the shop industrial department, but the gardening 
 club was consulted and asked to pass on many mat- 
 ters which had to do with the satisfactory carrying-on 
 of the work, thus giving them something to say as to 
 what should be done. Part of the plowing was done 
 with a tractor. The land was divided into individual 
 plots each containing from 2,000 to 2,500 square feet; 
 and stakes were set diagonally at the corners of each 
 plot with the number of each plot showing at each 
 corner. At the largest garden center a tool-shed about 
 sixteen by thirty-six feet in size was erected where run- 
 ning water was available and a man placed in charge 
 so that tools could be given out on check. This shed 
 was open from daylight to shortly before working hours 
 each week-day, again at noontime, and from six o'clock 
 in the afternoon until dark. It was also open on Satur- 
 day afternoons and to some extent on Sundays. A 
 slight charge was made those who desired to hire tools 
 instead of buying their own. 
 
 To supervise the gardens and give general instructions 
 to the men who had not previously had gardening ex- 
 perience, a practical farmer with training in an agri- 
 cultural college was employed. As at other plants 
 throughout the country the gardens in many cases be- 
 came family affairs, and all the members of a family 
 took part either in work or in supervision. 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 61 
 
 "As the season advanced," said Mr. Burlingame, 
 "a spirit of good-fellowship and the forming of new 
 acquaintanceships among those who found themselves 
 cultivating neighboring gardens, were features which 
 added to the value of the garden project. It was some- 
 times found that a laborer working side by side with a 
 foreman could, from the gardener's standpoint, turn 
 the tables, become instructor, and set the pace. When 
 illness prevented some man from working and there 
 were no members of his family to help out, shopmates 
 volunteered and cared for his garden or even harvested 
 his crops for him. Otten gardens cultivated by men hav- 
 ing had experience adjoined those where the workers 
 were beginners. In such cases the best good-will was 
 shown in giving and taking advice and instruction." 
 
 Regular inspections of the gardens were made and rec- 
 ords kept. If a garden showed signs of being neglected, 
 a notice was sent to the workman and this tended to 
 spur the food growers on to keep their plots in such 
 excellent condition that there would be no need for 
 criticism. The men took their work very seriously. 
 Some swamp land which had never been cultivated and 
 which was considered absolutely useless for garden 
 purposes was reclaimed and produced excellent re- 
 sults. The largest crop of potatoes in a single garden, 
 twenty bushels, was raised on a lot which the gardener 
 enlarged by digging up land which had been a dump 
 beyond the plowing. A number of prizes which were 
 offered by the company for the best crops both as to 
 size and quality aroused keen and friendly rivalry and 
 
62 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 had much to do with stimulating the progress of the 
 undertaking. An exhibition was held in a shed at the 
 factory at the close of the season. 
 
 In the first year of this work, 1917, there was grown 
 in 500 gardens covering thirty acres of land, food valued 
 at $10,000. This added to the food supply of the work- 
 ers 4,000 bushels of potatoes, 254 bushels of beans, 
 223 bushels of tomatoes, five and a half tons of turnips, 
 more than two tons of carrots, three tons of cabbage, 
 and nearly a ton of parsnips, besides a large quantity 
 of other vegetables. 
 
 Similar statistics were gathered by the Firestone Tire 
 and Rubber Company, of Akron, Ohio, as to the value 
 of the crops produced by the Firestone workers on a 
 tract of forty acres. The average value per acre of 
 these crops was $280. The men raised $14,205 worth 
 of food. The total expenses were $3,024. The net 
 profit was $11,182. It was figured out that the men 
 earned on the average almost a dollar an hour for the 
 time spent in cultivating their plots, the exact figures 
 being ninety-four cents an hour. 
 
 Gratifying as these financial rewards were, the work- 
 ers were perhaps even better pleased with the realization 
 that they were aiding in bringing victory nearer. They 
 knew that they were cutting market and grocery bills 
 by raising a part of their own supplies; but they also 
 realized that to win the war, "food must be kept fol- 
 lowing the flag." 
 
 No class of people in the country was in a position 
 to realize more fully the immense value of war gardens 
 
^ 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 63 
 
 in another direction than the manufacturers and their 
 employes. This was in the saving effected in trans- 
 portation facilities. These men knew better than any 
 others the urgent demand which essential war shipping 
 was making on freight-cars. They saw and handled 
 daily the vast quantities of raw materials and finished 
 products which had to be hauled. They knew there 
 was a shortage which could not be made up entirely. 
 They were cognizant also that gardening would result 
 in a considerable conservation of carrier space which 
 could help to fill the demand. If hundreds of thousands 
 of workmen in all parts of the United States were grow- 
 ing much of their own food right near their homes, it 
 required no argument to prove that long lines of cars 
 would be released for other service. 
 
 The industrial promotion of the war-garden move- 
 ment was not confined to manufacturers. Railroads, 
 large insurance companies, public utilities in many 
 sections, banks, and those engaged in numerous other 
 lines of industrial -and commercial activity, were 
 equally enthusiastic and active in forwarding the move- 
 ment. Gas companies opened demonstration kitchens 
 and gave out thousands of books and other printed 
 matter. Water companies in many places throughout 
 the West, where the land required irrigation for culti- 
 vation, furnished water free to all those who announced 
 their intention of planting war gardens. Banks which 
 helped so unselfishly and patriotically in other cam- 
 paigns, urged home food production upon their patrons 
 by handing to them leaflets pointing out the national 
 
64 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 need and the pressing importance of this work, and by 
 giving out also instruction books from the Commission 
 telling the city farmer how to proceed. 
 
 Praise must be extended to business as a whole for 
 the part it has taken in aiding in the cultivation of war 
 gardens by the nation's army of workers. A list of the 
 concerns which have helped in this way would be prac- 
 tically all inclusive. Among the big nationally known 
 companies which have been especially active in this 
 form of war work are the Oliver Chilled Plow Company, 
 Du Pont de Nemours & Company, the American Roll- 
 ing Mill Company, the American Woolen Company, the 
 General Electric Company, the United States Steel 
 Corporation, the American Optical Company, the 
 American Cast Iron Pipe Company, the American 
 Steel and Wire Company, the J. I. Case Plow Works, 
 the Universal Portland Cement Company, the Oliver 
 Iron Mining Company, the Ford Motor Company, the 
 Solvay Process Company and the Eastman Kodak 
 Company. 
 
 Employes at the various mills of the American Wool- 
 en Company planted in 1918 a total of 1,229 acres of 
 gardens; and Mr. William M. Wood, the president of 
 this big manufacturing concern which made large 
 quantities of clothing to help keep the American sol- 
 diers warm, expressed his gratification at this other 
 way in which the employes were working to help their 
 country. 
 
 As to some of the benefits to the workmen themselves, 
 the moral strength which they gain from their employ- 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 65 
 
 ment in this side occupation of gardening, their release 
 from the narrowing and confining work in which they 
 often are engaged, it is appropriate to quote from an 
 article by Professor Irving Fisher of Yale University, a 
 member of the Commission, in which he says: 
 
 A laboring man sees his work sweep by him, a peg in 
 a shoe, a bolt in an automobile, and since he is not able 
 to visualize his part in the product, his work ceases to 
 be interesting and becomes drudgery. He wants to 
 shorten his hours; and the employer, whose work is 
 interesting, whose work is his life, cannot understand 
 why the employe is always trying to shirk, whereas he 
 himself is willing to work twelve or sixteen hours a day. 
 The reason is that in one case the instinct of workman- 
 ship is satisfied and in the other case it is not. 
 
 Here we have summarized in a telling way one of the 
 best possible arguments in favor of the upbuilding, the 
 strengthening, and the continuation of war gardening 
 among the employes of mills, factories and shops. 
 The tasks they are performing in most cases do not 
 satisfy their "instinct of workmanship." They do not 
 finish their day's labor and go home with the feeling 
 that they have taken a step forward, that they have 
 accomplished something which will add to their value 
 to themselves, their families, the community and the 
 country. 
 
 A man who is a cog in a vast machine cannot put 
 individuality into the driving of continuous pegs into 
 a shoe; but when he gets outside the walls of the factory 
 into the little forty by sixty vegetable plot he is cul- 
 
66 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 tivating under the shadow of the mill, he can put him- 
 self into this work. It is for his own good. What he 
 grows there will be his own property. It will go to 
 support himself and his family. How much or how 
 little of it there will be depends upon himself, upon 
 how intelligently and how faithfully he cares for the 
 plants. He takes an interest in watching every develop- 
 ment from day to day because he is to reap the reward. 
 This work is his own. It means that he will take a 
 deeper interest thereafter in the work he is doing for 
 his employer. It is only natural that a man should 
 feel a more real concern and show greater pride in 
 doing something where he will share in the profit. It 
 is not in any sense disparagement to a workman to say 
 that he cannot display the same sense of gratification 
 in his regular work. 
 
 There is greater diversity in the cultivation of a 
 garden than in most other tasks. It offers, in fact its 
 successful prosecution demands, good judgment and 
 the display of sound sense. This is healthful exercise 
 for the mind, which makes it more alert and more able 
 to grasp and figure out other problems arising every 
 day of the workman's life. Combined with this mental 
 activity is the invigorating bodily exercise than which 
 there is none better than digging in the earth and get- 
 ting close to nature. 
 
 While the reports to the National War Garden Com- 
 mission show that the methods adopted by various 
 manufacturing concerns which encouraged gardening 
 among their men differed somewhat in detail, as would 
 
THIS IS NOT NEPTUNE! 
 
 Joe Borzell, an employe of the Oliver Chilled Plow Company, South Bend, Indiana, was 
 proud to pose for his picture with some of the fine potatoes and cabbages he had raised in his war 
 garden. It is plainly to be seen that some of the company's other workers who had gardens had 
 to show extra fine results to beat this man's products. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 67 
 
 of necessity be the case, still the fundamental principles 
 were the same; and the results obtained, chief among 
 them better contentment among the men, were every- 
 where alike. The Commission feels that no other 
 single phase of its work has been of greater and of 
 more lasting benefit than the stimulus it has been able 
 to give to the wonderful growth of factory gardening. 
 Increased food production by this means is of immeas- 
 urable value to the nation, to the community, to the 
 employer of labor, and to the individual. In congested 
 industrial centers it is particularly desirable that every 
 possible relief be given to freight transportation sys- 
 tems; and the raising of large quantities of food "F. 
 O. B. the Factory Door" affords great help in that 
 direction. Business men have seen the advantage of 
 this movement and will continue to encourage and 
 expand gardening among their employes. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 HOW THE RAILROADS HELPED 
 
 WAR GARDEN ACTIVITIES OF MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYES 
 
 A soon as America became a belligerent the rail- 
 roads of the country sought to help relieve the 
 food shortage and the traffic situation by 
 encouraging the cultivation of all vacant lands along 
 their rights-of-way. They called on their employes to 
 plant this unused acreage wherever it might be found. 
 To railroad managers the double value to be gained was 
 quickly manifest. The movement would not only add 
 to the nation's food supply but be an important and 
 direct factor in relieving the demands on the carriers 
 for the hauling of freight. The result was that nearly 
 all the railroad lines ran through gardens of growing 
 vegetables which were soon seen flourishing every- 
 where, along the tracks, around the cosy little watch- 
 boxes of the crossing flagmen and even alongside sta- 
 tion platforms. 
 
 The railroads furnished the land to their men free of 
 charge or at nominal rental, and in many cases further 
 assisted them by supplying quantities of seed and by 
 aiding in the preparation of the soil. They placed 
 posters in their stations calling attention to this oppor- 
 tunity for patriotic service, and distributed tens of 
 thousands of copies of gardening and canning manuals 
 furnished them by the National War Garden Commis- 
 
 68 
 
^ 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 69 
 
 sion. The Pennsylvania Railroad alone, on its lines 
 east of Pittsburgh, gave out during the season of 1918 
 more than 20,000 copies of these instruction booklets. 
 The division superintendents and their assistants acted 
 as the distributing agents. In addition they frequently 
 assisted in other ways in helping to arouse the entire 
 local and community interest in this work. Through 
 the posters, displayed conspicuously on bulletin boards, 
 the attention of hundreds of thousands of other persons 
 besides railroad employes was called to the urgent need 
 of war gardens and of conserving food. Local station 
 agents were also a powerful factor in the work. Not 
 only did they encourage the company employes to 
 engage in gardening but they assisted in other ways to 
 arouse interest. 
 
 As a sample of what the railroads did in this direction, 
 here is an extract from a general notice, signed by 
 R. L. O'Donnel, assistant general manager of the Penn- 
 sylvania Railroad, which was posted along all the lines 
 of that road. This was addressed "To all employes of 
 the Pennsylvania Railroad." It said: 
 
 Owing to the interest shown, and the substantial 
 results obtained by employes of the Pennsylvania Rail- 
 road in the cultivation of war gardens last year, the 
 Management will renew for the present season the 
 arrangement by which vacant land belonging to the 
 Company may be available to employes for garden pur- 
 poses, at a nominal rental. . . . All employes who are 
 able to do so, are urged to take advantage of these 
 opportunities by cultivating war gardens this spring and 
 summer, thus assisting our country in the production 
 
70 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 of food, and also aiding in a very essential manner to 
 win the war. Employes taking this action will, in 
 addition, be helping themselves in one of the best pos- 
 sible ways. It is for just such purposes as these that 
 the Daylight Saving plan was initiated. Last year the 
 employes of the Pennsylvania Railroad lines east of 
 Pittsburgh raised crops of an estimated value of one 
 quarter of a million dollars. Let us endeavor to surpass 
 this good record in 1918. 
 
 Many other railroads deserve special mention for 
 their activity in this line. Among them are the New 
 York Central, the Union Pacific, the Northern Pacific, 
 the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, the Illinois Central, the 
 Atlantic Coast Line, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, 
 the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, the Long Island, the 
 New York, New Haven & Hartford, the Missouri Pacific, 
 the Erie, the Boston & Albany, the Delaware & Hudson, 
 the Chicago & Northwestern, the Pere Marquette, the 
 Louisville & Nashville, the Norfolk & Western, the 
 Seaboard Air Line, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul 
 and the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis. 
 The New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad Company 
 reported that a number of gardens were planted along 
 its right of way in 1917 and that in 1918 all available 
 land was applied for and assigned for this purpose. 
 
 A report from the Buifalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh 
 Railway showed that more than 2,100 bushels of seed 
 potatoes were furnished to the prospective gardeners, 
 and that the men not only planted these but bought 
 more for themselves, besides buying seed for other 
 
: 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 71 
 
 vegetables. The resultant yield was 28,000 bushels of 
 potatoes and other garden products to a value of $15,400. 
 The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy reported among 
 other products 3,000 carloads of beans from lands which 
 hitherto had been considered of little value except for 
 grazing purposes. 
 
 Plans for the continuation and extension of this work 
 in 1919 have been put into effect by the United States 
 Railroad Administration on all the lines over which it 
 has supervision; and in urging the call of Victory 
 Gardens it cooperates closely with the National War 
 Garden Commission. In response to an appeal sent out 
 by J. L. Edwards, director of the agricultural section of 
 the Railroad Administration, replies have been received 
 from virtually all the regional directors and other 
 officials stating that they would promote the movement 
 to the fullest extent possible. A notable example was 
 the reply from B. F. Bush, regional director of the south- 
 western region. He said: "I wish to state that the 
 railroads in the southwestern region will again do every- 
 thing they possibly can in permitting their rights-of-way 
 and station grounds to be used for farming and garden- 
 ing purposes. During the last season this work was 
 handled on practically every railroad in this region with 
 much success and it will be repeated." Alexander 
 Jackson, agricultural agent of the Chicago, Rock Island 
 & Pacific, answered as follows: "We feel that the War 
 Garden is a permanent fixture in practically all parts of 
 our territory where gardening is possible." C. L. 
 Hoffman, agricultural agent of the New York, Ontario 
 
72 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 & Western, sent this message: "I assure you that I 
 shall do all in my power to have the cooperation of 
 all the officials of o*ur roads in an endeavor to increase 
 the victory gardens of 1919 over the war gardens of 
 1918." Similar evidences of activity were received 
 from many others. 
 
 New posters were furnished the officials by the Com- 
 mission to help carry to the railroad men and the public 
 all over the United States the call for continuing and 
 increasing home food production. These posters were 
 placed in stations throughout the country, in the great 
 city terminals and in the stations in small towns, under 
 a general order issued by W. G. McAdoo, Director 
 General of Railroads. The posters thus officially dis- 
 played are regarded as one of the most potent factors 
 in reaching the American public with the message of 
 the world's food needs which followed the signing of 
 the armistice. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 THE ARMY OF SCHOOL GARDENERS 
 
 How THE CHILDREN OF AMERICA WERE MOBILIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT 
 
 A a factor in education the war garden and its 
 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 pro : duction and of 
 even greater importance in creating a vast army of 
 future citizens trained to intelligent application of the 
 
 73 . 
 
74 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 principles of thrift, industry, service, patriotism and 
 responsibility. The results have been highly gratifying 
 to those concerned with the undertaking. 
 
 For the mobilization of the school children the logical 
 agency wa's theUnited States Bureau of Education of the 
 Department of the Interior. P. P. Claxton, United States 
 Commissioner of Education, approached the under- 
 taking with broad vision and keen foresight character- 
 istic of his administration of educational affairs for the 
 Federal Government. Under his guidance there came 
 into being the United States School Garden Army, 
 mobilized with effective promptness and swung into 
 action under the leadership of J. H. Francis as director. 
 Dr. Francis is an educator of note who was drafted into 
 this important work by Commissioner Claxton, and he 
 brought to bear on the enterprise perception and aggres- 
 siveness which achieved results of national importance 
 in comparatively brief time. 
 
 President Wilson was keenly interested in the United 
 States School Garden Army. His cordial endorsement 
 was expressed in a letter to Secretary Lane which served 
 as the corner stone of the structure and an inspiration 
 to the children of America. This letter was as follows: 
 
 February 25, 1918. 
 My dear Mr. Secretary: 
 
 I sincerely hope that you may be successful through 
 the Bureau of Education in arousing the interest of 
 teachers and children in the schools of the United States 
 in the cultivation of home gardens. Every boy and girl 
 who really sees what the home garden may mean will, 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 75 
 
 I am sure, enter into the purpose with high spirits, 
 because I am sure they would all like to feel that they 
 are in fact fighting in France by joining the home garden 
 army. They know that America has undertaken to 
 send meat and wheat and flour and other foods for the 
 support of the soldiers who are doing the fighting for 
 the men and women who are making the munitions, 
 and for the boys and girls of Western Europe, and that 
 we must also feed ourselves while we are carrying on 
 this war. The movement to establish gardens, there- 
 fore, and to have the children work in them is just as 
 real and patriotic an effort as the building of ships or 
 the firing of cannon. I hope that this spring every 
 school will have a regiment in the Volunteer War 
 Garden Army. 
 
 Cordially and sincerely yours, 
 
 WOODROW WILSON. 
 HON. FRANKLIN K. LANE, 
 Secretary of the Interior. 
 
 From the outset the United States School Garden 
 Army allied itself with the National War Garden Com- 
 mission for the conduct of the work for which it had 
 been organized. This affiliation covered not only food 
 production through gardening but also the work of food 
 conservation through home canning and drying. 
 
 One of the first requisites of the newly formed army 
 was that its membership should be reached with tech- 
 nical instructions so compiled as to be authoritative and 
 so presented as to be easily understood. To accomplish 
 this the United States School Garden Army utilized the 
 publications of the National War Garden Commission. 
 
76 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 In response to official request, these were furnished by 
 the Commission in sufficient quantities for circulation 
 among the schools of America. The Commission's book 
 "War Vegetable Gardening" was made the standard 
 book of instructions and it reached every school in the 
 land through the machinery of the United States School 
 Garden Army. In similar way the Commission's book 
 on canning and drying was distributed and given official 
 recognition in the educational world. 
 
 The satisfactory results achieved through the cooper- 
 ation of the two organizations was given expression 
 by Director Francis in the following letter to the Com- 
 mission under date of October 5th, 1918: 
 
 My dear Mr. Ridsdale: 
 
 I do not feel that I should allow the Garden season 
 of 1917-1918 to close without acknowledging to you the 
 very great service the National War Garden Commis- 
 sion has rendered the United States School Garden 
 Army organization, and telling you that we deeply 
 appreciate the cordial, earnest way in which you have 
 cooperated with us in working out our problem. 
 
 For 1919 the work of the United States School Garden 
 Army was further expanded and standardized. Per- 
 ceiving the value of school cooperation through the 
 Bureau of Education, the National War Garden Com- 
 mission prepared special printings of the victory editions 
 of these books. 
 
 These are for the exclusive use of the United States 
 School Garden Army. On the front cover of the school 
 edition of each book appears a reproduction in the 
 
^ 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 77 
 
 original colors, of the poster by Maginel Wright 
 Enright, which has become known as the pictorial trade- 
 mark of the Army. This poster presents Uncle Sam as 
 the Pied Piper of the Gardens, at the head of an army 
 of children bearing garden tools as their weapons. As 
 an introduction the books carry an official proclamation 
 to the schools of America, calling on them for further 
 work in the cause of food production and conservation. 
 In his proclamation Director Francis says : 
 
 The food problems of peace give renewed emphasis 
 to the demand for food production. With the ending 
 of the conflict came the necessity for feeding many 
 millions more of the people of Europe. Food Adminis- 
 trator Hoover tells us this country must send 20,000,- 
 ooo tons of food overseas during the year ending July 
 i, 1919. To make this possible it is essential that pro- 
 duction be carried on to the utmost of our possibilities. 
 The farms have lost a large proportion of their man- 
 power. Some one must take the places of the men who 
 have left the farms and of the women who have gone 
 into channels of industry in which they were not pre- 
 viously employed. 
 
 The boys and girls of America must help to do this. 
 There is a mighty army of them, thirty to fifty million 
 strong, who have heads, hearts, and hands, leisure time 
 and patriotism to spare. There are also hundreds of 
 thousands of acres of tillable land uncultivated. The 
 problem is, therefore, to get these two factors together. 
 It is a problem requiring careful, efficient organization. 
 The organization is here, one of the most powerful in 
 the country the public school system of America. To 
 build another capable of doing the work in hand would 
 require years and cost millions. School gardens and 
 
78 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 school-supervised home gardens have received serious 
 attention, but only a negligible part of the work has 
 been undertaken. The school system should and must 
 undertake the work with seriousness and determination 
 and give the world results that are real and adequate. 
 Superintendents of schools must make their schools 
 a vital, an actual, force in giving more food to the world 
 and in conserving what is produced. They must do 
 this in addition to talking and writing about this some- 
 what spectacular and highly interesting phase of the 
 school's part in the war. And this is their work, not 
 to be sublet to other agencies who by the very nature 
 of the problem can not solve it but can only contribute 
 to its solution. 
 
 Commissioner Claxton and Director Francis are 
 deeply gratified at the success of the garden movement 
 among the school children and greatly impressed with 
 its promise for the future. The interest thus awakened 
 and the practical knowledge thus acquired by the young 
 gardeners, they regard as one of the most important 
 national benefits of the war and one which will be of 
 immeasurable worth in its influence on American 
 citizenship. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 COMMUNITY GARDENING 
 
 PUTTING "SLACKER LANDS" TO WORK 
 
 AMERICAN war gardening, like every other de- 
 velopment in life, has gone through a process of 
 evolution. Because the exigencies of the situ- 
 ation necessitated haste, that evolution has been rapid. 
 Contending with the most wonderfully organized force 
 the world has ever seen, it was necessary, since so much 
 depended upon the American war garden, to apply to 
 it the principle of the best organization, and to unify 
 it in order to strengthen it. As a result there speedily 
 came into existence the community garden. 
 
 Many are the advantages gained through community 
 gardening. To begin with, community gardening is 
 practically the only method by which all available 
 garden space can be put to work. Genuine community 
 gardening, where all available lands are surveyed and 
 allotted to gardeners, hardly falls short of land con- 
 scription. Community gardening played no small 
 part in helping to win the recent war. To get enough 
 food to win, the Allied peoples had to utilize every pps- 
 sible garden spot. In America back-yard areas were 
 readily worked by patriotic owners. The enormous 
 areas of "slacker lands," idle, vacant town lots, could 
 not be put to work without considerable difficulty. 
 
 At the very least, the owner's permission had to be 
 
 79 
 
8o THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 secured before a lot could be farmed; and the average 
 man was either too diffident or too lacking in initiative 
 to secure such permission. On the other hand, the 
 average lot-owner did not care to be repeatedly annoyed 
 by requests from various individuals for the use of his 
 idle lands. Both of these difficulties were obviated 
 through real community gardening. The lot-owner 
 dealt with known, responsible representatives of the 
 gardening organization and had to give his consent 
 but once; while the would-be gardener, far from having 
 to seek a plot, was assisted to find one. 
 
 Community gardening is also important in that it 
 effects a saving of labor. In preparing the land, for 
 instance, a team of horses or a tractor can plow a large 
 number of gardens in one day. Where the ground is 
 in large plots, a team can readily prepare one acre in a 
 day. One acre will contain slightly more than twenty- 
 one gardens each forty by fifty feet a good size for a 
 family plot. By plowing the tract with a team, the 
 cost to each of the twenty-one gardeners is small. To 
 dig by hand a plot forty by fifty feet, particularly if 
 manure is to be turned under, requires many hours of 
 hard labor. If the gardener has at his command for 
 gardening no time other than the after-work hours of 
 the evening, it will take him several days merely to 
 get his seed-bed prepared. 
 
 Again, when a group of people are together cultiva- 
 ting a large plot of land, they can often purchase their 
 supplies, including fertilizer, implements, and seed, at 
 wholesale rates, and thus effect a considerable financial 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 81 
 
 saving. One implement will often serve for two or more 
 gardeners, the gardeners arranging to use it at different 
 times. Employes of factories who have worked to- 
 gether in this way have found the community sys- 
 tem of much benefit. Other groups too have found it 
 equally helpful. 
 
 Community gardening also makes it possible for 
 expert supervision to be provided. A group of scat- 
 tered individuals would probably find it difficult to 
 engage the services of a skilled gardener to help them 
 in their planting and cultivating. At slight expense to 
 each person involved, a community group of gardeners 
 can employ some expert to look over their gardens once 
 or twice a week, or as often as is found necessary, and 
 t guide them in all problems of cultivation. 
 
 Some groups of community gardeners may be for- 
 tunate enough to have among them a man trained in 
 gardening, who is willing to give them the benefit of 
 his experience without charge. In other cases it may be 
 necessary to pay the supervisor in some way for his 
 instruction. In any event, whether the community 
 group possesses a trained gardener or not, all the mem- 
 bers will be able to gain a certain amount of benefit from 
 the experiences of their fellows. Each will possess some 
 bit of information which will be helpful to the others. 
 
 Another gain to the community workers is the friendly 
 rivalry which is aroused by close contact with fellow 
 food producers. Each acts as a pacemaker to the 
 others. Each strives to make his plot "the best." He 
 begins by aiming to keep his garden freer from weeds 
 
82 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 than his neighbor's. This means that he gives it better 
 and more intensive cultivation and in so doing he is 
 certain to increase his yield. 
 
 "Well, John, how many bushels of potatoes do you 
 expect to get off your lot?" is the question which one 
 gardener asks of his side-partner. 
 
 "Oh, I think I'll have five bushels," is the reply. 
 
 "Well, I'll bet you a good cigar that I beat you by a 
 bushel, " is the friendly banter. 
 
 "You're on!" And so it goes. 
 
 Each of them turns to and digs a little harder than 
 he did before. Then darkness overtaking them, they 
 walk home together discussing the ways of bugs and 
 the wherefore of wilt and blight. 
 
 The value of such good-natured encouragement and 
 cheer is not to be taken lightly. Always this marching 
 forward together, with a brother's hand on the shoulder, 
 has made the work of life easier and has added to the 
 output of the workers. 
 
 In community gardening the question of organiza- 
 tion is always an important one to be considered. 
 This is true no matter what the size of the undertaking, 
 whether it includes the working out of plans for an 
 entire city or for a single group of workers in one large 
 plot. In starting a new enterprise of this sort it must 
 be known how much land is available for cultivation, 
 the location and character of the land, the kind and 
 quantity of manures and fertilizers readily procurable, 
 what skilled directors can be secured, and the probable 
 number of gardeners. 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 83 
 
 When the problem is being worked out, whether for 
 the first time or for a realignment of forces and appor- 
 tionment, an inventory of the town's gardening re- 
 sources should be taken. A survey for this purpose can 
 be made by existing agencies, or a special force or com- 
 mittee can be appointed for the purpose. A complete 
 community survey in a town should include all lands 
 within the district, private yards as well as vacant 
 lots. The Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Trade, 
 or the Civic Club is naturally the nucleus for such an 
 effort; but the school board or a church or political 
 club can conduct the work just as effectively. The 
 local Council of Defense, the Mayor's War Committee 
 or a similar organization should help. Through these 
 agencies communities in all parts of the United States 
 were intensively organized for the war-garden campaign 
 conducted in 1917 and again in 1918. 
 
 When it is known that there is such united effort 
 back of a movement, it gains in strength and prestige 
 and there is greater stimulus to the individual worker. 
 People will enter with more vim and enthusiasm into 
 a task which has the backing and support of all their 
 fellow-townsmen. Public meetings should be held to 
 enlist interest and to secure more general cooperation. 
 At these meetings there should be addresses by some 
 of the leaders in community thought, in addition to 
 discussion of the work by those who are more directly 
 concerned with its operation and guidance. 
 
 In making a survey of the available garden space in 
 a city or town, there are certain well-established meth- 
 
84 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 ods of procedure which have been found most helpful. 
 Survey forces should be selected, one for each district 
 in the community. Each should have a leader and 
 assistants. In many successful surveys these forces have 
 consisted of senior classes in high schools, of Sunday 
 school classes, of troops of older Boy Scouts, or of other 
 boys. A certain day was selected for the work and this 
 fact well advertised through the newspapers and by 
 announcement in other ways. Large-scale maps show- 
 ing the different parcels of land simplified the work. 
 Each leader, with his assistants, was made responsible 
 for a certain district. Then cards were prepared for 
 the information as gathered. On these cards questions 
 similar to the following were printed: 
 
 1. Name, address, and telephone number of land- 
 
 owner. 
 
 2. Whether land is a back yard or vacant lot. 
 
 3. Location of plot. 
 
 4. Approximate area in square feet. 
 
 5. Condition of the plot. 
 
 6. Whether owner will cultivate it or rent or lend it. 
 
 7. On what terms and conditions owner will rent or 
 
 lend. 
 
 Other inquiries as to the amount of fertilizer avail- 
 able at different points, the quantity of seed likely to 
 be required, also the demand for tools and other sup- 
 plies, usually are made at the same time. With all 
 these cards filled out and arranged alphabetically, the 
 committee is in possession of a complete and compre- 
 hensive survey of all the garden space available in the 
 
mtt 
 
 
 
 v 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 85 
 
 community. Meantime, the committee can receive 
 applications from those desiring gardens, and assign 
 convenient plots as soon as arrangements can be made 
 with the owners. Thus it is possible, with compara- 
 tively little difficulty, to provide for the working of 
 every foot of available garden land in the community. 
 
 In the gardening itself there should likewise be cooper- 
 ation. In every town may be found retired farmers or 
 experienced truck growers or a county agricultural 
 agent; and arrangements should be made with some such 
 trained worker to give advice and instruction as to 
 selecting the crops best suited to the soil and as to the 
 details of planting and cultivation. Where such indi- 
 vidual is not available, sometimes it is desirable to 
 raise a fund that may be used to hire a g-arden expert 
 to supervise the work. Where possible, the cost of 
 supervision should be borne from a general fund raised 
 by the organization in charge. If this is not practicable, 
 the individual gardeners should pay it in proportion to 
 the size of their plots. The supervision should extend 
 over the entire gardening season. 
 
 A group of gardeners should be organized just as any 
 other association is organized, with its executive head 
 and its directing committees. Various problems are 
 bound to come up each season, and these can be 
 handled better through committees than if the indi- 
 viduals themselves or a few of them attempt to solve 
 them. The executive head should have general super- 
 vision of the work and for this reason should be, if 
 possible, some person who is familiar with gardening. 
 
86 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 Committees should arrange for purchasing seed, ferti- 
 lizers, and other necessary supplies for the entire group. 
 This cooperative spirit will save time and money to 
 all concerned and will bring better results. Reduced 
 rates usually can be secured when garden supplies of any 
 sort are bought in considerable quantities. 
 
 In dividing a large tract into a number of individual 
 plots, it should be remembered that an average size of 
 forty by sixty feet is about as much as is needed for one 
 family. This should give an ample supply of vegetables 
 not only for summer use but to provide a surplus for 
 canning and drying purposes and for winter storage. 
 After a large piece of land has been divided and allotted, 
 it must be understood that for garden purposes the lot 
 assigned is the property of the person or family to 
 whom it was given, and it should be protected as such. 
 Each plot should be numbered. In assigning plots the 
 fairest way is by drawing numbers. 
 
 As a specific instance of organized community gar- 
 dening, the story of garden production in Marshall- 
 town, Iowa, in 1918, is of interest. Marshalltown is a 
 city of approximately 20,000 people. Mayor S. H. 
 Reilly, sensing the crisis in the food situation, called 
 upon the county agricultural agent to determine the 
 amount of space within the city that could be put into 
 gardens. The county agent's survey revealed a fine 
 farm within the city limits, for the aggregate area of 
 the unused vacant lots which could be put to work ex- 
 ceeded seventy-five acres. The county agent found, 
 moreover, 300 tons of stable manure suitable for fer- 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 87 
 
 tilizer which was going to waste. This was enough 
 to provide four tons for each acre. The survey com- 
 pleted, arrangements were speedily made with the 
 owners whereby the unused lands could be put to work. 
 
 The county agent's survey also revealed things other 
 than land and fertilizer. He discovered that many 1917 
 gardens had been failures because the gardeners were 
 ignorant of agricultural principles. They had tried to 
 raise vegetables in soil not suited to them, and they 
 did not understand cultural methods. Among the 
 residents of Marshalltown were a number of retired 
 farmers. Like Cincinnatus, called from his plow to 
 become a public servant, these farmers were called 
 from their retirement by the Mayor and drafted for 
 public service. They were made garden supervisors 
 for the city. Each was appointed to oversee the work 
 in several blocks and to make sure that the gardens 
 were properly planted and well cared for. In order that 
 seeds might be assured to rich and poor alike, a public 
 subscription was taken to provide money for their 
 purchase. Thus Marshalltown's gardens, like Mrs. 
 Fuzziwig's smile, were both vast and substantial. 
 
 To organized community effort was due a large part 
 of the success of the war-garden movement in the United 
 States. Without such help it is certain that the city 
 farming plan never could have attained the overwhelm- 
 ing success with which it has met. The generous thanks 
 of the nation are due the loyal and self-sacrificing local 
 committees and associations which gave of their time 
 and their energy to carrying through the plans which 
 
88 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 resulted in popularizing home gardening. War-garden 
 associations were created to arouse people to the need of 
 the work, to get them started, and to give them guidance 
 and assistance as they proceeded. The cooperation in 
 this community effort came from many sources. Offi- 
 cials of all sorts, almost without exception, gave the 
 movement their endorsement and support and fre- 
 quently served on the committees while prominent 
 individuals showed equal patriotism in their desire to 
 see vegetables grow where none had grown before. 
 
 That the war-garden associations thus formed will be 
 permanent bodies, or continue as committees of the 
 local chambers of commerce, boards of trade, or other 
 bodies, is assured. So excellent has been the work ac- 
 complished in this organized way that community effort 
 to aid home food production must continue. With the 
 knowledge and experience already gained, these local 
 committees should become more and more a factor in 
 helping to solve food problems as they arise. Their pur- 
 pose and their power doubtless will expand; and they 
 will become community centers servingfor the discussion 
 and initiation of other methods of food production. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 COOPERATION IN GARDENING 
 
 UNITY IN THE "SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE" 
 
 FORTUNATELY the movement to coordinate 
 gardening activities in America, from the outset, 
 met with sympathetic response. Thanks to the 
 loyal cooperation accorded the National War Garden 
 Commission, there was never any question of the success 
 of the garden campaign. Such question as there may 
 have been was merely as to the extent of that success. 
 At no time was there hesitation on the part of those 
 enlisted in the army of the soil as to carrying out the 
 suggestions made to them. In a spirit of loyal and 
 hearty cooperation organizations of all sorts and indi- 
 viduals of all classes throughout the United States 
 worked with the Commission to overcome every obsta- 
 cle that threatened the success of the food-production 
 campaign. 
 
 Merely to tabulate the names of the various clubs, 
 committees, and individuals who helped in this move- 
 ment would require a volume. Such a list would 
 include hundreds of state, county, and local organiza- 
 tions which through their officers, committees, and 
 branches stimulated the interest of their own members 
 and of others in war gardening. It would contain the 
 names of hundreds of chambers of commerce and other 
 
 trade bodies; city and county officials; mayors and 
 
 89 
 
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, beginning 
 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 1918. 
 
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THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 91 
 
 Libraries all over the United States gave most gen- 
 erous support to the work of the Commission. Many 
 made special displays of books on gardening. They 
 placed posters on their bulletin-boards or in other con- 
 spicuous places, calling the attention of readers to the 
 need for food and informing them that gardening 
 books and canning manuals could be had for the asking. 
 "The supply you sent us is exhausted, and the demand 
 continues," was the characteristic word the Commis- 
 sion received from a large number of libraries to which 
 consignments of the books had been shipped. 
 
 In some cities and towns the work was carried on 
 merely by the popular sentiment in favor of war gar- 
 dens which was stirred up by appeals in the press and 
 other publications. In many places, however, war 
 garden associations were organized to guide and direct 
 the movement, or voluntary committees undertook 
 to perform this service. The leaders in many cases 
 were familiar with methods of procedure and required 
 little assistance. As a rule, however, they were glad 
 to receive publications giving them detailed informa- 
 tion as to how to plan and carry on their work. Again 
 they were pleased to receive instruction books on gar- 
 dening which they could distribute among the numer- 
 ous applicants, and this was true even in cities and 
 towns where it was possible to secure the services of 
 paid agricultural experts to take charge of the technical 
 end of the campaign. 
 
 Nowhere did the Commission receive more loyal 
 support and he ! arty cooperation than from the public 
 
92 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 press. Closely in touch with conditions the world over, 
 newspaper editors understood, as perhaps many others 
 could not understand, the gravity of the food situation. 
 In their endeavor to do their share, they gave gener- 
 ously of their news space. Particularly was it neces- 
 sary to get the appeal for home food gardens before 
 the dwellers in towns, especially in the larger centers of 
 population, for there food was most needed, and there 
 people were least likely to take upon themselves the 
 duty of cultivating the small plots of land at their 
 disposal. Practically all such Americans were reached 
 by the Commission through the newspapers. In fact, 
 practically all Americans were reached. News stories 
 were prepared by the Commission's publicity bureau, 
 setting forth the facts as to the world food situation, 
 and these articles were placed in the hands, not of a 
 few editors, but of hundreds a : nd hundreds. Not only 
 were most of these news stories freely printed, but 
 often they were also prominently featured in such way 
 as to emphasize the message they contained. 
 
 After the need of gardening had thus been sufficiently 
 impressed upon the mind of the public, the Commission's 
 staff of experts prepared daily lessons in gardening, 
 which were sent to a great number of newspapers. 
 Hundreds of leading newspapers, from the Atlantic 
 to the Pacific, carried these daily lessons. The Phila- 
 delphia North American, to mention only one of many 
 large city newspapers, printed a garden lesson daily 
 for many weeks, publishing it on its front page and 
 displaying it in a special box to attract attention. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 93 
 
 These lessons began with the preparation of the soil 
 and the sowing of seed in the house for early vegetables, 
 and dealt with one or more vegetables daily, setting 
 forth in simple language the proper cultural methods 
 for the vegetables in question, and pointing out the 
 diseases and enemies of the particular products under 
 discussion, together with methods of combating them. 
 Though simple in language and shorn of all useless 
 technicalities, these daily gardening lessons lacked no 
 essential cultural directions; and even a beginner could 
 have become a successful gardener by following care- 
 fully the directions given. 
 
 The publicity campaign did not end with telling 
 gardeners how to raise vegetables. As soon as the 
 garSen season was well started, appeals were made 
 through the newspapers for the conservation of all 
 excess garden products. The necessity for such conser- 
 vation was first pointed out, and then methods of 
 canning and drying garden products and fruit were set 
 forth simply and completely. These publicity cam- 
 paigns in the public press went hand in hand with the 
 issuance of the Commission's various books, which 
 were offered free to any one upon request. 
 
 Despite the wonderful response of the public to 
 appeals to raise garden products, it was apparent that 
 the need for food increased rather than decreased, 
 because production so constantly fell off in Europe. 
 The constant dripping of water will wear away even 
 the hardest stone, and the Commission believed that 
 the endless repetition of the garden appeal would 
 
94 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 finally move even the most indifferent reader. For 
 this reason its publicity campaign did not end with the 
 gardening season. News stories and garden statis- 
 tics of all sorts were gathered by the Commission and 
 given to the press. These stories included accounts of 
 the work of individual gardeners, of garden clubs, of 
 communities, and of the organized gardeners in great 
 industries. Likewise the Commission gathered to- 
 gether thousands of cartoons and funny stories and 
 jokes about war gardens and war gardeners, and issued 
 books of these humorous items. The press reproduced 
 this matter the country over and in this way the funny- 
 bone of America was tickled with the garden idea. The 
 Commission's publicity work was not confined to the 
 daily press. Feature stories were supplied to many 
 magazines and periodicals as well as to the magazine 
 sections of Sunday newspapers. These articles were 
 more pretentious than those prepared for the dailies. 
 They aimed not merely to be authoritative but to have 
 literary quality as well. They dealt with gardening 
 from many different points of view, but always the 
 lesson was conveyed that more food was needed and 
 that it would have to be raised by the average American, 
 irrespective of his vocation. With these magazine 
 articles, and with many of its newspaper stories as well, 
 the Commission supplied illustrations. Its agents had 
 secured hundreds and hundreds of interesting photo- 
 graphs showing different phases, of garden work in al- 
 most every portion of the country. These pictures, 
 portraying war gardens from the arid sands of the 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 95 
 
 Southwest to the cold mountain slopes of the North- 
 east and from the rocky coasts of the north Atlantic 
 to the sandy beaches of the Pacific, brought home to 
 every one who saw them the idea that everywhere, in 
 all sorts of places, people of all kinds were toiling to 
 produce food. The moral, "Go and do likewise," was 
 too obvious to be missed. 
 
 Whatever would attract attention to the need of 
 gardening, or help the gardener with his work, or 
 assist in putting to work the large areas of "slacker 
 lands," the Commission tried to portray by word or 
 picture in the pages of the daily press, the weekly 
 magazines, and the periodicals of less frequent publica- 
 tion. It stood ready to furnish, and did furnish, garden- 
 ing and conservation matter of any sort to any one who 
 requested it. Service was the motto of the Commission, 
 and that service was well repaid in the splendid response 
 of the American people to the appeal for gardens. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 WAR GARDENS AS CITY ASSETS 
 
 A THING OF BEAUTY Is A JOY FOREVER 
 
 EVERY city aims to be as prosperous and progres- 
 sive as possible and nowadays most people realize 
 that the city beautiful is also likely to be the 
 city commercially worth while. Probably no other 
 one enterprise will add more to a city's beauty than 
 gardening. Gardening, therefore, has double value. 
 It both enriches and beautifies. By the same token 
 it develops civic pride and community spirit. 
 
 For these reasons any community shpuld delight in 
 being called a "garden city," whether the name is 
 applied literally or merely in a figurative sense. One 
 result of the war-garden movement is that practically 
 any American community can truthfully be designated 
 by this term. 
 
 It is fortunate indeed that this is true. Unity of 
 thought, of action, of ideals, is the crying need of the 
 hour in America. United, we stand; divided, we fall. 
 Probably nothing is more potent as a factor for build- 
 ing up community spirit than gardening, particularly 
 community gardening. A link to bind men together is 
 gardening. It creates common interests. It unites all 
 hands in the common end of producing food. Rubbing 
 elbows in their garden patches, lawyers and laborers, 
 tradesmen and housewives, speedily discover that they 
 96 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 97 
 
 have much in common. One of the things they have 
 in common is their interest in their community; for 
 each wishes to see it progress. 
 
 If the democracy of a nation depends upon the democ- 
 racy of the individuals who compose that nation, then 
 assuredly the war garden is a forge that is daily strength- 
 ening the links in our chain of democracy. Our soldiers, 
 shoulder to shoulder in the trenches, learned, that, 
 whatever their respective stations in life, they are 
 brothers. In a heat a little less intense, but none the 
 less sufficient to weld the strongest souls, our garden- 
 ers, too, have fused into a solid unit. Link by link the 
 chain of our democracy has grown stronger. 
 
 With it has grown our civic pride the pride of each 
 community in the progress it is making. One of the 
 progressive things cities are proud of to-day is the 
 extent of their war-garden activities. Just as different 
 communities aimed to be the first "over the top" in a 
 Liberty Loan campaign, and to secure the flag which 
 spoke of patriotic duty performed, so they have been 
 anxious to excel in the number of war gardens they have 
 planted and in the amount of food they have raised to 
 help the boys "over there." 
 
 The National War Garden Commission has received 
 from hundreds of cities and towns throughout the 
 United States expressions showing how proud they are 
 of their war-garden records. Typical items of this 
 enthusiasm are these: "Every bit of available land 
 is being cultivated;" "There is scarcely a home here 
 without a war garden;" "All back yards and vacant 
 7 
 
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; 
 
MIDST TOWERING SKYSCRAPERS 
 
 In Bryant Park, New York, in the heart of the nation's throbbing metropolis, there was planted 
 
 a demonstration war garden, and a little garden house was erected which served as a 
 
 distributing center for literature of the National War Garden Commission. Formal 
 
 ceremonies were held at the time of the dedication of the building. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 99 
 
 Louisville, Kentucky, $750,000; Worcester, Massa- 
 chusetts, $750,000; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, $500,- 
 ooo; Dallas, Texas, $300,000; Scranton, Pennsylvania, 
 $450,000; Rochester, New York, $350,000; Pittsburgh, 
 Pennsylvania, $250,000; Burlington, Iowa, $250,000; 
 Newark, New Jersey, $160,000; New Orleans, Louisiana, 
 $125,000; Atlanta, Georgia, $100,000. 
 
 Another gain which comes to a city from war gar- 
 dening is the improvement in the appearance of the 
 place; and added beauty means added worth. The 
 poet who sang that "a thing of beauty is a joy for- 
 ever" might have written with equal truthfulness 
 although, of course, we do not expect the minds of 
 poets to run in such practical and commercial channels 
 that it is also a " thing of value forever. " In the long 
 run those improvements which add to the beauty of 
 a city or community add also to its material prosperity 
 and to its civic progress. 
 
 For this reason chambers of commerce and other trade 
 organizations do good service for their communities 
 when they urge the cleaning-up of all vacant lots and 
 open spaces and their conversion into gardens. Travel- 
 ers have noted how much better many towns looked 
 during the past year or two because of the fact that 
 most of the back yards "fronting" on the railroad tracks 
 have been improved into clean, well-kept vegetable 
 plots. The average back yard is bare of flowers, as 
 these are reserved for the place of honor in front 
 of the house; and so a vegetable garden in the space 
 at the rear is highly to be commended as an attraction 
 
ioo THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 to the place. A person renting or buying a piece of 
 property which displays a healthy and prosperous- 
 looking garden is immediately put into a more favor- 
 able frame of mind by the sight of this growing food 
 and is willing to pay more for the place. 
 
 As to the vacant lots which straggled and scrambled 
 along many city streets before the days of war gardens, 
 nothing more than a mere statement of fact is neces- 
 sary to convince any one that the removal of these 
 "sore spots" is advantageous in many ways. These 
 barren lands, with their unsightly briars and weeds, 
 their ugly ash-heaps and piles of litter, detracted not 
 only frdm the appearance but from the commercial 
 value of all the surrounding property. 
 
 In hundreds of cases it was not realized until an ac- 
 tual enumeration was made, how many acres of such 
 unused land there were in a city. There was scarcely 
 a town of any size which did not contain a total of 
 hundreds of acres of such idle, useless land. With 
 little effort these unsightly lots can be converted into 
 rich gardens to help feed the city and the nation. To 
 clean up all such places, therefore, and to put them to 
 profitable use, is a standing advertisement for the city. 
 Furthermore, the example of one city leads to a dupli- 
 cation of the good work elsewhere and an effort to 
 improve on it. Thus the gain of one is the gain of all. 
 The city benefits, the state benefits, the nation benefits. 
 
 Cleveland surpassed itself in war gardening. As a 
 result of the very active campaign conducted there 
 under the auspices of the war garden committee, a 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 101 
 
 sub-committee of the mayor's advisory war committee, 
 40,000 war gardens were planted in 1918. The city had 
 set out to make it 25,000 but went far beyond this 
 figure. George A. Schneider, chairman of the commit- 
 tee, mapped out a broad and comprehensive campaign 
 which resulted in a splendid record. Carl F. Knirk, 
 garden director, was untiring in his efforts to make the 
 work a complete success. A survey was made of every 
 vacant lot in the city and its suburbs, with high- 
 school boys aiding in this collection of data in their 
 respective districts. Six paid instructors were engaged 
 and each placed in charge of a certain district. Three 
 tractor plows prepared the ground in the larger tracts. 
 Other agencies cooperated in the movement. These 
 included women's clubs, schools, business houses, and 
 manufacturing concerns. Western Reserve Univer- 
 sity introduced a course in home gardening and it was 
 opened to some of the garden clubs and women inter- 
 ested in the work. Many of the industrial plants 
 provided land for their employes and hundreds of fine 
 gardens were the result. The companies also encour- 
 aged their men in the conservation of their garden 
 products. Thousands of the Commission's war vege- 
 table gardening and canning and drying books were 
 distributed to the city's home food growers through the 
 Cleveland Public Library and the Cleveland Public 
 Schools and through the Cleveland Trust Company, 
 the Citizens Savings and Trust Company, the Superior 
 Savings and Trust Company, the Guardian Savings and 
 Trust Company, and other public-spirited institutions. 
 
102 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 Even a beautiful city park system loses none of its 
 charm when a part of it is turned to utilitarian purposes. 
 Historic Boston Common was none the less attractive 
 to the passer-by during the season of 1918 because a 
 fine demonstration war garden was growing at one 
 side of it. Even when the necessities of war do not 
 make it such an important and desirable prospect, a 
 trim and well-cultivated series of vegetable plots such 
 as displayed their patriotic beauty there, would not 
 detract from the natural beauty of the landscape. 
 
 Potomac Park, in the shadow of the tall and stately 
 Washington Monument, was a constant source of 
 pleasure to the thousands of automobilists who sped 
 along the river driveway. In the afternoon and twi- 
 light the sight of hundreds of war gardeners cultivat- 
 ing their vegetable patches in sight of the White House 
 and the majestic dome of the Capitol was a picture 
 never to be forgotten. Down at the lower end of the 
 Chesapeake Bay near where busy transports were 
 loading their precious human freight and their supplies 
 for France, the Commission on Beautifying the City of 
 Norfolk took charge of the war-garden campaign and 
 conducted it to a successful conclusion, adding more 
 than $200,000 worth of vegetables to the food wealth 
 of that rich truck-growing section of the country. 
 
 In New York City an extremely interesting war 
 garden was growing in Bryant Park. There in the 
 heart of the great metropolis, shaded by over-towering 
 sky-scrapers and beside the majestic public library, 
 a small war garden spoke its message to the world. 
 This demonstration plot was under the direction of 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 103 
 
 A. N. Gitterman, chairman of the war garden com- 
 mittee of the Department of Parks for the Borough of 
 Manhattan. The little garden-house which stood there 
 was dedicated in the spring of 1918, and from this 
 center were distributed large quantities of the National 
 War Garden Commission's books and other literature 
 to help the "city farmers" of Greater New York. The 
 work of this garden, like that of the millions of other 
 war gardens throughout the country, was helping to 
 keep the light burning on the Statue of Liberty at 
 the entrance of thi's great harbor of a free country. 
 
 In his report at the end of the season to William F. 
 Grell, Park Commissioner of the Borough of Manhat- 
 tan, Mr. Gitterman said: 
 
 We maintained two demonstration gardens, one at 
 Union Square, Fourteenth Street and Broadway, and 
 the other at Bryant Park, Forty-Second Street and 
 Sixth Avenue, where headquarters are maintained in a 
 model garden-house which was donated to the city by 
 the National War Garden Commission of Washington. 
 This garden has been a great success from its dedication 
 when President Pack turned the first spade of earth in 
 this most valuable garden-plot in the world. 
 
 Intensive gardening was here profitably demonstrated 
 as is shown by the results achieved in the limited area 
 allotted to each variety. Small blackboards explained 
 each operation in the little garden when the supervisor 
 was working, planting, weeding, cultivating, thinning, 
 spraying, or picking. In addition, information in detail 
 was given on the special bulletin-board concerning in- 
 sects and their control, weeds and their relation to agri- 
 culture, spraying formulae, seed varieties, plant diseases, 
 and other garden data of interest to the war gardener. 
 
104 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 In the Borough of Manhattan there was an increase, 
 according to the report, of seventy per cent, in the war- 
 gardening activities of 1918 as compared with the year 
 preceding. In 1919 it is expected that every available 
 vacant lot will be planted. 
 
 More than one hundred and sixty loads of manure 
 were furnished during the season of 1918 and delivered 
 to the gardens from the various riding academies near 
 Central Park. 
 
 The demonstration garden in Union Square had soil 
 but a foot in depth over the subway roof and this served 
 to impress upon the minds of pessimistic owners of 
 vacant land the value of cultivation even under a 
 handicap, as the results obtained from this one foot 
 of soil were considerable. 
 
 A constant stream of visitors recorded their names 
 and addresses in the guest-book at the little garden- 
 house in Bryant Park. People from almost every city 
 in the United States and a great number from European 
 countries inspected the place. 
 
 Cities, as well as individuals, can entertain angels 
 unaware, and many a community that encouraged 
 war gardening purely as a patriotic measure, has found 
 that city farming is a paying as well as a patriotic 
 activity. Bread cast upon the waters, in the form of 
 gardening efforts to help a famishing world, has re- 
 turned after many days as a rich reward in increased 
 civic wealth and betterment. Decidedly, war gardens 
 are an asset to any city. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 THE PART PLAYED BY DAYLIGHT SAVING 
 
 How " CITY FARMERS " WERE ENABLED TO TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK 
 
 BECAUSE of the Daylight Saving Law war gar- 
 dens added far more to the nation's food supply 
 in the season of 1918 than would have been pos- 
 sible otherwise. This law was in operation during seven 
 months of the year, from the last Sunday in March 
 until the last Sunday in October. The impetus which 
 this gave to the movement and the material gain re- 
 sulting therefrom were almost inestimable. That the 
 measure increased by many millions of dollars the 
 value of the food grown is undoubted. 
 
 An idea of what this extra hour of daylight meant 
 to the war gardeners of the country may be gathered 
 from the actual amount of working time it presented 
 as a free gift to the home food producers. This extra 
 hour given each afternoon to the war gardener meant 
 a total of 182 hours during seven months of twenty- 
 six working days each. Multiplying this figure by 
 the number of war gardeners in the United States 
 5,285,000 it gives the stupendous aggregate of 
 961,870,000 hours of time, or 329,407 years of eight- 
 hour days. 
 
 More than 300,000 years were thus added to this 
 one industry alone by a single piece of legislation, laws 
 
 similar to which had been adopted by fifteen other 
 
 105 
 
io6 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 countries before the United States followed their ex- 
 ample in the spring of 1918. 
 
 To secure the passage of the Daylight Saving Law 
 the National War Garden Commission used its in- 
 fluence, and many of the leaders in the war-garden 
 movement throughout the country urged upon Con- 
 gress the vital need and the value of this statute. The 
 congressional committee which had the measure in 
 charge showed its realization of the effect the law would 
 have on gardening by mentioning it most prominently 
 in its report. This document said in part: 
 
 In view of the increased food production which will 
 be brought about under the bill, the comfort and the 
 convenience which it will bring to laborers and the 
 public generally, and the saving of expenses, especially 
 relating to light and fuel, it is believed by our committee 
 that the measure should be enacted. 
 
 That the measure accomplished all that was expected 
 of it, and was of inestimable value in helping the United 
 States in its gigantic war preparations, is the testimony 
 of the nation. In a statement on the subject at the 
 conclusion of the first year's operation of the law, Sen- 
 ator Calder of New York, author of the bill, called 
 particular attention to its benefit to war gardeners. 
 He said: 
 
 The Daylight Saving Law which became effective on 
 the last Sunday in March has more than fulfilled the 
 prophecies of its advocates. It has really turned one 
 hour of night into day. People live by custom. They 
 rise in the morning by the clock; they eat their meals 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 107 
 
 by the clock, and go to bed by the clock, so that 
 during the time this law has been in operation a vast 
 majority of the people of this country have been awake 
 one hour more of daylight and asleep one hour more of 
 dark than they were formerly. This additional hour of 
 daylight has been most helpful to the men, women, and 
 children of the nation who have taken advantage of it 
 to plant war gardens, thereby not only relieving the 
 strain upon the farm but to a very considerable degree 
 tending toward economy in family expenditures. It 
 has also saved in gas and electric bills not less than ten 
 per cent, of the money formerly spent for this purpose. 
 In addition, it has saved during its seven months of 
 operation this year at least one million tons of coal. 
 It has afforded in the construction of cantonments for 
 our army, in the manufacture of munitions and war 
 supplies of every character, and in the building of ships 
 one hour more of daylight for the men engaged in these 
 industries. 
 
 It is a universal practice for working men and women 
 to begin their day's labor at eight o'clock and in some 
 industries at seven o'clock in the morning. They can- 
 not be induced to work before seven o'clock, but, with 
 the long evening produced by this law, those who labor 
 have been induced to work additional hours at night 
 where the exigencies of the occasion demanded it. With- 
 out question this bill has been most helpful in the great 
 war work in which this nation was engaged. 
 
 The Daylight Saving Law will be in effect again in 
 1919 and each succeeding year unless it is revoked by 
 further legislation, for the bill as passed provided that 
 "at two o'clock antemeridian of the last Sunday in 
 March of each year the standard time of each zone 
 
io8 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 shall be advanced one hour, and at two o'clock ante- 
 meridian of the last Sunday in October in each year 
 the standard time of the zone shall, by the retarding 
 of one hour, be returned to the mean astronomical time 
 of the degree of longitude governing said zone." Its 
 benefits, therefore, will continue, and as the number of 
 home food producers increases the resulting gain will 
 be greater. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 THE FUTURE OF WAR GARDENING 
 
 THE FRUITS OF PEACE TO SPRING FROM THE SEEDS OF VICTORY 
 
 COMING events, we are told, cast their shadows 
 before. Among the prophetic shadows now hov- 
 ering over us is a finger of cloud which points to 
 vital changes in the business of feeding the world. In- 
 deed, these changes are already taking place. In part 
 they have taken place, but many of us, being of those 
 who have eyes yet do not see, are still unaware that the 
 old order has changed and that the new order of things 
 has come to pass. 
 
 No other single occupation born of the war has 
 affected a greater number of people than has gardening. 
 Starting from a mere nothing before the United States 
 entered the war, this form of service grew in less than 
 two years into a new occupation, which numbered its 
 followers by the millions and, in the number of people 
 employed, exceeded any other branch of gainful occu- 
 pation with the single exception of actual farming. 
 
 The fact that such a vast number of American citi- 
 zens took up this work shows that they appreciated 
 the merit of it, and this is one of the reasons for the 
 confident prediction that war gardening has come to 
 stay. It is something that the world will not willingly 
 let die. Home food production will continue because 
 
 it has been found worth while; and, like other things 
 
 109 
 
i io THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 which this war has demonstrated to be of value and 
 benefit to mankind, it will last. 
 
 War gardening will permanently establish itself be- 
 cause its peace-time value will fully equal its war-time 
 worth. This will be true at all times, but more partic- 
 ularly during the first five or ten years of the great 
 reconstruction period. During that period the matter 
 of food production will be of the most pressing im- 
 portance. It will be on a par with many of the other 
 enormous reconstruction problems which face the world. 
 It will require the continued application of broad 
 thought and effort. There will be no decrease in the 
 demand for foo,d; in fact that demand will really be 
 greater, much greater, than it was during the days of 
 actual conflict. 
 
 This will be true because the coming of peace means 
 the restoration of the freedom of the seas, and freedom 
 of the seas means a restored commerce. German sav- 
 agery and the frightfulness of unrestrained subma- 
 rine warfare have largely driven the world's ordinary 
 commerce from the seas; and much of that commerce 
 was traffic in foodstuffs. For decades, even centuries, 
 Europe has been dependent upon the remainder of the 
 world for food to eke out its own inadequate supplies. 
 Before the war, for example, England, according to 
 the United States Food Administration, produced but 
 one-fifth of her own foodstuffs, while France raised one- 
 half of hers, and Italy produced perhaps two-thirds of 
 what she consumed. What was true of these nations 
 was true of the remainder of Europe. Unless food could 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS in 
 
 be obtained from foreign sources, hunger was sure to 
 visit practically every European nation. The shutting 
 off of commerce by German piracy has meant star- 
 vation, literal starvation, to multitudes of innocent 
 persons. 
 
 The restoration of commerce means that all these 
 starving nations will send their ships to America for 
 food, food, and still more food. The number of these 
 innocent neutral victims of German savagery is put 
 by the United States Food Administration at 180,000,- 
 ooo persons ! Russia, too, is disorganized and starving, 
 and her population numbers 160,000,000! 
 
 If figures never lie, the burden we must carry in time 
 of peace, as indicated by statistics, is truly appal- 
 ling. When the war began we were feeding our own 
 100,000,000 people and sending abroad a relatively 
 small and constantly decreasing surplus. To our 100,- 
 000,000 we had to add the 120,000,000 people of the 
 Entente allied nations. Speedily we found that our 
 claim that America was "the granary of the world" 
 was an empty boast. Merely to provide food sufficient 
 to enable our allies to eke out their own stores taxed 
 us to the utmost. Only through decreased consump- 
 tion, by having recourse to wheatless and meatless days, 
 by lessening our use of butter, milk, sugar, and other 
 exportable foods could we send enough to keep our 
 allies from actual starvation. 
 
 During the three years preceding the war, our ex- 
 ports of meat were just short of an average of 500,- 
 000,000 pounds a year. In 1917 we shipped abroad 
 
H2 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 2,000,000,000 pounds an increase of 400 per cent. In 
 the same way our exports of butter in 1913 totaled 
 slightly more than 3,500,000 pounds. In 1917 we ex- 
 ported, in round numbers, 26,750,000 pounds. Before 
 the war our shipments of cheese averaged 2,500,000 
 pounds. In 1917 they exceeded 66,000,000 pounds. 
 Our exportation of condensed milk jumped from 
 16,500,000 pounds to 259,000,000 pounds. 
 
 If the feeding of our 120,000,000 allies made such a 
 drain on our resources, what will happen now that 
 180,000,000 starving neutrals also come to us for food; 
 when Russia's helpless 160,000,000 thrust their hands 
 across the sea to us, even as the sinking Peter appealed 
 to Christ, saying, "Save me or I perish"? Now that 
 peace has come; now that Germany and Austria are 
 again to be admitted to the society of nations, as even- 
 tually they must be, how can we prevent their hungry 
 multitudes another 100,000,000 souls from also en- 
 tering our markets and bidding for our food supplies? 
 Already our former foes are begging piteously for food, 
 and President Wilson has assured them that their 
 appeals will be heeded. 
 
 $$Now that these things have come to pass, we must 
 feed or help to feed, not 220,000,000 people as during 
 the war, but an additional 440,000,000. In short, now 
 that the war is ended and commerce restored, we must 
 help to]ffeed|two-thirds of a billion of people ! 
 
 Food Administrator Hoover recognized this condition 
 as inevitable, and when the armistice was signed he was 
 prepared to reckon with it. With the cessation of hos- 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 113 
 
 tilities he marshalled the food forces of America and 
 proceeded at once to Europe to join hands with the 
 food forces of England and the Continent to the end 
 that starvation might be prevented. As one of his 
 initial steps, before sailing, he asked that the war gar- 
 dens of America be maintained and expanded. To 
 the Victory Gardeners, he gave the impetus of his 
 urgent plea for continued effort in the cause of food 
 production. 
 
 The signing of the armistice caused complete and 
 peremptory re vision of the figures dealing with America's 
 obligations toward meeting the world's demand for food. 
 During the war we had to furnish food for France and 
 Belgium, but they were a France and Belgium greatly 
 reduced in area because of German invasion. Much 
 of their territory and millions of their people were 
 held by the enemy, shut off from their own countries 
 and therefore compelled to depend in part on the in- 
 vaders for subsistence. To-day these people are repat- 
 riated. Their restoration to citizenship has brought 
 the obligation to feed them. 
 
 While the direct burden falls on France and Belgium, 
 these countries must look to America for ways and 
 means. By all the ties of international friendship, by 
 a sense of gratitude for the part these countries played 
 in winning the war, by geographical location and by 
 inherent capacity to provide food, America is the one 
 country able to meet the call. We must also provide 
 for the smaller allied nations which have been under 
 German oppression Serbia, Rumania, Greece, the 
 
 8 
 
ii4 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 Czechs, the Jugoslavs, the starving population of North- 
 ern Russia and the people of other countries in Europe. 
 
 The revision of figures necessitated by the armistice 
 gave new meaning to America's responsibility. The 
 original pledge madeby theUnited States was 17,500,000 
 tons of food to be shipped overseas during the year. 
 This amount of food was 50 per cent, greater than that 
 which was sent the year before. With Belgium and 
 France liberated and millions in south central Europe 
 clamoring for food, the United States undertook to 
 increase its exports from 17,500,000 to 20,000,000 tons. 
 
 To meet the demands for food America has two 
 sources of supply. Food can be raised only en the 
 farms, by those who make a business of production, and 
 on the lands of our cities, towns and villages. No other 
 sources exist. The 40,000,000 acres of farm land under 
 cultivation have already probably reached their maxi- 
 mum of possible production for the immediate present. 
 It is obvious, therefore, that if we are to give the world 
 more food the new supply which will make this possible 
 must come from the only remaining source the small 
 gardens in our urban and suburban communities. 
 
 The changed conditions brought into being by the 
 signing of the armistice caused the National War Gar- 
 den Commission to continue its work with increased 
 earnestness in 1919. The armistice caused hostilities 
 to be suspended but it did not increase the food supply 
 nor feed the hungry. The world's new demand for food 
 made it imperative that the Victory Gardens meet and 
 surpass the record of the war gardens. To do its share 
 
Sow the seeds f Victory* 
 
 plant 
 raise 
 your own 
 Vegetable 
 
 RECEIVED CERTIFICATE NUMBER ONE 
 
 Mrs. Frank P. Brown, of Cincinnati, captured first honors with her war-garden display of 
 
 canned vegetables at several exhibits where she was an entrant. She was awarded the first National 
 
 Capitol Prize Certificate offered by the National War Garden Commission in 1918, to blue-ribbon 
 
 winners in this class at fairs and exhibits all over the country. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 115 
 
 toward bringing this about, to meet the urgent appeal 
 of Mr. Hoover and to help feed a starving continent, 
 the Commission realized that no relaxation was to be 
 considered and its campaign for 1919 was on a broader 
 and more vigorous scale than during the conflict. 
 
 This terrific demand for food will be not a matter of 
 one season only. For years and years we must con- 
 tinue to supply unheard-of amounts of food. Indeed 
 it would have been almost as easy to put Humpty 
 Dumpty together again as it will be to restore Europe's 
 agriculture. The soil of thousands of acres has liter- 
 ally been blown away by high explosives. Practically 
 all the lands in the embattled nations have decreased 
 in producing power through poor handling, neglect, and 
 lack of fertilizers during the war. And of the host of 
 farmers that toiled to feed Europe before the war, 
 millions now lie beneath the soil they tilled, and other 
 millions, maimed and crippled, can never again turn a 
 furrow or harness a horse. As long ago as 1916 the 
 shortage of cattle, hogs, and sheep in Europe totaled 
 115,000,000 head; and without livestock to produce 
 manures years must elapse before Europe's produc- 
 tion is restored to normal. 
 
 Since American farmers cannot produce all the food 
 needed, American gardeners must continue and extend 
 their merciful work of helping to supply the food needs 
 of the world. Instead of lessening their efforts, they will 
 be called upon to add as much as possible to their pro- 
 ductive capacity because of the additional mouths to 
 be fed. They are offered a new opportunity to help. 
 
ii6 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 There is no question that the cultivators of our war 
 gardens, now become victory gardens, will continue 
 their labors. 
 
 For a decade or two before the war, there was deep 
 study and much discussion of the problem as to how to 
 check the exodus from the farm to the city; but argu- 
 ment and discussion availed nothing, and the exodus 
 continued. In the "city farmer" has been found a 
 partial answer to the stay-on-the-farm idea. Ambi- 
 tious young men and women will not remain in the 
 country where comforts are denied and where advan- 
 tages of education and social life are few; but they will 
 be glad to farm in the city. The victory garden has 
 opened the way. By this means almost every one 
 becomes a food producer. 
 
 Furthermore, increasing prices will make it desir- 
 able to the individual, and the growing demand for 
 food will make it desirable from the country's point 
 of view, that every one help to feed himself. The read- 
 justment which must come out of the war calls for 
 powers as Herculean as those it has been necessary 
 to put forth during the terrible struggle against "Kul- 
 tur." This reconstruction work calls for every bit of 
 man-power that can be found. It is a question not of 
 months but of years before this up-building is com- 
 pleted. In France, Belgium, Poland, Italy, Russia, and 
 other European countries, the rebuilding of cities and 
 churches, railroads and bridges, docks and roads, houses 
 and barns, the remaking of trench-scarred and shell- 
 torn farms, and many other big works, must be per- 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 117 
 
 formed. So we can look for no huge immigration after 
 the war to solve our labor problem, and that problem 
 is acute. There are no ruined cities to be rebuilt, or 
 devastated farms to be restored in the United States, 
 but there are innumerable construction tasks to be 
 done that have been put aside during the war. 
 
 Thousands of miles of road to mention a single 
 task will have to be completely rebuilt. The day of 
 the heavy motor-truck as a means of transportation 
 between city and city has come to stay, and for its 
 accommodation there must be a strengthening of roads. 
 This is one of the great tasks awaiting the army of 
 men returning from the battle-fields. The construction 
 of new buildings in our cities, checked by war-time 
 need of material and men, must be resumed and lost 
 time must be made up. Cities will need many improve- 
 ments which will keep the workers of the world busy. 
 In these and a hundred other ways there will be steady 
 call for the men released from strictly war work. 
 
 All these facts point to the increasing value of the 
 victory garden. It will be just as important a factor 
 m the life of the nation and the community after the 
 war as was the war garden during the conflict. The 
 need for gardens will last for many years; and during 
 that time, the value of gardening will have become so 
 apparent that the movement will continue indefinitely. 
 It will have become a habit fixed and firmly implanted 
 in the hearts and lives of the people of the country. 
 
 In addition to all this, gardening has been found to 
 be a health measure. It has been used in the rehabili- 
 
ii8 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 tation of convalescent soldiers. Around the hospitals 
 in Europe, almost since the beginning of the war, vege- 
 table plots have furnished the means for providing easy 
 and pleasant outdoor work for convalescents, which 
 acted as a tonic to their shattered nerves and bodies. 
 Similarly, at the hospitals and army camps in the 
 United States this form of activity was employed to 
 help in the rebuilding of disabled and convalescing 
 soldiers. 
 
 In the great reconstruction work at the Walter Reed 
 hospital, which lies in the outskirts of the nation's 
 capital, a fifteen-acre war garden proved of much thera- 
 peutic value in the treatment of men suffering from 
 various diseases. In addition to helping them regain 
 their health and strength, gardening trained these men 
 for the future and equipped them to make their own 
 living and become valuable citizens of any community 
 when they should leave active service. Part of the large 
 war garden at Camp Dix, New Jersey, adjoined the base 
 hospital; and potatoes and other vegetables were grow- 
 ing during the season of 1918 up to the very porches on 
 which some of the invalids had to sit in their wheel-chairs. 
 
 Sailors as well as soldiers need fresh vegetables to 
 eat, but they cannot grow vegetables at sea. To over- 
 come this handicap a movement was started through- 
 out the United Kingdom to give naval men a supply of 
 fresh vegetables whenever they got to port. Navy 
 vegetable rations formerly consisted of potatoes only, 
 and a few dried or canned products which could be 
 kept a long time and stored in small space. The new 
 
" 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 119 
 
 British organization soon had eight hundred branches 
 and collecting depots throughout the United Kingdom. 
 Headquarters were established in London, with Admi- 
 ral Lord Beresford as president. The patrons included 
 many prominent people, but its members ranged from 
 the owners of large estates, contributing regular sup- 
 plies weekly, to the small schoolboy with only a ten- 
 foot plot to cultivate. Not long after the work got 
 under way, 300,000 pounds of fresh vegetables and 
 fruits were being furnished weekly to the British navy. 
 In speaking of this work and its value, Rear Admiral 
 Lionel Halsey, third lord of the Admiralty, said: 
 
 Those associated with the Vegetable Products Com- 
 mittee can happily feel that this work is of priceless 
 value, for without a vegetable food the men of the fleet 
 could not have so thoroughly performed their work in 
 the past; nor will they be able to do so in the future 
 without a continuance of this splendid work as effici- 
 ently and as generously as in the past. Its value may 
 be realized when it is stated that these supplies are an 
 invaluable factor in keeping the men in good health 
 and fitness. 
 
 What is true in the case of the stalwart men of the 
 British navy, is true of all other members of society, of 
 high and low degree. There is need for vegetable food. 
 The body is kept in better condition if it does not de- 
 pend too largely on a meat diet. Victory gardening will 
 add greatly to the proportion of greens which will enter 
 into the diet of the American people. 
 
 The future of gardening, therefore, is assured. It is 
 
120 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 such an important economic gain, and its benefits in 
 other ways are so numerous, that the army of home 
 food producers themselves will be its strongest and most 
 ardent champions. Both by practice and by precept 
 they will continue to spread the gospel of "Food F. O. B. 
 the Kitchen Door." Just as the army which has fought 
 for justice, decency, and civilization will see to it that 
 these principles are maintained in every part of the 
 world, so the soldiers of the soil in city, town, and vil- 
 lage, millions of whom have tested the worth of garden- 
 ing, will be its future champions and defenders. It is 
 in these ways that the seeds of victory will insure the 
 fruits of peace. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 CONSERVING THE GARDEN SURPLUS 
 
 How HOUSEWIVES TURNED THEIR RESERVES INTO PRESERVES 
 
 FROM the governments of the Entente Allies and 
 the associated nations, whose territory girdled 
 the earth, came the cry for conservation. There 
 was need for this cry. Never in the world's history was 
 material of all kinds used up in such quantities. More 
 than once, in a three-hour preparation for a short ad- 
 vance, a greater number of shells had to be employed 
 than were fired in the entire Franco-Prussian War. 
 Shells are but a type. Everything was used in unheard- 
 of quantities. This was particularly true of food, the 
 basic material upon which the entire structure of vic- 
 tory rested. Speedily it became apparent that every- 
 thing possible must be saved old cartridge cases, old 
 shoes, old shells, old clothes, old materials of every 
 sort and particularly food. This was especially true 
 of food because material like old shoes or old shells 
 could be used repeatedly; but food once eaten was 
 gone forever. As the world's food supply became more 
 inadequate the cry for conservation grew more and 
 more insistent. 
 
 "Turn your reserves into preserves!" became the 
 order of the day among the women all over the country. 
 With this as their slogan they made ready by the mil- 
 lion to build up a second line of defense which would 
 
 121 
 
122 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 serve as an effective bulwark against the enemy. The 
 call to make "Every Garden a Munition Plant" was 
 supplemented by the women with the motto: "Every 
 Kitchen a Canning Factory." Every facility that 
 could be found was utilized to carry on this effort. 
 Women's clubs everywhere urged upon their members 
 and others the importance of this work. Community 
 kitchens were opened for the convenience and assistance 
 of those who did not have the means or the time, at 
 home, to preserve all the vegetables grown in their 
 gardens. 
 
 It was necessary that a certain amount of informa- 
 tion concerning new and scientific methods of canning 
 be furnished with the appeals made to women to pro- 
 ceed with the work, so the National War Garden Com- 
 mission furnished precise and practical instructions. 
 This it did in a number of ways. A comprehensive but 
 concise canning and drying book was prepared by 
 scientific experts and printed by the Commission for 
 free distribution. Several million copies of this manual 
 were given out during the first season of the garden 
 campaign; and an equal number of the improved and 
 revised editions which were issued in 1918 and 1919. 
 These went to hundreds of thousands of individuals 
 who applied for them, to libraries, local canning clubs 
 and committees, chambers of commerce, and other 
 trade bodies, banks, and manufacturing concerns, 
 schools, hundreds of emergency home demonstration 
 agents of the United States Department of Agricul- 
 ture, and to state, county, and city food administrators. 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 123 
 
 A series of canning lessons was prepared by the Com- 
 mission's experts. These were supplied to the news- 
 papers of the country, hundreds of which ran them as 
 daily instructions. With many of them illustrations 
 were used, showing the various steps in the cold-pack 
 method of canning, and giving other educational hints 
 in pictorial form so as to attract the eye of the home 
 food conserver and make the work plainer. News 
 stories telling what was being done along this line in 
 various sections of the country were published in the 
 daily pres,s; and large numbers of feature articles were 
 written and widely circulated. 
 
 To arouse further interest in the work and to encour- 
 age the best possible efforts, recognition was accorded 
 by the National War Garden Commission for excellence 
 of product. This was in addition to local prizes and 
 awards and was in the form of National Capitol Prize 
 Certificates which were given to the blue-ribbon or 
 first-prize winners at exhibits and fairs for the best 
 displays of canned vegetables from war gardens. With 
 these certificates the Commission gave money awards, 
 the first year in cash, and the second year in thrift 
 stamps. 
 
 Many large manufacturing concerns which had ex- 
 tended aid to their employes in planting gardens held 
 fairs at which the products raised were displayed and 
 prizes awarded in the various classes. At a number of 
 these the Commission's certificate constituted the grand 
 prize which went to the sweepstakes-wi'nner in the 
 canned-vegetable class. Not only did hundreds of 
 
124 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 industrial plants, large and small, provide land for 
 their men, prepare it for cultivation and divide it into 
 small individual plots, but they also made arrange- 
 ments for the wives of their workers to can their sur- 
 plus products in kitchens set apart for the purpose and 
 with capable instructors placed in charge to show the 
 women how to obtain the best results. 
 
 The appeal to the women of the United States to 
 "Back Up the Cannon with the Canner" met with 
 loyal response. Testimony has been given by promi- 
 nent officials, governmental, military, and civil that the 
 war could not have been won without the aid of the 
 women. They took places left vacant by men in mu- 
 nition factories, on the farms, and in a hundred other 
 activities. It will never be possible to estimate accu- 
 rately the extent to which they made victory a cer- 
 tainty. But to no class of women is there due a greater 
 meed of praise than to the silent millions all over the 
 country who helpqd to save food. While their sisters 
 were working in munition factories, these women in 
 countless numbers were packing away "ammunition" 
 in jars so that the boys in France might always have 
 a supply. Soon after he landed in France, General 
 Pershing sent a message to America. It said: "Keep 
 the Food Coming. " The women of the country obeyed 
 the order. With ladles and spoons instead of bayonets, 
 with wash-boilers in place of tanks, and with cans and 
 jars as their weapons instead of hand-grenades and 
 bombs, they performed valiant service. 
 
 They made a fine start in 1917 when, from the 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 125 
 
 surplus products of the millions of war gardens, they 
 preserved something like 500,000,000 quart jars of 
 vegetables and fruits. In the following season they 
 far surpassed their previous record and, according to 
 estimates, stowed away approximately 1,450,000,000 
 quart jars of garden produce. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 COMMUNITY CONSERVATION 
 
 How AMERICAN CITIES BACKED UP THE CANNON WITH THE CANNER 
 
 ENORMOUS as was the quantity of food packed 
 away in cans by American housewives in the 
 summer of 1918, the quantity so conserved 
 represented only a fraction of the surplus of American 
 war gardens. Home canning could not begin to take 
 care of the excess, and therefore, in order that the 
 Scriptural injunction be followed and "nothing be lost," 
 it was necessary to establish conservation on a com- 
 munity basis, just as it had been found helpful to 
 stimulate production through community gardening. 
 These organized forms of conservation took the shape 
 of community markets for the distribution, and com- 
 munity canneries for the preservation, of the garden 
 surplus. 
 
 Though the Commission limited its efforts along 
 these lines to the furnishing of instructions for conserv- 
 ing food, the work of the community centers for the 
 sale of garden surplus proved most helpful and is worthy 
 of mention. The usual custom was for the community 
 club or other organization conducting the market to 
 charge ten per cent, for selling the products. Many 
 war gardeners found the community markets an excel- 
 lent medium for disposing of surplus vegetables not 
 
 needed for home consumption. Purchasers, too, were 
 126 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 127 
 
 glad of the opportunity afforded by the community 
 market to secure vegetables that were fresh and choice. 
 One of the most prosperous and successful of these 
 community markets was at Oakland, California, under 
 the direction of Mrs. James Hamilton, the city direc- 
 tor of food production, who showed courage and energy 
 in pushing her project to success. It will be well to 
 let her tell something of her own story. Here is part 
 of what she has to say: 
 
 So far this market has been the means of saving hun- 
 dreds of tons of vegetables and fruits, together with 
 quantities of berries, eggs, chickens, pigeons, rabbits 
 and honey. The greater part, if not all, of the perish- 
 ables otherwise would have been wasted. This market 
 has taken care of the war-garden supplies of our city 
 since it was opened, together with the supplies of several 
 of our big growers of both fruits and vegetables. It will 
 be a very great means of stimulating production for 
 next year because the grower knows he will be given a 
 place where he can market his supplies advantageously. 
 
 In Brookline, Massachusetts, a community market 
 was established in an unused church, placed at the dis- 
 posal of the market committee by the trustees. Here, 
 on two days of each week, surplus garden products 
 could be brought for sale. As gardening had been stim- 
 ulated to the maximum there was much to be sold. 
 Those who wished to sell their own products were pro- 
 vided, at nominal rental, with individual tables. Sales 
 were made by the market committee for those not 
 wishing to sell in person. For this service a small per- 
 
128 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 centage of the selling-price was charged. To this mar- 
 ket were brought products from the school-gardens, the 
 surplus from back-yard gardens, and the excess from 
 community garden-patches on great estates, where 
 ground had been lent by the owners for the use of per- 
 sons who had no garden space. Vast as was the amount 
 of produce that poured into the market from all these 
 sources, every particle of it was sold; and ordinarily the 
 market was sold out long before the established hour 
 of closing. Thus, at practically no expense, and merely 
 by utilizing facilities at hand, the people of Brookline 
 saved an enormous quantity of food that otherwise 
 would almost surely have gone to waste. 
 
 The women of Roselle, New Jersey, wished to es- 
 tablish a community market, but lacked what would 
 ordinarily be considered adequate facilities, until they 
 secured the use of a vacant lot in the town, and then 
 induced the town council to keep the lot clean. Here, 
 on given days of each week, were brought all the sur- 
 plus products of home gardens and even the excess of 
 neighboring farms which were sold to those who had 
 no gardens or who wished to buy products that they 
 could not raise in their own yards. Thus the excess of the 
 entire neighborhood was brought together and utilized. 
 
 At first glance Roselle, like many another small town, 
 had no place which seemed fitted for a community 
 cannery. It had a schoolhouse, however, and that 
 schoolhouse had a kitchen. Presto! It became a com- 
 munity cannery. At the community market the con- 
 servation committee bought from day to day such 
 
We Can 
 
 National War Garden 
 Commission 
 
 WASHINGTON, B.C. 
 
 SERVICE FLAG OF THE HOME CANNER 
 
 Window hangers like this went broadcast throughout the United States and Canada. Displayed 
 in front windows they carried to all passers-by the message of canning activities within the 
 homes. The eager demand for these hangers showed the pride of the home canners in their work. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 129 
 
 vegetables as it was desired to can, and the transpor- 
 tation committee conveyed these products, in motor- 
 cars lent for the purpose, to the schoolhouse cannery, 
 where the women of the town did the canning. Thus 
 Roselle did with its might what its hands found to do 
 and did it with what was available. 
 
 In similar spirit of determination the women of 
 Williamsport, Pennsylvania, secured the use of a church 
 kitchen for the summer of 1917 and there began the 
 conservation of community surplus. Under the lead- 
 ership of Mrs. John G. Reading and Mrs. H. C. 
 McCormick, and with the assistance of Mrs. R. F. Allen 
 and many other able women, this task so humbly begun 
 grew in size and importance until the canning system 
 embraced the entire county. In 1918 adequate quar- 
 ters were secured in the business district. Here can- 
 ning outfits were installed, and the women of the city 
 came day after day to put up the surplus from the 
 market and the excess products brought in by farmers. 
 A substantial fund had been voted by the local Com- 
 mittee of Safety to finance this work. Thus the women 
 were able to buy whatever products were brought in. 
 In seven other districts in the county similar work was 
 going on. All the canning centers were run on identical 
 lines and all were affiliated with the central cannery at 
 Williamsport. In this way scores of women throughout 
 the entire county were drawn into the work. Beyond 
 any question this conservation movement had much 
 to do with the remarkable community spirit exhibited 
 throughout the county. 
 
130 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 Another interesting example of a community can- 
 nery was to be found in Salt Lake City. Recognizing 
 the need for food conservation, the city's women first 
 brought about the creation of a community market 
 and later established a community canning kitchen 
 that was run in connection with that market. The 
 work was carried on under the chairmanship of Mrs. 
 C. H. McMahon. 
 
 The cannery itself consisted of one of the large market 
 stalls, temporarily enclosed for the purpose and equip- 
 ped with a complete canning outfit. Mrs. W. F. Adams, 
 president of the city's federated women's clubs, was 
 executive head of the organization. She was on duty 
 daily, arriving at the cannery by 7:30 o'clock in the 
 morning. Each morning the market-master purchased 
 in the market such products as Mrs. Adams desired. 
 Sometimes he secured these products direct from the 
 neighboring farms. Occasionally fruit or vegetables 
 were offered to the cannery free on condition that 
 they be picked and taken away. In such cases troops 
 of Boy Scouts were utilized to do the harvesting and 
 motor-cars, offered for the purpose, were used to bring 
 the food to the cannery. In order that there might 
 be a constant force of women at work, that the labor 
 should not become irksome to any, and that the interest 
 be as widespread as possible, Mrs. Adams appointed six 
 lieutenants to look after the labor supply. Each lieu- 
 tenant was responsible for supplying a given number of 
 hands on one day of each week and each lieutenant 
 procured a certain number of women to pledge them- 
 
tflU ' 
 
 ACHIEVEMENT CLUB GIRLS 
 
 Post-Dispatch Photo. 
 
 These three young St. Louis girls are members of one of the Achievement Clubs'which took an 
 
 active part in many cities in teaching and spreading the doctrine of proper food 
 
 preparation and conservation. Canning of surplus vegetables and fruits 
 
 was one of their most important accomplishments. 
 
- 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 131 
 
 selves to work for her at the cannery on a given day 
 each week. In this way the supply of labor was 
 assured. Usually there was additional help, for all 
 volunteers were welcomed. 
 
 In order that the work might be done scientifically, 
 and the pack be uniform from day to day, everything 
 was done under the direction of a paid expert. Visitors 
 were free to come and watch operations, which were 
 thus a continuous demonstration of scientific canning, 
 and thousands of women who had come to market only 
 to buy products also dropped into the cannery and 
 learned the up-to-date methods. The educational 
 value of this effort was beyond computation. The 
 women of the entire city were reached. 
 
 One of the most interesting conservation efforts 
 reported to the National War Garden Commission was 
 that of the employes in the shop of the Carolina & 
 Northwestern Railway Company at Hickory, North 
 Carolina. So great was their enthusiasm that they 
 took the cylinder from an old engine and turned it 
 into a canning plant. They coupled up this cylinder 
 with the shop steam-boiler, put on a steam-gauge 
 and drain-cock, and inside the cylinder placed three 
 shelves of heavy wire to hold the jars of vegetables 
 and fruits. Their community canning plant was then 
 ready for operation. 
 
 Reports to the Commission from all parts of the 
 country indicated that in a great number of places 
 arrangements were made to preserve surplus garden 
 products through community canneries, and also 
 
132 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 showed the success that attended this effort. Typical 
 of the spirit that animated many of these reports is a 
 statement in a communication from J. D. Parnell, 
 secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, Vernon, Texas. 
 Mr. Parnell wrote: 
 
 We have a community canner and are preserving 
 everything that we grow. We are also going outside of 
 our county into the communities where they are not 
 equipped topreserve perishable stuff and buyingsurplus. 
 We can it and sell it to those who have no gardens. 
 
 Home demonstration agents of the United States 
 Department of Agriculture, women's clubs, represen- 
 tatives of manufacturing concerns, gas and electric 
 companies, and numerous individuals cooperated in this 
 community canning. "The Federation of Women's 
 Clubs and myself cooperating will supervise the mar- 
 keting and the canning of the surplus products of 
 the gardens, " was the report to the Commission from 
 Miss Anna Allen, emergency home demonstration agent 
 at Independence, Kansas. Similar work was performed 
 in hundreds of places. 
 
 The success of these community canneries is indi- 
 cated by many reports such as one from Dallas, Texas, 
 which boasted of 20,000 war gardens in 1918, with 17,500 
 cans of vegetables preserved after the plant had been in 
 operation only a few weeks. This same Texas report 
 told of community canneries at Austin, Beaumont, 
 Marshall, and Corsicana. The last named was in the 
 Odd Fellows Hall and was operated by the children. 
 During the first week of its existence the community 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 133 
 
 cannery at Temple, where there were 5,000 war gardens, 
 took care of one ton of black-eyed peas. The cannery 
 at Beaumont had a capacity of 500 cans daily. 
 
 Thus, in hundreds of community canneries the 
 country over, thousands of women were saving the 
 excess food upon which the fate of democracy rested, 
 and practicing, as they canned, democracy itself. 
 
M 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 CONSERVATION BY DRYING 
 
 How AMERICAN HOUSEWIVES MADE IT HOT FOR THE KAISER 
 
 ARIE ANTOINETTE'S milliner once remarked 
 that there is nothing new except what is 
 forgotten. One of the "new" methods of food 
 conservation practiced by the women of America 
 during the war was that of drying food. To most of 
 them the process was an absolute novelty, yet it is as 
 old as civilization itself. It is merely one of those 
 practices so long out of use as to be forgotten. 
 
 Most of us are familiar with dried apples and the 
 evaporated fruits of California, but there our knowl- 
 edge ends. To most of us it comes as a distinct 
 surprise, almost as a shock, to learn that practically all 
 vegetables and fruits can be preserved for future use 
 by drying. Certainly it was a great surprise to most of 
 the housewives of America when they were asked to 
 conserve food, not only by canning, with even which 
 process many were only slightly acquainted, but also 
 by drying, a method practically unheard of. 
 
 Drying is both economical and simple as a method 
 of preserving food. It requires no elaborate or costly 
 apparatus. The finished product can be kept in any 
 sort of containers that are clean; whereas in canning 
 expensive glass receptacles must be purchased. Dried 
 foods are compact, thus saving space in storing and 
 134 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 135 
 
 shipping. The original quality and flavor of the dried 
 product is largely retained; and when dried foods are 
 restored by proper soaking, they can hardly be dis- 
 tinguished from fresh vegetables and fruits. 
 
 Specifically, dried food products are products free 
 from moisture. The words "dried" and "drying" are 
 applied in general to foods preserved in a compara- 
 tively water-free state, without regard to the method of 
 drying employed. Technically, the term "dried" as 
 applied to food products means products that are dried 
 by exposure to the heat of the sun; "evaporating" 
 is drying by artificial heat; "dehydrating" is drying by 
 artificial air blast, the process often including the appli- 
 cation of artificial heat as well. 
 
 The duration of the drying process varies with the 
 method chosen, the size and degree of compactness of 
 the material to be dried, the variety of the product, 
 the range of temperature, and the humidity of the at- 
 mosphere. Two hours is sufficient time to dry some 
 products by evaporation or dehydration. Other prod- 
 ucts may require from one to several days for sun- 
 drying. 
 
 Practically all fruits and vegetables, it was early 
 found, can be dried successfully so far as the "keeping" 
 quality is concerned. It was discovered, however, that 
 many dried vegetables were unpalatable when even- 
 tually cooked and served. Enzymic action in the raw 
 products, as well as bacterial action, caused chemical 
 changes which not only affected the flavor of dried 
 food but to some extent also affected its wholesomeness. 
 
136 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 The problem thus arose as to how this disadvantage 
 could be overcome. 
 
 Cooking was tried. Complete cooking, parboiling, 
 and even partial cooking were employed with various 
 vegetables, until it was found that a certain minimum 
 period of boiling water treatment was favorable to both 
 the wholesomeness and the flavor of dried products. 
 
 This treatment, which varies in time for different 
 products, has been accepted as an essential part of the 
 proper drying of vegetables. It is called "blancfiThg." 
 By it the protoplasm is killed and enzymic action stop- 
 ped. There is a thorough cleansing and a destruction 
 of many bacteria. Furthermore the flow of coloring 
 matter is started, and the color of the product thus 
 accentuated. The fibers are loosened and softened and 
 a condition created which facilitates the giving-off of 
 moisture in the drying process. 
 
 In "cooking" food, heat is usually applied long 
 enough to alter the nature of certain materials, such as 
 starch, rendering them digestible. Blanching should 
 not be confused with cooking as it differs both in pur- 
 pose and effect. It is a preparatory process by which 
 the wholesomeness and flavor of a sound product are 
 retained through the temporary stoppage of chemical 
 changes due to agencies present and to bacterial ac- 
 tion when raw flesh is exposed to the air. The drying 
 process should follow at once, and be done as rapidly as 
 possible, with due attention to the proper tempera- 
 tures, which range from 1 15 to 175 F. according to the 
 products handled. 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 137 
 
 If products are not dried sufficiently, the moisture 
 retained makes a medium for the development of bac- 
 teria and mold, and .spoilage occurs. How much water 
 to extract becomes therefore, an important considera- 
 tion. The abundant sugar present in most fruits acts 
 as a preservative and therefore it is not necessary that 
 they be so dry as vegetables. A rational method of 
 determining the right degree of drying for the finished 
 stage is by the texture of the products. Most vegeta- 
 bles should be rather brittle when taken from the drier, 
 and fruits should be leathery and pliable. One method 
 of determining whether fruit is dry enough is to squeeze 
 a handful, and if the fruit separates when the hand is 
 opened, it is dry enough. Another way is to squeeze a 
 single piece; if no moisture comes to the surface the 
 piece is sufficiently dry. Berries are dry enough if they 
 stick to the hand but do not crush when pressed. 
 
 There is considerable shrinkage in bulk and weight 
 when products are dried. The reduction in weight is in 
 direct proportion to the amount of moisture lost, but the 
 reduction in bulk varies with both the structure of the 
 product and the amount of water removed. In general 
 terms it may be said that foods, in drying, are reduced 
 to a bulk ranging from one-third to one-fifth of their 
 original volume and to a weight from one-sixth to one- 
 twelfth of the weight of the fresh material. 
 
 After the Boer War, considerable surplus dried vege- 
 table material, no longer needed for the English army, 
 was put into barrels and stored away. The barrels 
 were opened during the European war and the contents 
 
138 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 satisfactorily used for army rations. Products thus 
 kept unchanged in quality and flavor for eighteen years 
 might reasonably be supposed to keep well almost 
 indefinitely. 
 
 Naturally enough, most of the conservation of food 
 so far accomplished through drying has been done by 
 housewives in their homes. 
 
 Home drying is profitable both to the household and 
 the nation; but if a neighborhood or community pools 
 its expenditures for equipment and works as a unit, a 
 larger amount of material may be dried with greater 
 convenience and a considerable saving of labor, time, 
 and fuel. A bigger drier than could be put into a home 
 kitchen can be SQ up in a schoolhouse, parish house, 
 clubhouse, or other accessible place for common use in 
 drying; and definite hours of duty can be assigned to 
 different persons. Such, in general, is the plan of neigh- 
 borhood or community drying. Details as to how much 
 material each person may bring at one time, just when 
 such material shall be brought, and who shall be on 
 duty to regulate the drier, should be worked out by a 
 small committee, preferably of three persons. 
 
 Each woman should prepare her own products and 
 leave in good order the utensils she has used. When 
 people are novices at drying it is advisable to hire a paid 
 expert for a short time, and if the arrangement for a 
 common drier is to cover the entire community, the 
 continuous services of at least one salaried person are 
 necessary. Some one is also required to do regular 
 cleaning in the quarters used. This may require an 
 
A MONTANA PRIZE CANNER 
 
 Although she had never done any gardening or canning before, Irene McMahon, a twelve-year- 
 old girl of Missoula, Montana, won the first award for the products she conserved 
 and exhibited. She received a National Capitol Prize Certificate 
 from the National War Garden Commission. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 139 
 
 hour a day, once or twice a week, or all day every day, 
 according to the needs. 
 
 Our country is calling upon the women of America 
 to do their utmost to preserve for winter use all garden, 
 orchard and market surplus. In millions of homes 
 prompt action has been taken for home canning and 
 drying. There remains, in addition, an enormous sur- 
 plus still uncared for. The solution of the problem is to 
 be found in community drying, which is simply organ- 
 ized drying, not for commercial profit, but for mutual 
 aid and facility in the conservation of vegetables and 
 fruit for home use. 
 
 How can a community drier best be started ? If three 
 to six or eight families are to benefit, it will be neces- 
 sary to secure a room with running water in or near it. 
 A space is necessary for conditioning, and, provided it 
 is not damp, the same room or one near by may be 
 used. Space and facilities for blanching vegetables are 
 essential, so that chimney, gas or electric connection is 
 also needed. Such a place can doubtless be found in 
 the home of one of the members. 
 
 An evaporator can be purchased for from $25.00 to 
 $50.00. A stove to supply heat to the evaporator is 
 needed and very probably would not have to be bought. 
 A home-made dehydrator can be readily devised and is 
 practical where rates for electricity are low. A motor- 
 fan running on kerosene or aclohol is also on the market. 
 Hot air combined with the fan makes the drying more 
 rapid. Drying by air blast without heat is satisfactory 
 in dry climates. Where the atmosphere is humid, the 
 
140 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 process takes a long time and the addition of heat is 
 desirable. 
 
 A slicer for vegetables costs 1.50 or more, according 
 to size. Tables and other utensils may be collected 
 from the different households. White oilcloth for ta- 
 bles, cheese-cloth for use in protecting material from 
 insects and dust, and pasteboard cartons for containers 
 of dried products would make necessary slight extra 
 purchases. Butter containers are useful for holding 
 dried products, as are also baking-powder cans and 
 similar covered tins. 
 
 If an entire community is to be organized, it will be 
 necessary to ascertain how many families will use the 
 community plant and approximately how much mate- 
 rial will be dried daily. These things determined, a 
 drier can be chosen intelligently. Because of its usual 
 hot-air blast, which dries products more quickly than 
 they can be dried by the evaporating process, a dehy- 
 drator is often preferable. The cost of a satisfactory 
 dehydrator may be put at $1,000 to $2,500. A home- 
 made outfit may be constructed at considerably less 
 expense. Carpenters and men installing heating appa- 
 ratus will usually be glad to furnish estimates of cost, 
 if supplied with a description of the apparatus desired. 
 
 Mr. C. W. Pugsley* devised a successful community 
 plant, which was first used at Lincoln, Nebraska. His 
 method is dehydration minus heat, which system is 
 
 * For dimensions and detailed directions, see "A Successful 
 Community Drying Plant," by C. W. Pugsley, Farmers* Bulletin 
 916, United States Department of Agriculture. 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 141 
 
 serviceable in dry climates. The cost of an outfit like 
 this would be $250 or more according to the local cost of 
 materials and labor. Twelve of these driers have been 
 in successful operation. Instead of air being forced 
 over the products, suction is used, the theory being that 
 the drying is quickened by this reversal of the air blast. 
 
 Illustrations, descriptions, and prices of several 
 standard ready-made evaporators and dehydrators 
 should be obtained from dealers or manufacturers. 
 From technical training institutions information can 
 be obtained as to the cost of procuring persons for 
 instruction and management to take charge of a drying 
 plant. In making an estimate of funds needed there 
 should be included also service for cleaning, cost of 
 operation of stove, fan, or both, and $25.00 to $30.00 
 for accessory equipment. It should be clear to all con- 
 cerned that a major part of the expenditure would 
 represent investment for an indefinite number of sea- 
 sons, and should not be considered in terms of one season. 
 
 The committee or individual promoter, with the esti- 
 mate in hand, may then consider how best to finance 
 the matter. The local Chamber of Commerce or a 
 leading women's club is a suitable organization to back 
 a movement for organized food conservation. Such 
 emergency activities should be as far as possible con- 
 ducted by committees of established central bodies. 
 The unnecessary multiplication of associations is a 
 handicap to a community. 
 
 Adequate organization, as well as backing is neces- 
 sary. It is as essential to have the right executive 
 
142 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 machinery as to have the proper material facilities. 
 There should be an equipment committee, a publicity 
 committee, a workers' committee, a food supplies 
 committee, and an executive committee composed of 
 the chairman of these. All committees should meet at 
 least once a month. In charge of the drying plant there 
 should be a man or a woman of technical training and 
 experience. There should be a checker to keep account 
 of products, and a book-keeper. Volunteer service is 
 usually obtainable for these duties. Women who help to 
 prepare and dry extra products which are sent in as 
 general surplus should be paid by the hour. Such 
 payment should be in products rather than in money, 
 and the value of the products should be based upon 
 market prices of fresh products plus the cost of drying, 
 including labor. 
 
 The location is important. It should be central and 
 suitable. School kitchens are usually available, are 
 fitted with various conveniences, and are rarely used 
 during the summer. Church kitchens are sometimes 
 offered, but their use sometimes interferes with other 
 activities on the social side of church work which it may 
 not be wise to interrupt. Empty stores or space in a 
 gas or electric company's quarters are good possibilities. 
 
 The schoolhouse is usually the most economic choice. 
 In fact, parts of the house itself may frequently be 
 converted into dehydrators. When viewed merely 
 from a local standpoint, it may seem advisable simply 
 to buy a ready-made dehydrator; but considering the 
 number of communities in the whole country, and the 
 
FOOD GOES WITH THE FLAG 
 
 The American flag has meant food to Belgium and other countries. In this picture is shown 
 
 Walter Wolski, an employe of the Inland Steel Company, of South Chicago, who had the 
 
 prize garden among the employes at the plant. He raised produce worth 
 
 close to $200 and his wife put up more than 200 cans of vegetables. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 143 
 
 need for drying operations in each one, it is uneconomic 
 to buy. There are not enough dehydrators made to dry 
 the surplus home products of the country; shortage of 
 man-power renders an adequate development of their 
 manufacture difficult, not to say impossible. 
 
 Mr. W. L. Feisher writes in the Journal of American 
 Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers, April, 1918 : 
 
 I claim that in our newer schools and in our public 
 buildings throughout the country, those things that are 
 required for the drying of food products are already at 
 hand, and that the walls of the rooms, or the corridors 
 in these buildings, eliminate the necessity of a great 
 part of the kilns themselves, and that with very little 
 ingenuity, the heating and ventilating systems in our 
 schools and public buildings can be turned into dehy- 
 drating plants in quick order. As to the actual applica- 
 tion of my idea, in most of our schools the blowers are 
 located in the basements and the main ducts leading 
 from these blowers are run through the corridors of the 
 basements in the various uptakes. It is my idea that 
 these basement corridors can be turned into tunnel 
 driers by means of wooden partitions, -or where the cor- 
 ridors are narrow enough, only cut-offs and divisions 
 are essential. The heated air can then be blown into 
 one end of the corridors and the duct blanked off with 
 a damper beyond this outlet. At the far end of the 
 corridor or tunnel, another damper can be placed and 
 an inlet located at this point, with a connection taken 
 from a point beyond the first damper back into the fan 
 so that recirculation from the fan end of the tunnel can 
 be obtained. In this way, we can create a very fair 
 tunnel drier, which according to commercial practice, 
 is the very best and most economical drier built. 
 
144 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 It has ever been true that distance lends enchant- 
 ment to view. Only the near at hand and the familiar 
 seem mean and commonplace. To use what we already 
 possess often seems both foolish and useless. Yet it was 
 by using the five loaves and two fishes from their own 
 pouches that the disciples fed the multitude, and many 
 another miracle has been performed by utilizing what 
 is already at hand. In organizing community driers 
 it will usually be found that all the facilities needed 
 already exist if only we have the vision to see them. 
 Existing organizations, existing buildings, existing appa- 
 ratus, and the advice and assistance of local carpenters, 
 plumbers and other workmen will provide the essen- 
 tials for a successful community drier in almost any city 
 or town. "Use what you have" is a good motto for 
 those about to organize a community drier. 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 WHY WE SHOULD USE DRIED FOODS 
 THE WAR-TIME NEED OF "MULTUM IN PARVO" 
 
 NECESSITY is said to be the mother of inven- 
 tion; and one of the children to whom Necessity 
 has had to give birth during the American 
 industrial development of the last half-century, and the 
 rapid growth of our cities, was an adequate system of 
 storing up food for winter use and of distributing the 
 food so preserved. It is only within recent years that 
 fresh, succulent vegetables have been obtainable in 
 winter time; and for most people the cost of these is 
 absolutely prohibitive. At first the canning of food 
 products met the needs of the situation, and the last 
 score or two of years have witnessed an incredible 
 development of commercial canning and distribution 
 of food products. 
 
 The continued development of our cities with their 
 teeming populations, and particularly the necessities 
 of war time, with their demands for multum in parvo 
 have made imperative a still further advance in the 
 matter of food conservation and distribution. This is 
 particularly true at this time because ahead of us we 
 can distinctly see the lean years yawn, even as Pharaoh 
 beheld the hungry kine in his dream. 
 
 History is said to repeat itself; and assuredly we have 
 witnessed an historic repetition in the creation of a 
 food administrator to watch over our stores, even as 
 
 10 145 
 
146 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 Joseph was appointed to prepare against the lean years 
 that overtook the dwellers along the Nile. Joseph, rep- 
 resenting autocracy, took the task into his own hands. 
 Mr. Hoover, acting for democracy, asked us to do the 
 job ourselves. Both cut the Gordian knot of their per- 
 plexity in much the same way. Joseph dried the excess 
 corn and stored it in his granaries. Mr. Hoover asked 
 us to can and dry our garden surplus. In each case 
 food conservation won the day. Indeed, so close is the 
 parallel between events in Joseph's day and ours, that 
 no more accurate description of what is doing in the 
 world to-day can be found than the Scriptural recita- 
 tion of occurrences along the Nile: "The dearth was 
 in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was 
 bread. . . . And all countries came into Egypt to 
 Joseph for to buy corn." 
 
 Even so all countries are coming to America to secure 
 wheat and meat, and particularly fats. Here occurs the 
 feature that diiferentiates present-day conditions from 
 those of Joseph's time. Joseph's customers could come 
 to him on dry land; but a mighty ocean, three thousand 
 miles wide, lies between America and her starving cus- 
 tomers. Before they can get food they must have 
 ships. Even that mighty tonnage pictured in Lloyd 
 George's phrase, "Ships, ships, and still more ships," 
 can hardly transport the food fast enough to save the 
 starving world from starvation. Dean Swift called for 
 benedictions upon the head of him who made two blades 
 of grass or two ears of corn to grow where only one 
 had grown before. To-day, he might add to his list of 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 147 
 
 those who deserve well of mankind those who can trans- 
 port two tons of food where only one was transported 
 before. In effect that is what is made possible by the 
 preservation of food through drying, for in drying, foods 
 lose both bulk and weight. 
 
 This reduction in weight of dried vegetables and 
 fruits ranges from five-sixths to eleven-twelfths with 
 even greater reduction in some cases. A California 
 operator furnishes these figures for shrinkage: Pota- 
 toes, about six to one; cabbage, about twenty to one; 
 tomatoes, about twenty to one; spinach, about eighteen 
 to one; turnips, fourteen to one; carrots, about nine to 
 one. Less than three pounds of dried tomatoes, for in- 
 stance, are equivalent to sixty pounds of canned toma- 
 toes. Not only are the products much shrunken, when 
 taken from the drier, but they may be still more com- 
 pressed in packing so that the bulk is further lessened. 
 This reduction in weight also lowers transportation 
 costs. A shipping incident serves to illustrate clearly 
 the economy involved. Fifty pounds of fresh Brussels 
 sprouts were shipped in the winter of 1917-18 by ex- 
 press from California to an eastern point at twelve 
 cents a pound. Adding to this cost of $6.00 the cost of 
 shipping with the vegetables one hundred pounds of 
 ice at twelve cents a pound, there was a total transpor- 
 tation charge of $18.00. The equivalent of these fifty 
 pounds of fresh Brussels sprouts, namely three pounds 
 of dried products, which required no ice, might have 
 been shipped to the same point by parcel post for thirty- 
 five or thirty-six cents. 
 
148 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 With such an average reduction in bulk, the space 
 required for transportation and storage is far less than 
 that required for either fresh or canned products. In 
 certain instances the reduction is very great. It varies 
 with the percentage of water in fresh products. One 
 carload of dried tomatoes, for example, is equivalent to 
 thirty carloads of canned tomatoes. 
 
 Especially are dried products adapted for our military 
 camps, fleets, and overseas fighting force. Army officials 
 estimate that two men are needed daily to prepare 
 potatoes and other vegetables for every one hundred 
 soldiers. Dried vegetables are already prepared and 
 are ready to cook, after soaking in water. In an army 
 of 2,000,000 men their use would release nearly 
 40,000 men for other tasks. As the original prepara- 
 tion of vegetables for drying is done largely by simple 
 and inexpensive machinery, there is thus a tremendous 
 saving of man-power. The shrinkage in bulk makes 
 dried products acceptable and fitting naval stores, and 
 trans-ocean freight. 
 
 Germany's stores of dried vegetables greatly helped 
 her in carrying on the war. During the last year of 
 which the United States government has any official 
 record, Germany dried, in potatoes alone, more than 
 twice the entire quantity raised in this country. She 
 more than doubled the number of her plants after start- 
 ing the war, and has now more than two thousand. 
 There are in Germany fifty-six firms supplying complete 
 drying apparatus, and thirty-seven other firms which 
 supply auxiliary machines and parts. The drying is 
 
8S 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 149 
 
 applied to vegetables chiefly, only about twenty-two 
 plants being for milk-drying. 
 
 Despite all these facts one finds practically no dried 
 vegetables for sale at retail in America, and only a lim- 
 ited amount of dried fruit. Outside of government 
 contracts there has been and is little or no market for 
 dried products. The National War Garden Commission 
 has inquired carefully into the matter, and has corre- 
 sponded with most of the commercial drying concerns 
 in the country. One and all report that, aside from 
 contracts with the War Department, they have practi- 
 cally no market for their products. 
 
 It is highly desirable that markets for dried foods be 
 created and speedily. The food situation in the world 
 is to-day more critical than it was at any time during 
 the war. The task of feeding themselves has taxed to 
 the utmost the United States and her co-belligerents. 
 Now peace imposes upon these defenders of civilization 
 a task that is simply appalling. German submarine 
 warfare reduced to actual starvation the 180,000,000 
 people in the neutral nations of Europe. Beyond ques- 
 tion we must rescue these unfortunates from starva- 
 tion, by sharing with them. It is apparent, too, that 
 our responsibility does not end there. Austria and the 
 new nations which were formerly a part of that country 
 together with Bulgaria, Turkey, and Russia, are also 
 starving. If we are to have lasting peace in the world, 
 if we are to have stable governments and the settled 
 conditions of existence, which alone make progress 
 possible in short, if we are to make safe that condition 
 
150 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 of democracy for which we have fought, these people 
 must be fed. 
 
 "Hunger," said Robinson Crusoe," knows no friend, 
 no relation, no justice, no right, and therefore is re- 
 morseless and capable of no compassion. " Hunger will 
 endanger the peace of any community or nation. How- 
 ever we may feel toward our former enemies, the best 
 good of the world, including America, demands that 
 they have enough to eat. Otherwise there can be no 
 settled peace, no progress, no reconstruction. Fate has 
 placed largely upon American shoulders the burden of 
 helping the world's hunger over the critical years that 
 lie immediately before us. 
 
 This being the case, we must have conservation, con- 
 servation, and still more conservation. We must pro- 
 duce more food than ever before and conserve every 
 ounce produced. As much as possible of this excess 
 should be conserved in the form which best meets the 
 needs of the situation. For use in our homes canned 
 foods are highly desirable, but for shipment abroad, de- 
 hydrated products will be particularly needed. France 
 needs steel and wood and cement and a thousand other 
 kinds of material for the rebuilding of those vast ruins 
 which once were French cities. All Europe needs cat- 
 tle, millions of cattle, to make good the present short- 
 ages and needs cattle-feed by the trainload. Ships will 
 be needed to carry our own soldiers back home. The 
 demands on shipping space will be almost beyond con- 
 ception. Whatever saves space, therefore, is a prime 
 requisite in the upbuilding of a ruined world. Since 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 151 
 
 food is the first of all requirements, we should by all 
 means adopt and develop that method of food shipment 
 which calls for least space. This means that we should 
 greatly increase the use of dried foods. 
 
 One thing alone stands in the way of a large develop- 
 ment of the commercial drying industry. Aside from 
 government contracts, the food driers have at present 
 practically no market for their products. Manufac- 
 turer after manufacturer has so reported to the National 
 War Garden Commission, and practically all report 
 that it is difficult to create a market. The period of 
 government contracts is limited. Army consumption will 
 decrease rapidly. Faced with this situation, food driers 
 naturally do not care greatly to enlarge their plants. 
 
 Something must therefore be done to create a market 
 for dried foods. For one thing, an educational adver- 
 tising campaign on the part of the operators is to be 
 strongly urged. A western company writes of the as- 
 tonishment of visitors "at the simple and sanitary 
 method of handling the fruits or vegetables, " and their 
 interest "because of the very apparent economy of the 
 method." With this as a premise an intelligent adver- 
 tising campaign should quickly create a market. The 
 establishment of government-controlled plants and 
 government advertising would more quickly and thor- 
 oughly create markets, however, than the usual proced- 
 ure of private companies. Dried foods are practically 
 "new" foods, and the acquisition of a new food habit 
 by a whole people is exceedingly slow, unless the gov- 
 ernment systematically undertakes its establishment. 
 
152 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 The policy of the Department of Agriculture in regard 
 to the use of the drying fund of $250,000 appropriated 
 by Congress, will be of great economic significance. 
 Such a fund has been strongly needed, and makes 
 possible enlarged and nation-wide help in the urgent 
 matter of drying vegetables and fruits, and placing 
 them in the homes of the people. 
 
 The appropriation will be used in conducting further 
 experiments with dehydration of food products and 
 carrying this knowledge to the American people. The 
 Secretary of Agriculture has appointed Major S. C. 
 Prescott, who was in the food division of the surgeon 
 general's office, United States army, and Mr. Lou D. 
 Sweet, of the United States Food Administration, as a 
 committee to carry out the purposes of the appropria- 
 tion. Major Prescott was professor of micro-biology at 
 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before he 
 was called into war service. 
 
 When the appropriation became available, plans were 
 promptly made for beginning the dehydration experi- 
 ments. Able construction engineers and other experts 
 whose services could be helpful were called in .to aid in 
 this work which Mr. Sweet characterizes as "one of the 
 biggest benefits that has come to the American people 
 as a result of the war." Soon after the committee was 
 organized plans were under way looking to the construc- 
 tion of several dehydration plants with a capacity each 
 of from 60,000 to 100,000 pounds daily of raw product. 
 
 These plants are not to be built by the government 
 but by private corporations with which the government 
 
i 
 

THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 153 
 
 will cooperate in making an economic and commercial 
 success of the process so as to help establish a perma- 
 nent market with the American people for dried foods. 
 In order to do this it is necessary, first to educate the 
 people of this country to the value and the use of such 
 products, and, second, to have the dehydrated foods of 
 such attractive appearance and palatability and of a 
 price so comparable with the average price of the prod- 
 ucts in their undried form, that they may be marketed 
 in paying quantities. 
 
 The federal government and the states, by conduct- 
 ing propaganda directed toward a general use of dried 
 fruits and vegetables, would be performing a needed 
 service toward the preservation of health, with increased 
 economy to all concerned. Advertising on the part of 
 private operators, can be done only in so far as it pays 
 them, and it would take several years and millions 
 of dollars to establish a general retail sale of dried 
 food articles. 
 
 Furthermore it is necessary to establish standards. 
 It would be a serious error to allow an inferior class of 
 products to be put forward at this time. The movement 
 would receive a decided check. Commercially dried 
 vegetables should contain a given percentage of mois- 
 ture, scientifically correct; they should be packed in 
 proper containers, and stored in cool places. So pre- 
 pared and handled, dried foods will be 100 per cent, 
 free from spoilage. Again, blanching is expensive in 
 commercial drying, and its omission necessitates very 
 thorough drying of products to insure their preserva- 
 
154 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 tion. Some products, however, such as Irish potatoes, 
 require blanching before drying in order that the dried 
 product may be satisfactorily utilized. These do not 
 "come back" well if dried without blanching. In get- 
 ting these new foods on the market, therefore, it is 
 desirable that the government draw up strict regula- 
 tions, just as it has done for other foods through the 
 national pure food laws. 
 
 - 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 THE FUTURE OF DEHYDRATION 
 
 TALL OAKS FROM LITTLE ACORNS GROW 
 
 " T~"V EHYDRATION has come to stay in this coun- 
 J try and, while it may still be regarded as in the 
 experimental stage, those who are mostfamiliar 
 with the problems of food production and conservation 
 are firm in the opinion that we are seeing only the 
 beginning of what is sure to expand into an enormous 
 and most important industry." This is the statement 
 of an international food expert, a man who probably 
 knows more on the subject of dried foods than any other 
 authority in the United States. It was made in a re- 
 cent letter to the National War Garden Commission, 
 by Lou D. Sweet, president of the Potato Association 
 of America, popularly known as the "Potato King." 
 Mr. Sweet was selected by Mr. Hoover as head of the 
 dehydration section of the United States Food Admin- 
 istration, and has more recently, in association with 
 Major S. C. Prescott, U. S. A., been enlisted in the 
 government development of dehydration. 
 
 While the drying of food, like some of the other lost 
 arts, is almost as old as the human race itself, still its 
 value and its importance have been brought to the fore 
 by the European war. Necessity has meant the devel- 
 opment of an industry which was well-nigh extinct. 
 War gardening and the home production of food have 
 
 155 
 
156 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 called the attention of the country and its people to the 
 merit of drying as a form of vegetable and fruit conser- 
 vation. The spread of the drying idea made satisfactory 
 progress during the second season of war gardening in 
 the United States. While there was no general practice 
 of the method, nevertheless a fair beginning was made 
 which is bound to lead to widespread and more rapid 
 growth along this line in the future. The seed has been 
 sown; the home food producers of the United States 
 have seen the advantages offered by this means of saving 
 food, and more and more of them are certain topractice it. 
 The process is really very old, and has been used at 
 times by almost every people in the world. The skill 
 of the squaw in drying corn and the few fruits and vege- 
 tables which the American aborigine possessed was all 
 that stood between the Indian family and starvation in 
 the long, cold winters when game was scarce. Our 
 grandmothers made toothsome pumpkin pies from the 
 dried product, while they decorated the attic and the 
 kitchen with long rows of dried apples and peaches. 
 From the Indians they learned also to dry berries and 
 other small fruits. They possessed no glass jars and 
 few of the conveniences which every modern housewife 
 thinks essential; but they managed to vary the monot- 
 ony of the winter diet with those dried products which 
 cost them nothing but their work. The world has pro- 
 gressed rapidly in many respects during the past few 
 generations. Science and industry have provided many 
 household helps which could not be enjoyed fifty or a 
 hundred years ago. It is obvious, however, that some 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 157 
 
 of the habits and customs which were in vogue in the 
 earlier days may now be taken up again with profit. 
 Among these is the drying of vegetables and fruits. 
 Thanks to the careful study and research which have 
 been given to this subject, the work can now be per- 
 formed with greater ease and with more certainty of 
 success than was possible in the past. 
 
 Canning is the method which the average American 
 housewife uses in laying by a store of garden products 
 for winter consumption. A great impetus was given to 
 this process by the Civil War; and now it seems as if 
 another war were to be responsible for the introduction 
 to the world, on a large scale, of another food conserva- 
 tion process, namely that of drying. As the possibili- 
 ties, advantages and details of operation of this process 
 become better known, it will take a larger and larger 
 place both in the home and as a commercial proposition. 
 
 Important factors to be taken into consideration by 
 the victory gardener in connection with food drying, 
 are the saving in containers and in pantry-space. Al- 
 most any sort of a receptacle can be employed for the 
 storage of dried food. Baking-powder cans and similar 
 covered tins, pasteboard boxes having tight-fitting 
 covers, strong paper bags, and patented paraffin-paper 
 boxes which may be bought in quantities at slight ex- 
 pense, make excellent containers for this class of pre- 
 served food. They are not heavy and so do not require 
 especially strong shelves. Besides they do not occupy 
 much space a thing which in many homes is at a 
 premium. 
 
158 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 Scientists have pointed the way and by their careful 
 research have discovered methods by which potatoes 
 and other vegetables can be dried so that they will re- 
 tain all their original flavor and food value over long 
 periods of time and under all conditions of weather and 
 temperature. In going into the work on a commercial 
 scale and in preparing such food for large bodies of peo- 
 ple such as an army, where some of the products may 
 not be consumed for many months and where they are 
 likely to undergo many changes of temperature in being 
 transported from place to place, it is necessary, of course, 
 to observe scientific precision in the preparation and 
 packing of the goods. For home consumption no such 
 elaborate processes need be followed. This is why any 
 household may prepare with ease its own supplies of 
 this sort. As practiced in the home, vegetable and 
 fruit drying is largely a matter of following with rea- 
 sonable care a few simple rules. During the season of 
 1918 the National War Garden Commission distrib- 
 uted throughout the United States almost two mil- 
 lion copies of its canning and drying book which gave 
 all needed instructions. Thousands of war gardeners, 
 both as individuals and through community effort, 
 added a considerable amount to their winter store by 
 vegetable and fruit drying. 
 
 It was during the Boer War that dried foods were 
 used for the first time to any extent in the provisioning 
 of an army. Large quantities of these goods were ship- 
 ped from Canada to South Africa by the British War 
 Office, and the experiment proved a complete success. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 159 
 
 Some of the unused product was on hand at the begin- 
 ning of the European war, and when opened, was found 
 to be in a perfect state of preservation. The British 
 soldiers in South Africa could not distinguish between 
 the dried vegetables they were eating and the food 
 to which they were accustomed, and they throve 
 exceedingly well on it. John Hays Hammond, the inter- 
 nationally renowned mining engineer who took such 
 a prominent part in the development of the South 
 African territory and who is a member of the National 
 War Garden Commission, is familiar with this matter. 
 In discussing it he said: 
 
 The supplies of dried vegetables which were shipped 
 from Canada to South Africa during the Boer War were 
 found to be just as palatable, just as nutritious, as any 
 of the other rations. I doubt if a single one of the men 
 could have told the difference between this part of their 
 mess and the other edibles that were furnished them. 
 Certainly this is borne out by what a close friend of 
 mine, Dr. Charles L. Lindley, of Lakewood, New Jersey, 
 himself born in South Africa and an army surgeon dur- 
 ing Lord Robert's campaign there, recently told me of 
 the experiment. His experience with dried vegetables 
 confirms every claim that can be made for them as a 
 valuable part of a soldier's rations. 
 
 It was largely due to the successful results obtained 
 during the Boer War that the British War Office was led 
 to adopt dried vegetables as part of the soldier's supply 
 during the recent war. Since the outbreak of the Euro- 
 pean struggle the British and French governments have 
 purchased no less than 50,000,000 pounds of dried foods 
 
i6o THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 from Canada alone. Following their example the 
 Quartermaster-General's Office of the United States 
 War Department prepared to make similar use of this 
 kind of food. In the spring of 1918 the army used 
 14,000,000 pounds of dehydrated goods, and later an 
 order was placed with American and Canadian food 
 driers for more than 40,000,000 pounds to be delivered 
 before July I, 1919. 
 
 The use of food that is recognized as a valuable army 
 ration and as a war-time economy, is to be encouraged 
 in normal times. The same reasons which made it prac- 
 tical and economical during the war will be arguments 
 in favor of its continued and increased use. Certainly 
 for many years to come, just how many nobody can say, 
 food will be a world problem. In the solution of this 
 problem dried food can and should play a constantly 
 growing part. 
 
 The expert testimony in favor of dehydration is well 
 summed up in a statement by David Fairchild, agricul- 
 tural explorer in charge of the Office of Foreign Plant 
 Introduction, United States Department of Agriculture. 
 He has made this statement: 
 
 I believe the American public should learn to use 
 dried vegetables, because in so doing great economies 
 can be brought about in this country as they have been 
 in Germany and Austria. The dehydrated vegetable 
 saves transportation of both bulky fresh vegetables and 
 bulky canned vegetables, not only those portions which 
 are actually consumed but the waste which forms so 
 large a part of the garbage of our cities. The dehydrated 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 161 
 
 vegetable saves tin, since it can be put up in paper con- 
 tainers. It saves labor in the small home where the 
 convenience of its use is apparent. It saves in wastage 
 at the point of production and in the home. We little 
 appreciate how gigantic the wastage of fresh vegetables 
 is, and this wastage is largely because the vegetables are 
 too cheap on the market in the height of the season 
 to warrant a grower to ship them to it, and it is here 
 that dehydration should play an important part. 
 
 There is nothing in the vegetable situation which 
 confronts us to-day to assure us of cheaper vegetables 
 in the future. We must not forget the small proportion 
 of women gardeners in this country as compared with 
 the women field-workers of France and Germany and 
 even England, and vegetables require a large amount of 
 hand labor to produce. Where is the labor coming from ? 
 
 Possessing as we do such remarkable food as Indian 
 corn, and having learned, as we have, to like it, there 
 would seem to be a danger that we depend too fully 
 upon it and, with the increasing price of vegetables, 
 fail to realize that as we increase our corn consumption 
 we require greater quantities of butter, milk, meat, fats, 
 or vegetables to supply the food essentials lacking in 
 corn. As the fresh vegetables become scarcer on the 
 markets, it would become more and more difficult to do 
 this, and the result predicted by dietitians is malnutri- 
 tion among those who think they cannot afford to buy 
 the vegetables. We should learn to use these dried 
 vegetables to supplement the grain ration. 
 
 It is easy to see a hundred reasons why we should 
 not eat dried vegetables, but it is unscientific and un- 
 patriotic to shut our eyes to their possibilities. As a 
 people we should move ahead into the field of dehy- 
 drated vegetables, develop it, discard what is not good, 
 ii 
 
1 62 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 hold what is good, and make it a means to stabilize 
 those vegetables the price of which fluctuates now in a 
 most unsatisfactory and dangerous way. 
 
 While I believe that we should consider first our own 
 attitude toward dried vegetables and work out the best 
 methods of using them for ourselves, we are warranted 
 in believing, as conditions are at present in Europe, that 
 there will be need of large quantities of all kinds of foods, 
 including these dried vegetables, in those countries 
 which are now famine-stricken. Although it is undoubt- 
 edly true that the German troops are using enormous 
 quantities of dried vegetables, it is not demonstrated 
 to what extent they will be employed in the feeding of 
 our own boys. No civilian will take the attitude that 
 the boys should be fed on food which he himself refuses 
 to eat. If we learn to use them extensively, it is a 
 practical certainty that our own armies will employ 
 them extensively, as have the armies of Great Britain, 
 France, and Germany. 
 
 Inspired, therefore, as an emergency measure to meet 
 war's demand for more complete utilization of the na- 
 tion's food supply, the drying of garden products must 
 continue. It must save summer crops for winter use 
 and help to care for the needs of the nations which have 
 been starving. It must take its place as a regulator in 
 the world's problem of food supply and demand. 
 
 "There seems to be no reason," says Mr. Sweet, of 
 the United States Food Administration, in his commu- 
 nication to the National War Garden Commission, 
 "why the abundance of one season or locality should 
 not be made available by this means for periods of 
 scarcity or for regions where fresh fruits and vegetables 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 163 
 
 cannot be obtained. Every encouragement, therefore, 
 should be given to home drying, in order that the people 
 may become familiar with the excellence of the products 
 which may be prepared by this method, and to save 
 the vast quantities of excellent food which now go to 
 waste for lack of adequate methods of conservation." 
 
 The simple form of drying by artificial heat and by 
 heat of the sun in thousands of American homes and in 
 no less degree the science of dehydration as developed 
 on a commercial scale, has shown its economic worth. 
 The art as practiced to-day owes much to scientific 
 research. This does not mean that the methods are 
 complicated. Science has simplified them and given 
 greater assurance of successful results. It has been 
 estimated that the United States could save $19,000,000 
 annually in its transportation bills by the drying of its 
 garden products. The saving of only a portion of this 
 large sum would be worth while, and it would be not 
 alone in the saving of money but in the release of much 
 valuable freight-car space for other purposes that the 
 nation would probably receive important benefit. 
 
 Every victory gardener or home food producer in the 
 United States can help to save part of this money and 
 freight-space. It might not be just to ask them to do 
 this if elaborate preparations and large outlay of money 
 were necessary. As these are not required every per- 
 son who has a vegetable plot should conserve some of 
 the surplus product if it would otherwise go to waste. 
 Practically all vegetables and fruits can be dried. The 
 process is simple. The cost is slight. In every home 
 
164 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 the necessary outfit in its simplest form is already at 
 hand. Effective drying may be done on plates or 
 dishes placed in the oven, with the oven door partly 
 open. It may be done on the back of the kitchen stove 
 with these same utensils while the oven is being used 
 for baking. It may also be done on sheets of paper or 
 lengths of muslin spread in the sun and protected from 
 insects and dust. 
 
 The earth lives by the light and the heat of the sun. 
 This beneficent power should be put to work by the 
 victory gardeners of the United States, and thus will 
 this country gain a rightful and legitimate "place in 
 the sun. " Luther Burbank, a member of the National 
 War Garden Commission, says: 
 
 How few people are aware of the scientific fact that 
 all food and all clothing without any exception are first 
 produced by the action of sunlight on the foliage of 
 plants, and that but for the wonderful chemical engines 
 installed in the foliage of plants no life could exist upon 
 the earth; and only by the improvements which have 
 been made in plants and animals which subsist on 
 the productions of plants has our present civilization 
 been made possible. 
 
 This gift from Heaven which makes the plants to 
 grow and without which there could be no production, 
 should be utilized also in the conservation of food. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 COOPERATION OF THE PRESS 
 
 VITAL HELP GIVEN BY THE NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS OF AMERICA 
 
 THE printed word, the most powerful force known 
 to civilization, made war gardens possible. In 
 no other way could they have been made to 
 multiply so rapidly in all parts of the land. From 
 printer's ink to parsnips and parsley is a long jump; 
 but the newspapers and magazines made that jump 
 along with the others which they made for Liberty 
 Loans, the Red Cross, and various other war-work 
 campaigns. When the shadow of war fell across 
 America, and before 
 the actual declaration 
 of war, the National 
 War Garden Commis- 
 sion sent out the first 
 rallying call to the 
 home food producers. 
 The newspapers and 
 magazines spread the 
 call freely. General 
 Pershing later said, "Keep the Food Coming"; and 
 the publications heard that call, too, and relayed it to 
 their readers. 
 
 The "Soldiers of the Soil " wanted instruction and they 
 wanted it quickly. Prompt action was necessary that 
 
 165 
 
166 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 their service in the "garden trenches" might be effec- 
 tive. There was only one way in which the message of 
 the war garden and the necessary instructions could 
 be carried to all the people with the speed demanded. 
 This was through the press of the country and the 
 printed page. Any other plan of distributing the appeal 
 and the instructions would have been far too slow to 
 
 be effective and further- 
 more would have in- 
 volved prohibitive ex- 
 pense, if it could have 
 been done at all. 
 
 How much of a debt 
 of gratitude the nation 
 owes to its patriotic 
 editors it probably will 
 never be able to realize 
 fully, but it does know that without their whole- 
 hearted support and their loyal assistance it would 
 never have been able to arouse the people of the United 
 States as a whole to the strenuous efforts which they 
 exerted to back up the government and the fighting 
 forces. No note of appreciation to the editors of the 
 country could be over-generous in its praise or too 
 liberal in its expression of heartfelt thanks for their 
 substantial aid. 
 
 When the Commission began its campaign it realized 
 that it must depend largely upon the support of the 
 newspapers and the magazines. Well-planned and 
 well-directed publicity was necessary to get its message 
 
^-T^ff IS WAR GARSS 
 
 ..Si?- r>jNfeW ^^ 1 ' astYMrWh0 ^^^^* _ 
 
 THE KNIGHTS OF PRINTERS INK HEARD THE CALL FOR FOOD 
 
 the land every sort of publication C9operated with the National War Garden 
 in the drive for home food production. Hp.rp arp hut a f^w <->f the hoa^i; 
 that show how the press pati 
 
 THE KNIGHTS OF PRINTERS INK HEARD THE CALL FO1 
 Throughout the land every sort of publication C9operated with the National w ar uarai 
 Commission in the drive for home food production. Here are but a few of the headlin 
 that show how the press patriotically responded to the call. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 167 
 
 to the people of the United States, and the promptness 
 
 of the editors in recognizing the vital importance of 
 
 home food production and their patriotic readiness in 
 
 conveying the appeal to 
 
 their millions of readers 
 
 should be recorded in letters 
 
 of gold among the nation's 
 
 permanent records. The 
 
 Commission has expressed 
 
 its appreciation to many of 
 
 them individually and it 
 
 takes this further and more 
 
 lasting means of acknowledging its thanks, and the 
 
 thanks of the nation, for their enthusiastic service. 
 
 While space became more and more at a premium 
 as the war progressed, the newspapers and magazines 
 
 continued to contribute 
 as liberally as they 
 could of their columns 
 to the cause of food 
 production "F. O. B. 
 the Kitchen Door." 
 They stimulated and 
 encouraged the "city 
 farmer" to plant for 
 freedom and they fur- 
 STAPT row GARDEN W/TH A PLAN n ished him with the 
 necessary data and instruction, provided by the Com- 
 mission. The great majority of those who were eager 
 to raise food and help feed the army were amateurs at 
 
i68 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 HOE FOP THE 
 
 the business. They had to be shown how. They were 
 willing but they needed guidance. The number of 
 competent instructors was limited, and it became nec- 
 essary for the war gar- 
 dener to look to the 
 daily press for informa- 
 tion telling him what to 
 do. In this the press did 
 not fail him. Almost 
 unanimously, from one 
 end of the country to 
 the other, the news- 
 papers daily published 
 material furnished by the Commission. If this could be 
 totaled it would run into tens of thousands of columns. 
 
 After calling the at- 
 tention of the country 
 to the vital need of 
 war gardening, the 
 Commission prepared 
 a series of short gar- 
 den lessons telling the 
 home food growers 
 what, when, and how 
 to plant. These les- 
 sons were brief and 
 shorn of technicalities 
 but authentic, and gave the gardener all he needed to 
 know. They were sent to the newspapers on news-clip 
 sheets, a dozen or more lessons on each sheet, while a 
 
 MVeo - A GARDEN MADE 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 169 
 
 few short general stories on war 
 
 gardening were also included on 
 
 the sheet. This method of send- 
 ing out the material was eco- 
 nomical from every standpoint 
 
 and effected a great saving of 
 
 paper. It was highly approved 
 
 by the War Industries Board 
 
 as a valuable conservation scheme in paper economy. 
 As occasion demanded news stories which were of 
 
 interest only to a particular 
 city, locality, or state were 
 sent out to the papers of that 
 section but not duplicated 
 throughout the country. 
 Thus New York did not re- 
 ceive material in which none 
 but Illinois or California 
 readers would be interested. 
 
 In similar manner short lessons telling how to can and 
 
 dry vegetables and fruits, 
 
 and items of news value 
 
 calling attention to the 
 
 urgent need for this form 
 
 of food conservation, 
 
 were sent to the news- 
 papers of the country; 
 
 and they met with the 
 
 same generous response 
 
 from the editors. One 
 
i;o THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 of the most helpful features of the newspapers was the 
 coupon box which hundreds of them ran during the en- 
 tire garden and canning 
 season, in which the read- 
 ers were informed that by 
 filling out the coupons 
 and mailing them to the 
 Commission they would 
 receive free copies of the 
 war vegetable gardening 
 or the canning and drying 
 books. Hundreds of thousands of newspaper readers 
 took advantage of this opportunity and were sent 
 copies of the instruction 
 books. 
 
 In addition to print- 
 ing the short garden 
 and canning lessons and 
 numerous items of news 
 value, the papers pub- 
 lished Sunday feature 
 stories. The Commission 
 furnished pictures and data for these articles, with photo- 
 graphs showing types of gardens 
 and how the war gardeners were 
 getting to work in various parts of 
 the country. Soon after the Com- 
 mission was organized it began to 
 receive requests from feature and 
 magazine writers and editors 
 
KEEP THE FOOD COWNG-Pershing. 
 
 From National War Garden Commission, Washington, D. C 
 
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 v ^+r**+sx 
 
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 tr^S&EFi^S 
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 - -WT be pown in the bjck-y>rd jir- 
 
 TYPICAL HEADINGS FROM NEWS SHEETS 
 
 The Commission in sending out garden data to the newspapers helped the editor by preparing 
 the copy in as near the style desired as possible. This was a big help to busy "copy" desks. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 171 
 
 throughout the 
 United States for il- 
 lustrations and ma- 
 terial which could 
 be used in . stimulat- 
 ing the home food- 
 growing enterprise 
 throughout the terri- 
 tory in which their 
 publications c i r c u- 
 lated. These requests 
 were promptly met. 
 The Commission was 
 able to do this be- 
 cause it gathered in 
 a short time and had 
 on file in the Wash- 
 ington office a large 
 collection of interest- 
 ing photographs as well as much data about war gardens, 
 showing what they could do and were doing. Many of 
 
 the magazine writers called per- 
 sonally at the headquarters and 
 were delighted and surprised 
 at the readiness with which 
 their needs were filled. They 
 went away with envelopes 
 filled with pictures and mate- 
 rials for their stories. 
 
 Some of the publicity matter 
 
 STACK WORKER wiu. 
 
 SIT IN A CORNER 
 EALS HIS GOOD MOTHER 
 HAS PLANNED- 
 
 SHE'LL FEED HER WHOLE BROOD 
 WITH THE CHOICEST OF FOOD, 
 
 \tfHICH SHE IN HER 
 
172 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 went out to the news- 
 papers in "mat" or 
 matrix form, so that 
 it was necessary for 
 the paper to make 
 only the stereotype 
 from which the print- 
 ing was to be done. 
 The material which 
 the Commission sent 
 out in this way in- 
 cluded reproductions 
 of its several posters, 
 little comics on gar- 
 dening and canning, a 
 step-by-step series of 
 illustrations explaining 
 in detail the cold-pack 
 process of canning 
 vegetables and fruits; initials to be used in dressing 
 up the garden page; and a number of prose poems with 
 small illustrations in- 
 serted. All this material 
 was used very widely. 
 
 The news-service 
 organizations and illus- 
 trated-feature syndi- 
 cates used many stories 
 on war-garden work. 
 In this way thousands 
 
 LTTLE Cfliss WUFFET WILL; SIT 
 
 ON HERTUFFET 
 
 GIGGLE IN MERRIEST'GLEE 
 FOR SHE'LL NOT BE NEEDING TO BUY 
 
 aa STUFF FOR FEEDING 
 
 DLL CAN IT THIS sunroERj 
 

 
 BGB 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 173 
 
 of papers were served by lh|v 9 and another 
 the Associated Press, the ? lif tie farm 
 United Press, the Inter- would ift do us any harm 
 national News Service, the 
 Western Newspaper Union, 
 the Newspaper Enterprise 
 Association, the News 
 Feature Service, the Inter- 
 national Syndicate, and 
 other important agencies. The Washington correspond- 
 ents of the leading dailies 
 of the country sent to 
 their home papers, by wire 
 and mail, items of national 
 or local interest telling of 
 the activities of the war 
 gardeners. The value of 
 this patriotic service in 
 furthering home food pro- 
 duction cannot be over-estimated. Some of the largest 
 and most influential 
 newspapers in the coun- 
 try gave most prominent 
 place on many occasions 
 to the Commission's call 
 to the home food pro- 
 ducers and conservers of 
 America. The Philadel- 
 phia North American, for 
 instance, reproduced the 
 
174 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 "Can the Kaiser" poster on the front page in a space 
 
 covering nearly one-quarter of the entire page. The 
 
 Boston Post used both this and the "Sow the Seeds of 
 
 Victory" poster on 
 one page, devoting a 
 large part of the 
 space to these strik- 
 ing designs. The 
 Garden Magazine 
 used reproductions 
 of the posters as 
 cover illustrations on 
 two of its monthly 
 issues. The Forecast 
 
 also made use of the Verrees poster as a cover design. 
 
 The Diario de la Marina, of Havana, Cuba, one of the 
 
 foreign papers to which copies of the posters and several 
 
 articles on war gardening 
 
 in the United States had 
 
 been sent, published a 
 
 "smash" layout of the 
 
 Flagg Victory Garden 
 
 poster covering almost the 
 
 entire front page. Zig-Zag, 
 
 of Santiago, Chile, also 
 
 used it as a cover design. 
 During the campaigns of 
 
 both 1917 and 1918 the newspapers of this country gave 
 
 the Commission loyal backing. They knew the need 
 
 of food and they saw what an asset the "city farmer" 
 
 could be in this direction. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 175 
 
 The most remarkable cooperation was given in New 
 York City when virtually every one of the big metro- 
 politan dailies was running the Commission's garden 
 hints and suggestions 
 simultaneously. The 
 papers thus helping in- 
 cluded the Evening 
 World, the Globe, the 
 Evening Post, the Jour- 
 nal, the Evening Tele- 
 gram, and the Brook- 
 lyn Eagle. On Sundays 
 some of the papers regu- 
 larly ran an entire page or two of war-garden material. 
 In the United States a large number of the foreign- 
 language newspapers, Italian, French and others, told 
 
 their readers of the ser- 
 vice they could perform 
 through war-gardening 
 and the conservation of 
 the surplus products 
 thus grown. Several 
 summaries of the war- 
 garden movement in the 
 United States were 
 
 FOR PATRIOTIC REASONS translated into French, 
 Spanish, Italian, and Portugese and sent by the Commis- 
 sion to leading publications throughout Latin America, 
 Canada, Australia, Europe, and the Orient. They ap- 
 peared, for instance, in such widely separated papers as 
 
i;6 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 the Alexandria (Egypt) Gazette, and Le Messager de Sao 
 Paulo, Brazil; and were published from Calcutta, India, 
 and Tokio, Japan, to Montreal, Canada. The Asahi 
 
 News, a Japanese newspaper 
 of Seattle, gave hearty sup- 
 port to the Commission and 
 published much of its advice 
 and instruction to gardeners 
 and home canners. 
 
 Magazines of general in- 
 terest and many house- 
 organs cooperated in the 
 campaign and published ar- 
 ticles dealing with various phases of war gardening. This 
 applied to conservation as well as to the productive 
 phase of the work. As an illustration, the Ladies' 
 Home Journal pub- 
 lished an entire page of 
 pictures of women who 
 had been blue-ribbon 
 winners and had re- 
 ceived the Commis- 
 sion's National Capitol 
 Prize Certificates for 
 excellence in canning 
 garden products. The 
 Outlook printed from time to time a number of appre- 
 ciations of the value of home food growing. The 
 Garden Magazine, of Garden City, Long Island, used a 
 number of stories on the subject and printed a monthly 
 
: " 
 
 ***$**.>*' 
 
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 ^> 
 
 -^rSf^" 1 '^ '^^^^~~" :! |^^^ 
 
 SSES^ 
 
 OIRECIED B'.' W 
 
 W6 
 
 tg^jJS&lSiJ ^S^\\sg 
 
 WITH PICTURE AND TYPE THE PRESS URGED GARDENING 
 
 The cooperation of the newspapers and magazines in national service was one of the 
 
 greatest patriotic demonstrations of the world war. This reproduction of clippings shows 
 
 how data from the National War Garden Commission was printed. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 177 
 
 page summarizing important and inspiring war-garden 
 activities throughout the United States. The Country 
 Gentleman, in addition to regular garden lessons, pub- 
 lished several articles com- 
 mending highly the work of 
 the Commission. Similar help- 
 fulness was extended by the 
 Nation's Business, official pub- 
 lication of the Chamber of 
 Commerce of the United 
 States; the Manufacturers 9 
 Record, Baltimore; the Amer- 
 
 r> * TVT v 1 ,.1. 
 
 ican City, JNew York; the 
 Journal of the American Bankers' Association', the Mis- 
 souri, Kansas ff Texas Railway, Employes' Maga- 
 zine', American Industries, and many other trade and 
 
 business papers. House and 
 Garden, Vogue, and the 
 Touchstone were among other 
 high-class magazines which 
 printed illustrated war-garden 
 stories supplied by the Com- 
 % V ^Hk mission. The World Court 
 
 Magazine is another example 
 of this editorial cooperation. 
 The Century, Good Housekeep- 
 ing, the National Magazine, the Survey, the Illustrated 
 World, the People's Popular Monthly, the Illustrated Sun- 
 day Magazine, the Woman 9 s World, the Rotarian, the Lone 
 Scout, Forbes' Magazine, American Forestry, the Southern 
 
178 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 
 
 Lumberman, the Christian Endeavor World, the Forecast, 
 and the People's Home Journal, and many others were 
 among the publications that carried war-garden stories. 
 
 The Literary Digest printed 
 a summary of the work ac- 
 complished and showed 
 what Daylight Saving had 
 done to further the efforts 
 of the war gardener. 
 
 The manufacturer of 
 plows or soda fountains, as 
 wellasthe editorof a general- 
 interest magazine, realized the value of home food pro- 
 duction to his employes; and through their house- 
 organs the heads of many industrial and business con- 
 cerns spread the gospel 
 of "Food F. O. B. the 
 Kitchen Door." Trade 
 publications of all kinds 
 throughout the country 
 carried garden lessons 
 and inspirational articles 
 urging their workers to 
 produce food and thus 
 help themselves and their 
 country at the same time. 
 Some of them reproduced the Commission's posters in 
 their magazines and used other material furnished them. 
 The work of cooperation with newspapers and peri- 
 odicals was conducted by Russell T. Edwards, under 
 the direction of Secretary Ridsdale. 
 
THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 179 
 
 Thus the magazines and the newspapers of the United 
 States cooperated in making a success of the war- 
 garden movement. Without their help this could not 
 have been accomplished. What was brought about 
 with their aid shows the 
 power of the printed page. 
 It spread the message of 
 the war garden to the mil- 
 lions. It made possible the 
 enlistment of a vast army 
 of war gardeners and of 
 home canners and dryers. 
 It brought into action the 
 patriotic will of the Ameri- 
 can people to do full share 
 in the battle for international freedom and world-wide 
 democracy. In short it was through the printed page 
 that the war garden and home conservation were given 
 their proper place among war-time activities. 
 
Appendix 
 
 TWO OF THE VICTORY BOOKS ISSUED 
 BY THE COMMISSION 
 
 "WAR GARDENING," VICTORY EDITION, 1919 
 
 HOME CANNING AND DRYING/ 
 VICTORY EDITION, 1919 
 
Victory Edition 1919 
 
 WAR GARDENING 
 
 and Home Storage of \fegetables 
 
 Published, 
 
 National War Garden Commission 
 
 Washington,D.C. 
 
 Copyright IQIQ by NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION 
 
WAR DEPARTMENT 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
 June 7, 1918. 
 
 NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION, 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 Dear Sirs: 
 
 The War Department finds much satisfaction in the creation of War Gardens 
 at various army camps by the Conservation and Reclamation Division of the 
 Quartermaster General's office. Food production at these camps has been the 
 subject of some concern with the department. The large areas of tillable land 
 within many of the military reservations have been regarded as offering potential 
 food production on a large scale, and I feel that the army is to be congratulated- 
 that the utilization of this space has now taken concrete form. 
 
 Camp War Gardens will serve more than one useful purpose. The pro- 
 duction of food at the mess door is of great importance in that it not only lessens 
 the army's demand on the usual sources of supply but eliminates transportation 
 as well. 
 
 To the National War Garden Commission I extend the thanks of the Depart- 
 ment for its quick response to the appeal of the Quartermaster General's office 
 for co-operation. Not confining itself to mere compliance with the letter of the 
 request, the Commission entered fully into its spirit. At a time when funds 
 were not available through Government channels the Commission voluntarily 
 provided seed, fertilizers and equipment which made possible the establishment 
 of a War Garden of 300 acres or more at Camp Dix. For this generous contri- 
 bution and for swift action to overcome the handicap of a late start I take pleasure 
 in making this acknowledgment and in expressing the hope that the Camp Dix 
 War Garden of the National War Garden Commission will prove an unqualified 
 success. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 (Signed) NEWTON D. BAKER, 
 
 Secretary of War. 
 
 UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION 
 
 Baltimore, Maryland. 
 September 14, 1918. 
 
 NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION, 
 Maryland Building, 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 We wish to express to you our appreciation of your helpfulness in our war 
 garden, canning and drying work in Maryland during the season of 1918. Your 
 book on canning and drying has been of great value, while the canning outfits 
 which you so kindly gave us made it possible for us to establish canning centers 
 throughout the State, with results of far-reaching importance which could not have 
 been otherwise accomplished. We are equally appreciative of your prompt and 
 willing response to our request for the services of one of your trained investigators 
 4:o assist in our war garden work. Your spirit of prompt and willing service is 
 cordially appreciated. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 (Signed) EDWIN G. BAETJER, 
 
 Federal Food Administrator for Maryland. 
 
PLAN OF GARDEN 50 by 75 feet, in which careful attention has been paid to proper relation of 
 the season's crops and to a continuous supply of the more important vegetables. 
 
 Hot Bed 
 
 Gold Frame 
 
 Asparagus 
 
 Rhubarb 
 
 ARRANGEMENT OF SEASON'S CROPS 
 
 Peas, followed by late Tomatoes 
 
 Peas, followed by Celery 
 
 Onion Sets, followed by Turnips 
 
 Corn, followed by Spinach 
 
 Beans (bush), followed by Beets 
 
 Beets, y% row; Carrots, ^ row, followed by Corn 
 
 Turnips, followed by Bush Beans 
 
 Potatoes, followed by Spinach 
 
 Spinach, followed by Potatoes 
 
 Cabbage, with Lettuce and Radishes between, followed by Carrots 
 
 Beans, Bush Lima 
 
 Chard, % row; Parsley, Y row 
 
 Parsnips, % row (radishes to mark row); Salsify, 24 row 
 
 Corn, followed by Kohlrabi, Yi row; Cauliflower, % row 
 
 Peas, followed by Corn 
 
 Beans, Bush Lima 
 
 Early Potatoes, followed by late Cabbage 
 
 Early Tomatoes 
 
 Peppers, ^ row; Potatoes, Okra or Eggplant, Y 2 row 
 
 Potatoes 
 
 Potatoes 
 
 Pole Lima Beans 
 
 Pole Beans 
 
 Corn 
 
 Corn 
 
 Corn 
 
 Cucumbers 
 
 Squash 
 
 (bush 
 
 crook neck) 
 
 Squash 
 
 (winter) 
 
 Musk- 
 
 melon 
 
 Rows are 30 inches apart. If soil is very fertile rows may be closer. 
 
 Planting was begun at hotbed end of garden and plantings were made a few days apart 
 to insure a constant supply of vegetables. Planting table on page 23. 
 
MAKE YOUR WAR GARDEN 
 A GARDEN OF VICTORY 
 
 By CHARLES LATHROP PACK, President 
 
 National War Garden Commission 
 
 AIERICA'S responsibility for 
 the world's food supply did 
 not stop with the ending 
 of the war. In peace, as in conflict, 
 this country must carry the burden 
 of Europe's food problems. With 
 the advent of peace these problems 
 have become intensified. America is 
 now expected to furnish the solution 
 and this can be done only through 
 the continued application of high 
 pressure food production and un- 
 wavering food conservation. 
 
 For two years of war the War 
 Gardens of America produced food- 
 stuffs which helped establish the 
 balance of power between starvation 
 and abundance. In the spring of 
 1918, General Haig declared, "We 
 stand with our backs to the wall." 
 Of that call to the civilized world no 
 phase was more vital than its inter- 
 pretation and answer in terms of 
 food. During that year the answer 
 was given by the American people 
 with true American spirit. The war 
 gardeners of the United States re- 
 sponded with a vigor which carried 
 the War Gardens over the top to 
 victory. By the addition of more 
 than five hundred million dollars of 
 crop value to this country's food 
 production they made it easier for 
 America to feed her own people and 
 the people of France and Belgium. 
 
 The Victory Garden is now as 
 vital as the War Garden. Peace 
 brings new food needs. In reclaim- 
 ing territory from the enemy France 
 and Belgium have greatly increased 
 the number of their people who must 
 be fed. By restoring these former 
 expatriates to citizenship these coun- 
 tries have also assumed the burden 
 of feeding them. This will mean a 
 vast increase in the demands on 
 America as the source of Europe's 
 food supply in 1919. Europe can- 
 not feed herself during the first year 
 of reconstruction ; Russia faced famine 
 conditions in the winter of 1918- 
 1919, and Mr. Hoover says that the 
 world's food shortage will last for 
 another seven years. 
 
 The war gardener's responsibility, 
 therefore, did not end with the com- 
 ing of peace. His War Garden must 
 now be made a Victory Garden in 
 the full sense of the words. It must 
 help solve the problem of feeding 
 people rendered helpless by years 
 of ruthless and terrible war. 
 
 The garden crop of 1919 must be 
 even greater than that of 1918, and 
 there must be more canning and dry- 
 ing for winter use. The people of 
 America have a real duty to perform 
 in this respect and the nation counts 
 confidently on full measure of in- 
 dividual response. 
 
PART I 
 
 WAR GARDENING MANUAL 
 
 As a result of emergency created by war the home garden of America has 
 become an institution of world-wide importance. The planting and growing 
 season of 1918 demonstrated that the products thus raised are essential to the 
 feeding of the people of the United States and the Allied Nations. Under the 
 impetus given by the National War Garden Commission the people of this 
 country last year produced a crop valued at $520,000,000 in gardens cultivated 
 in backyards, on vacant lots and on other land previously un tilled the 
 patriotic gift of the war gardens to the nation. 
 
 Peace can in no wise diminish America's responsibility for feeding 
 Europe. The recovery of vast areas of devastated country in France and 
 Belgium greatly increases the number of people to be fed and adds heavily 
 to the food burden of America. Because of this the Victory Garden is no 
 less necessary than the War Garden. 
 
 WAR GARDENS HELP SOLVE TRAFFIC PROBLEM 
 
 War-time brought the most serious traffic 
 congestion the United States has ever seen. 
 This condition has no meaning more signifi- 
 cant than that the gardens of this year must 
 do even more than those of 1918 in freeing the 
 overburdened railroads from the need for 
 transporting food products. With food short- 
 age threatening the Allied Nations and with 
 railroad congestion as an added factor, the 
 war garden results of the coming season must 
 be considerably greater even than the vast 
 yield of last year. 
 
 COMMUNITY GARDENING 
 
 Excellent results are obtained through co- 
 operative gardening work. If several fami- 
 lies join forces they can reduce the cost of 
 gardening in time, labor and money. Fami- 
 lies having adjoining or neighboring garden 
 plots may use one set of tools. To prevent 
 clash of convenience it is well to have an 
 understanding in advance as to the time 
 when each gardener is to have the use of 
 particular tools. By this arrangement it is 
 possible to have complete equipment at ex- 
 pense much less than if each gardener bought 
 his own. Money can also be saved in buying 
 seeds, fertilizers and spraying materials by 
 clubbing together and gaining advantage of 
 the lower prices for large lots. 
 
 One Of the advantages of doing commu- 
 nity work is that it is possible for the gar- 
 deners interested in the project to employ a 
 man and a team to prepare their gardens by 
 plowing and harrowing. In this way the 
 man and team can be kept busy throughout 
 
 the day and the expense to each gardener 
 will be slight. 
 
 On a larger scale this principle should be 
 applied to garden plots on tracts of vacant 
 land allotted to individuals in or near cities 
 or towns. Each plot in such a tract is a 
 separate garden, belonging to the individual 
 or family to whom allotted. In many in- 
 stances the municipal authorities, the mayor's 
 war garden committee or some similar local 
 organization, will provide an expert to super- 
 vise work on community gardens of this 
 character. This expert will give advice and 
 instructions as to preparation, planting and 
 cultivation and on other technical subjects. 
 
 If an expert is not provided in this way it 
 is wise for the gardeners to club together and 
 arrange for one at their own expense, if the 
 project is large enough to make this possible 
 without too great individual cost. The help 
 of an expert is of great value. 
 
 School children and parents may work to- 
 gether to good advantage on these garden 
 plots. In some communities school au- 
 thorities allow the children to spend a por- 
 tion of the school hours, on stated days, in 
 their garden work. Through co-operation 
 with street cleaning departments a munici- 
 pal government may arrange to deliver 
 manure to war gardeners at nominal cost. 
 In at least one important city this is done at 
 a charge of $2 per load. 
 
 It is a good plan for municipal govern- 
 ments to arrange for lectures at school 
 houses or other places on practical problems 
 in gardening. This increases efficiency. 
 
WAR GARDENING 
 
 Fig. 1 A community garden which produced excellent results. The ground was provided by a manufacturing 
 concern for its employes and the plowing and harrowing were done by the company. Expert supervisors directed 
 the work. This supervision is an important help to successful gardening. 
 
 CORPORATION GARDENS 
 
 Manufacturing concerns, and other enter- 
 prises which employ labor on a large scale, 
 may make valuable contribution to the 
 national food supply by encouraging their 
 employees to cultivate war gardens. Many 
 concerns furnish large tracts of land, which 
 are divided into individual garden plots. 
 These plots are allotted to such employes as 
 are willing to cultivate them. Each plot and 
 everything it produces are recognized as the 
 individual property of its cultivator. The 
 company bears the expense of plowing and 
 fertilizing these plots and employs an expert 
 to have charge. 
 
 HOW TO HAVE A GOOD GARDEN 
 
 Garden Plan 
 
 Have a plan for your garden drawn to 
 scale on paper before you start, to give 
 proper order in planting and enable you to 
 buy the right amount of seeds in advance 
 while the selection is good. 
 
 Put in one general group small plants like 
 beets, onions, lettuce, carrots, radishes and 
 parsnips. In another general group put 
 larger plants like corn, tomatoes and pota- 
 toes. Spreading ground vines, like melons 
 and cucumbers, which need wider spacing, 
 should be put in another general group. The 
 reason for this grouping is that the various 
 plants in a group need similar general treat- 
 ment as well as spacing. 
 
 In making a plan provide space in which 
 to enter costs and yield of the various crops. 
 This will give you a complete record which 
 will be useful another year. Another help- 
 ful use of the plan is that it will guide you in 
 the rotation of next year's crops. For this 
 purpose save your plan for next season. 
 
 In planning your garden formulate some 
 definite plan as to what you will do with 
 surplus vegetables. Detailed instructions for 
 home storage of vegetables for winter use are 
 given in Part II of this booklet. Detailed 
 instructions for canning, drying, pickling and 
 
 other forms of conservation are given in the 
 Home Manual on these subjects issued by 
 this Commission. 
 
 Sunshine 
 
 In the location of a garden it is not always 
 possible to choose conditions as to sunlight. 
 It is important, therefore, that in the ar- 
 rangement of the various varieties of vege- 
 tables which are to be planted, due care 
 should be given to providing the greatest 
 exposure to the sun for those crops which 
 need it most. Those plants which must ripen 
 their fruits, such as tomatoes and eggplant, 
 require the greatest amount of sunshine, 
 while lettuce, spinach, kale and other leaf 
 crops require relatively less. Foliage crops 
 must have at least 3 hours of sunlight a day 
 and plants which ripen fruits at least 5 hours 
 a day. This is important. 
 
 Vary from Last Year's Plan 
 
 It is important to remember that plant 
 diseases and insects are apt to thrive in a 
 spot in which they have become established. 
 For this reason those who make gardens 
 this year should take care not to place the 
 individual crops in the spot in which the 
 same crops grew last year. Varying the ar- 
 rangement of the garden in this way will reduce 
 the danger from disease and insects. The 
 same vegetables in the same place each year 
 exhaust certain food elements, and reduced 
 yields are sure to result. 
 
 SURPLUS PRODUCTS 
 
 At times, even with the best of planning, 
 a gardener will find that his garden has 
 matured more of some varieties of vegetables 
 than can be used immediately. None of this 
 excess should be wasted and there is no 
 occasion for waste. If there is no ready 
 market for the surplus it should be prepared 
 for winter by either canning or drying. By 
 modern methods either canning or drying 
 may be done with little expense of time, 
 trouble or financial outlay. By using the 
 
THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 5 
 
 containing 3 to 4 per cent nitrogen and 8 to 10 
 per cent phosphoric acid is about right for the 
 average garden. Your dealer will inform 
 you on this point. If the fertilizer also con- 
 tains potash, so much the better, but this year 
 potash is scarce and high in price. 
 
 Where no manure is used the fertilizer 
 should be spread over the surface of the finely 
 prepared seed-bed at the rate of 5 pounds 
 for a plot 10 feet square, just before planting. 
 The surface soil should then be thoroughly 
 raked so as to mix the fertilizer evenly to a 
 depth of 2 inches. Never place seed or trans- 
 planted plants in direct contact with fertilizer. 
 Thorough mixing of the fertilizer with the soil 
 is essential to prevent injury of seed or roots. 
 
 cold-pack method as small a quantity as a 
 single can or jar may be put up in a short 
 time. With proper instructions it is possible 
 for the housewife to dry a handful of peas or 
 beans, sweet corn, a few sweet potatoes or 
 turnips, or small quantities of many other 
 vegetables with practically no expenditure of 
 her time. Explicit and simple directions for 
 canning and drying are given in the Manual 
 issued by the National War Garden Com- 
 mission. 
 
 THE SOIL AND MANURES 
 
 The back yard gardener must use the soil 
 he has, but he can improve it if is poor, and 
 he must do this as far as possible. Stable 
 manure will help even the 
 richest soil, and you are 
 not likely to use too much 
 of it. During a single season 
 professional gardeners apply 
 as much as six inches of it. 
 From 400 to 600 pounds can 
 be used to advantage on a 
 plot 20 by 20 feet. Coarse 
 manure should be apa^ed 
 and thoroughly plowed or 
 spaded under in the fall. 
 In the soring, fine, rotted Fig- 2 This shows the construction of an outdoor cold frame. A hotbed is 
 
 built in the same way, except that for the hotbed a pit and manure are required, 
 just gee page 7 for directions for making cold frames and hotbeds. 
 
 manure is applied, 
 
 before plowing or spading, 
 
 preceding the planting of any crop. If the 
 
 ground is fairly rich, and well-rotted manure 
 
 is scarce, the manure may be scattered in the 
 
 row only, and should be mixed into the soil 
 
 before the planting of seed. 
 
 Loam is the best garden soil. Sand, with 
 manure, gives good results. Clay is hardest 
 to work, but is greatly improved by well- 
 rotted manure and vegetable matter called 
 humus. These should be well worked in 
 with hoe and rake. Sifted coal ashes, en- 
 tirely free from clinkers, will help loosen up 
 clay when mixed into it, but will not remove 
 an acid condition nor increase fertility. 
 
 Where manure has been worked into the 
 soil, reduce the fertilizer application ap- 
 proximately one-half. 
 
 Tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, spinach and 
 some other crops requiring rather long growing 
 seasons, are materially benefited by a second 
 application of fertilizer when half grown. 
 Side dressings of this .kind should be scattered 
 between the rows at the rate of four ounces 
 (one-half pint) to 10 feet of row, when rows 
 are spaced 2 feet apart; and pro rata for rows 
 spaced a greater or lesser distance. To insure 
 even distribution mix the fertilizer with fine, 
 dry earth just before spreading. 
 
 Commercial Fertilizer 
 
 Many gardeners experience difficulty in 
 obtaining supplies of well-rotted manure. 
 In such cases commercial fertilizers should 
 be used. Even where stable manure has 
 been secured and worked into the soil it is 
 well to supplement with moderate quantities 
 of quick-acting fertilizer in order to give 
 plants an early start and hasten maturity. 
 
 It is" safest to rely upon the ready-mixed 
 fertilizers usually obtainable at seed and 
 hardware stores. Several specially prepared 
 mixtures in convenient packages are now on 
 the market. For large areas, 100 to 200- 
 pound bags may be obtained. A mixture 
 
 Compost 
 
 Compost is especially desirable when 
 quick growth is wanted. Compost is thor- 
 oughly rotted manure or organic material. 
 It is prepared from six to twelve months 
 before being used, by putting the manure 
 and other material in piles having perpen- 
 dicular sides and flat tops. These piles 
 are usually from 2 to 4 feet high and 6 to 8 
 feet long. 
 
 Besides the usual waste of garden rubbish, 
 there is a large waste of leaves, weeds and 
 the skins and other unused portions of fruits 
 and vegetables. These should all be thrown 
 on the compost pile to decay for use on the 
 
WAR GARDENING 
 
 garden next spring. Destroy all plants which 
 are diseased. The compost pile should be 
 built up in alternate layers of vegetable 
 refuse a foot thick and earth an inch or more 
 thick. The earth helps to rot the vegetable 
 matter when mixed with it. The top of the 
 pile should be left flat that the rain may enter 
 and help in the process of decay. 
 
 If the pile can be forked over once a month 
 when not frozen and the contents well mixed 
 together, they will decay quite rapidly and 
 be in good usable condition in the spring. 
 The compost may be either spread over the 
 garden and plowed under or it may be scat- 
 tered in the rows before the seed are sown. 
 This is, of course, not as rich as stable manure, 
 but it is a good substitute. 
 
 Compost is also used as a top dressing dur- 
 ing the growing season for hastening growth. 
 
 In the cities and towns tons of leaves are 
 burned every fall. This is a loss which ought 
 to be prevented. These leaves properly 
 composted with other vegetable waste and 
 earth would be worth hundreds of dollars to 
 the gardens next spring. 
 
 In planning a permanent garden, a space 
 should be reserved near the hotbed or seed 
 bed, and in this space should be piled, as 
 soon as pulled, all plants which are free from 
 diseases and insects. This applies to all 
 vegetables and especially to peas and beans, 
 as these belong to a group of plants which 
 take nitrogen from the air, during growth, 
 and store it in their roots. When these plants 
 are decayed they will return to the soil not 
 only much of the plant food taken from it 
 during their growth but additional nitrogen 
 as well. Nitrogen in the soil is necessary 
 for satisfactory leaf growth. The material 
 so composted should be allowed to decay 
 throughout the winter, and when 
 needed should be used according to 
 the instructions given for using 
 compost. The sweepings of pigeon 
 lofts or chicken coops make valu- 
 able fertilizer. When cleaning roosts 
 from day to day add % as 
 much acid phosphate as 
 sweepings. When needed 
 apply 1 pound of this mix- 
 ture to every 5 square 
 feet of ground, mixing it 
 thoroughly into the soil. 
 
 Prepared sheep manure, where procurable 
 at a reasonable price, is possibly the safest 
 concentrated fertilizer. It should be used in 
 small quantities rather than spread broad- 
 cast. Scatter it along the row before seed is 
 sown or apply by mixing it with water in a 
 pail, stirring the mixture to the consistency of 
 thin mush, and pouring it along the rows of 
 the plants. 
 
 Green Manure 
 
 Green manure is useful as a fertilizer. It 
 consists of green plants turned under by 
 plowing or spading. Rye is the most satis- 
 factory for this purpose. If planted in July 
 or August the crop may be turned under in 
 the fall if early spring planting is desired. 
 If planted later, it is usually turned under in 
 the spring. When not turned under until 
 spring, the growth will prevent the leaching of 
 soluble plant food or the washing away of 
 rich soil. 
 
 In sowing rye for this purpose, use at the 
 rate of 1 pound of seed to a strip of ground 
 50 feet long and 10 feet wide. If the ground 
 is rough or hard it should be cultivated just 
 before the seed is sown, and then cultivated 
 again to cover the seed. Sow the seed be- 
 tween the rows of crops not yet gathered. 
 Rye is very hardy and will sprout even 
 though there is frost nearly every night. At 
 a cost of about 5 cents for a pound of seed a 
 garden of 10 by 50 feet can thus be treated 
 to an application of green manure. The 
 green rye plants soon decay when turned 
 under and answer the same purpose as a light 
 dressing of manure. 
 
 Green manure, however, should not be relied 
 upon to do the work of stable manure, as it 
 does not provide phosphorus or potassium. 
 
 Lime 
 
 Land which has long been unused, or 
 land in lawns, is apt to be sour. To 
 remedy this condition apply 
 evenly 1 pound of air-slaked 
 ir lime or 2 pounds of ground lime- 
 stone to every 30 square feet. 
 The lime should be applied and 
 raked in to a depth of 2 inches 
 when the seed bed is being pre- 
 pared in the spring. Instead of 
 lime 2 pounds of unleached 
 
 Fig. 3 Tools most commonly needed in a small garden. From left to right, between the balls of cord, they are: 
 Trowel, weeder, spade, steel toothed rake, hoe, garden fork, watering pot and dibble. 
 
THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 
 
 wood ashes may be used. Do not appfy 
 lime at the same time as manure or mixed 
 fertilizers, as it will cause loss of nitrogen. 
 
 As an addition to soil lime is of consider- 
 able value. Besides correcting acidity it 
 changes the physical structure of the soil. 
 One of the elements of lime is calcium, which 
 is required for plant growth. 
 
 OUTDOOR HOTBEDS 
 
 For early planting a hotbed may be made, 
 located in a sheltered spot with southern 
 exposure, where it will receive a generous 
 supply of sun. A width of 6 feet is desirable, 
 and the length should be such as will enable 
 the use of standard 3 by 6 foot hotbed sash. 
 A simple, boxlike frame, 12 inches high in the 
 rear and 8 inches high in front, will hold the 
 sash and give a better angle for the rays of 
 the sun. 
 
 Dig a pit 1^ to 2 feet deep, the size of the 
 sash frame to be used. Line the sides of this 
 with boards or planks, brick or concrete, and 
 make a tile drain, or place stones on the 
 bottom of the pit, to carry off surplus water. 
 This pit is to be filled with fresh horse manure. 
 The manure will require special treatment 
 before being placed in the pit. It should be 
 thrown into a pile and allowed to heat. 
 When it has heated and is steaming fork it 
 over into a new pile, throwing the outside 
 material into the center. When the new pile 
 has become well heated fork the material 
 once more into a new pile. This will require 
 from ten days to two weeks and is important 
 in that it gets rid of excessive heat. After 
 this process fill the pit with the manure, 
 packed down firmly and evenly, level with 
 the surface of the surrounding earth. On 
 top of this manure make a covering of good 
 garden loam 3 or 4 inches deep. 
 
 When the sash has been put in place the 
 manure will generate heat, in addition to the 
 heat that will be derived from the sun. After 
 this heat has reached its highest point and 
 dropped back to between 80 and 90 degrees F. 
 the seed should be planted. Use the best 
 seed obtainable. Until the seed germinate 
 the hotbed should be kept shaded to hold 
 moisture. This can be done by spreading 
 over the sash strips of old carpet, heavy cloth 
 or newspapers. After germination strong 
 light will be needed. The plants must be 
 watered each morning on clear days, and the 
 sash left partially open for ventilation, as it 
 is necessary to dry the foliage to prevent 
 mildew. 
 
 Proper ventilation is essential to the pro- 
 duction of strong, healthy plants. The sash 
 should be raised during the warmest part of 
 the day on the side opposite the direction 
 from which the wind is blowing. By opening 
 
 it in this way instead of facing the wind, the 
 hotbed receives fresh air without receiving 
 direct draft. On cold days raise the sash 
 slightly three or four times a day for a few 
 minutes only. In severe weather cover the 
 beds with mats, straw or manure to keep in 
 as much heat as possible. About two weeks 
 before transplanting time the sash should be 
 removed during the day to "harden" the 
 plants. While in the hotbed the plants 
 should be thoroughly watered, but the water 
 should not reach the manure underneath. 
 Early morning is the best time for water- 
 ing, so that the plants will be dried before 
 night. 
 
 An outdoor hotbed of this character should 
 be started in the early spring February or 
 March. 
 
 THE COLD FRAME 
 
 A cold frame is useful for hardening piants 
 which have been started in the hotbed. It 
 is built like a hotbed, but without the pit or 
 manure. It is built on the surface of the 
 ground. Good, rich soil should be used and 
 the soil kept slightly moist. In mild climates 
 the cold frame may be used instead of a hot- 
 bed for starting plants. It is also used in the 
 fall and early winter for growing lettuce, 
 radishes, carrots, parsley, etc. 
 
 TOOLS 
 
 Not many implements are required for 
 home gardening. The essentials are a spade 
 or a garden fork, a hoe, a rake with steel 
 teeth, a trowel, a dibble or pointed stick, and 
 a line such as is used by masons, or a piece of 
 common string or cord, to stretch between 
 two stakes for marking off rows. In the case 
 of hard packed earth a pick is useful for dig- 
 ging. For watering, a rubber hose is needed 
 where pipe connections are available. Lack- 
 ing this equipment a watering pot should be 
 provided. A hand cultivator or wheel hoe is 
 useful, especially in a large garden, and saves 
 much time and labor in turning small furrows. 
 With simple attachments it is used for 
 stirring the soil and the removal of weeds. 
 
 PREPARATION OF SOIL 
 
 After the frost goes out test the ground by 
 squeezing a handful of it. If it crumbles the 
 soil is ready for spading. If it packs into a 
 mud ball, the ground is still 'too wet and 
 should not be worked. 
 
 Spade deeply, 8 to 15 inches, unless this 
 latter depth turns up poor soil and buries the 
 richer soil of the top. Pulverize the dirt 
 deeply with hoe, spade and rake, breaking all 
 clods on the surface. If a lawn roller is 
 available it is useful for crushing clods. All 
 vegetable growth on the surface, such as grass 
 
8 
 
 WAR GARDENING 
 
 or weeds, should be turned under, to rot and 
 enrich the soil. This is especially important 
 with ground that has had a growth of turf. 
 
 Fig. 4 Wheel hoe and hand cultivator, to be had with 
 attachments such as plow, cultivator teeth, shovels 
 and rake. A simple form may be made at home. 
 
 SELECTION OF CROPS 
 
 The home garden campaign for 1919 should 
 be planned with a view to the production of 
 the largest possible amount of food with the 
 smallest possible outlay of seed and fertilizer. 
 Authorities agree that the seed shortage is the 
 worst the country has ever seen. The supply 
 of fertilizers and natural manures is far below 
 the normal. The demand for these materials 
 is exceedingly great and war-time efficiency 
 makes it vital that war-time conservation be 
 practised in the use of them. To this end 
 gardens should be devoted as far as possible 
 to those crops which are most useful for food 
 and in which the chances of failure are least 
 to be feared. 
 
 In the selection of vegetables for the home 
 garden preference should be given to the staple 
 crops such as potatoes, beans, tomatoes, corn, 
 onions, and cabbage. Crops of next im- 
 portance, such as peas, carrots, parsnips, 
 beets, squash, greens, turnips, cauliflower, 
 radishes and celery, should be grown if space 
 in the garden permits. 
 
 Fig. 5 Simple seed test, using plates and moist blotting 
 paper or cloth. This is extremely useful. 
 
 Cauliflower, muskmelons, watermelons, 
 onions from seed, asparagus and cucumbers 
 are some of the plants that are most difficult 
 to raise and these are not recommended to 
 the amateur gardener. 
 
 Soils vary so much that serious attention 
 should be given to the crops suited to the 
 individual garden. This is a local question. 
 Consult your local war garden committee's 
 experts as to the best crops for your particular 
 soil. Expert advice will prevent mistakes. 
 
 In many communities, last year witnessed 
 an over-production of some vegetables that 
 had to be used during the growing season. 
 Many gardeners had larger crops of these 
 than they could possibly use. Much waste 
 resulted. To prevent this loss in seed, fer- 
 tilizer, garden space, labor and foodstuffs 
 every gardener should give especial atten- 
 tion to the selection of crops. Plant spar- 
 ingly of those things which must be used as 
 they mature and plant liberally of those things 
 which may be saved for winter use by can- 
 ning, drying or storing. 
 
 Fig. 6 Use an envelope for sowing seed. The picture 
 shows seed already sown in some of the rows. 
 
 PROCURE SEED EARLY 
 
 Seed shortage was a handicap to many 
 gardeners last year. In 1919 the planting of 
 gardens will be increased and the demand 
 for seed even greater than in 1918. It is 
 important, therefore, that the home gardener 
 should procure his supply of seed early 
 well in advance of planting time. Be sure to 
 patronize a reliable dealer, as quality is vital. 
 
 Use Seed Sparingly 
 
 Home gardeners often plant seed thickly 
 to make sure of a good stand. This is a 
 wasteful method, excepting with such vege- 
 tables as will produce young plants which 
 may be used as greens. The better way is 
 to plant according to the directions given in 
 the planting table. 
 
 The pronounced seed shortage this year 
 makes it imperative that no seed be wasted. 
 
 Testing Seed 
 
 A simple test will give useful advance 
 information of the germinating value of 
 seed. This test is useful as enabling the 
 gardener to determine whether or not 
 seed have been properly cured . and are 
 otherwise in good condition. Seed which 
 are too old or have been kept under un- 
 favorable conditions are unsatisfactory. 
 
THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 
 
 HOW MUCH SEED TO BUY 
 
 The following amounts of seed will plant in each case a garden row 100 feet long. Measure 
 your rows and buy accordingly. Also compare your figures with planting table on page 23. 
 
 Eggplant ................................ Yi ounce 
 
 Kale, or Swiss chard ...................... Yz ounce 
 
 Parsley .................................. J ounce 
 
 Parsnip ................................. Yz ounce 
 
 Vegetable oyster (salsify) .................. Yz ounce 
 
 Onion sets (bulbs) ......................... 1 quart 
 
 Onion seed ......... ...................... 1 ounce 
 
 Peas .................................. 1 to 2 pints 
 
 Radish ................................... 1 ounce 
 
 Spinach .................................. 1 ounce 
 
 Tomatoes ............................... Y* ounce 
 
 Turnip ........................... ....... Yz ounce 
 
 String beans Yz to 1 pint 
 
 Lima beans Yi to 1 pint 
 
 Cabbage Yt ounce 
 
 Carrot 1 ounce 
 
 Cauliflower 1 packet 
 
 Celery Y* ounce 
 
 All squash Yz ounce 
 
 Beets 2 ounces 
 
 Sweet corn Yz pint 
 
 Lettuce Yz ounce 
 
 Muskmelon Yz ounce 
 
 Cucumber Yz ounce 
 
 1 or 2 pecks of early potatoes and 
 supply four persons. 
 
 to 1 bushel of late potatoes are enough to plant to 
 
 Fig. 7 A paper band folded into the form of a berry 
 box, without bottom, is a good holder for indoor seed 
 planting. The picture shows how these are placed 
 side by side in a flat box. 
 
 To test plant 25 to 50 seed of each variety 
 in an indoor seed box, or place between moist 
 blotters or cloth between two plates. (Fig. 5.) 
 Germination should take place within 2 to 8 
 days and the number of seedlings which grow 
 will show the percentage of germination. 
 
 The seedlings should be kept for planting 
 to prevent waste. 
 
 The standard adopted by the United 
 States Department of Agriculture for seed 
 germination is as follows: 
 
 SHOULD PRODUCE 60 to 80 PER CENT: 
 
 Celery, Parsley, Salsify, Eggplant, Parsnip. 
 SHOULD PRODUCE 80 TO 85 PER CENT: 
 
 Asparagus, Okra, Spinach, Carrot, Onion, Cauli- 
 flower, Pepper. 
 
 SHOULD PRODUCE 85 TO 90 PER CENT: 
 
 Corn (sweet), Lettuce, Squash, Cress, Melon, 
 Tomato, Cucumber, Pumpkin. 
 
 SHOULD PRODUCE 90 TO 95 PER CENT: 
 
 Bean, Mustard, Turnip, Cabbage, Pea, Radish. 
 
 INDOOR PLANTING 
 
 Earlier crops can be secured by planting 
 certain seed indoors and setting the young 
 plants out in the open garden after the 
 weather becomes warm. This may be done 
 with tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, 
 peppers, and eggplant. 
 
 Any wooden box, shallow and wide, 
 will make an indoor garden. Put 1 inch 
 of gravel or cinders in the bottom for drain- 
 age, and fill to the top with good soil. Rows 
 of plants may be two inches apart. 
 
 Plant 8 or 10 seed to the inch, keep the 
 soil damp, and set the box in a window. 
 When the plants are an inch high trans- 
 plant them to other seed boxes, spacing 
 plants 2 inches apart. This insures sturdy 
 plants with good root systems. 
 
 Transplanting 
 
 Before transplanting the plants to the 
 garden set the box outdoors, in mild weather, 
 to harden the plants. Set out each plant 
 with a ball of the box dirt sticking to the 
 roots. Thorough water- 
 ing several hours be- 
 fore transplanting 
 causes the earth to 
 stick as required. 
 
 If the root system 
 is broken in the re- 
 moval trim away some 
 of the" larger leaves 
 of the plants. In moist 
 ground open a hole 
 with trowel or dibble. 
 Make the hole larger 
 than is needed to 
 hold the roots and 
 a little deeper than 
 the roots grew. Place 
 
 roots in hole, and, 
 
 *.\- ^.u t. j i Fig. 8 Transplanting to- 
 
 with the hands, pack mato plant f rom pot to 
 
 the soil firmly around garden. 
 
 the plant. In dry soil 
 
 pour a pint of water into each hole before 
 
 inserting plant. Rake some dry earth about 
 
 the surface surrounding each plant to hold 
 
 the moisture. 
 
 Transplanted plants cannot stand strong 
 sunshine at first and cloudy days or late 
 afternoon are preferable for transplanting. 
 In bright weather place newspapers over 
 them for a day or two, making tents of the 
 papers, in the shape of an inverted V. 
 
 A homemade paper pot, a round, bottom- 
 less paper band or a berry box, filled with soil 
 
10 
 
 WAR GARDENING 
 
 should be used to produce plants for a hill 
 of cucumbers, squash, melons or other 
 "vining" plants which are started indoors, 
 as these do not stand transplanting if the 
 roots are disturbed. The pot or other 
 holder may be set into the ground without 
 disturbing the roots. Tomatoes, eggplants 
 and beans may also be started in this way. 
 
 Fig. 9 Seed box for starting plants indoors. 
 
 WHEN TO PLANT 
 
 When heavy frosts are over, plant early 
 peas, onion sets and seed, early potatoes, 
 kale, lettuce and spinach. All of these will 
 stand light freezing except potato plants, 
 which should be covered with dirt when 
 frost threatens. 
 
 When frosts are about over plant radishes, 
 parsnips, carrots, beets, late peas and early 
 sweet corn, and set out cabbage and cauli- 
 flower plants. (An old and useful rule is 
 to "plant corn when the oak leaves are the 
 size of a squirrel's ear"). 
 
 When all frosts are over and apple trees 
 are in bud, plant string beans and late 
 sweet corn, and set out a few early tomato 
 plants from the indoor boxes. 
 
 When apple trees have fin- 
 ished blossoming plant cucum- 
 bers, melons, squashes, lima 
 beans and set out the rest of 
 the indoor plants. 
 
 SEED BEDS 
 
 Plants for second crops 
 may be raised in an outdoor 
 seed bed occupying small space. 
 These plants may be grown 
 
 while the space allotted to 
 
 : *-V,r ,~,i An ~1 - Fig- 10 Straight rows add to the beauty of the garden and are easier to 
 
 s cultivate. The simplest way to lay them off is to stretch a line between 
 
 Still in use for earlier crops, two stakes and mark row with a hoe, hoe handle or stick. 
 
 factory results. There can be no absolute 
 rule as to the time of planting. The prob- 
 able time of the first frost in each locality 
 must be taken as a general guide. For 
 planting in August, and possibly even in 
 early September, the following vegetables 
 may be grown: 
 
 When first frost may be expected between 
 September 15 and September 25: 
 
 Lettuce, Spinach, Turnips, Parsley, Multiplier 
 Onions and Turnips. (Kale and Radishes may be 
 risked.) 
 
 When first frost may be expected between 
 September 20 and October 5 : 
 
 Kale, Lettuce, Parsley, Multiplier Onions, Radishes, 
 Spinach and Turnips. Beets and Chard for greens. 
 
 When first frost may be expected between 
 October 5 and October 15: 
 
 Beets for canning, Carrots, Kale, Multiplier Onions, 
 Spinach, Chard, Endive, Lettuce, Radishes and 
 Turnips. 
 
 When first frost may be expected between 
 October 15 and October 25: 
 
 Any of the vegetables mentioned in the preceding 
 lists. (String beans may be risked.) 
 
 LAYING OFF ROWS 
 
 Straight rows add to the garden's beauty 
 and make cultivation easier. To make the 
 rows straight stretch a stout string between 
 stakes and follow it with the point of a hoe, 
 with a wheel hoe, or with the end of the 
 handle of the rake or hoe, to open up the row. 
 The plan is suggested in Fig. 10. 
 
 The rows of seed are not 
 spaced so closely as in boxes used inside 
 the house. If the plants crowd each 
 other too much some of them may be re- 
 moved and transplanted to another part of 
 the garden. The seed bed plan is useful for 
 such crops as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, 
 late cabbage and the like. 
 
 FALL PLANTING 
 
 It is well to plant a fall garden of some 
 crops, for in spite of the risk of injury by 
 early frost the chances are in favor of satis- 
 
 SUCCESSION OF CROPS 
 
 Nature generously provides for more than 
 one crop on the same soil. Vegetables which 
 reach maturity early in the season should be 
 followed by later crops of the same vegetable 
 or by rotation of other kinds. Onions to be 
 used green may be grown in rows which are 
 to be occupied by late tomato plants, as a few 
 of the onions may be removed to plant the 
 tomatoes. Radishes mature early and as 
 they are harvested the space may be used for 
 cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts 
 
THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 11 
 
 and other plants. Many combinations of 
 this kind may be made to good advantage. 
 
 
 Fig. 11 Beans planted at proper depth. 
 
 once a week than to sprinkle every day. 
 Late afternoon is the best time to sprinkle. 
 
 Fig. 12 Lima beans, planted properly, with eyes down. 
 
 FOR CONTINUOUS CROPS 
 
 With some of the important vegetables a 
 series of plantings is desirable. Of string 
 beans, lettuce, radishes, spinach, sweet corn, 
 peas, beets and carrots there should be several 
 successive plantings, two or 
 three weeks apart, to provide 
 a fresh and continuous supply 
 all season. 
 
 DEPTH OF PLANTING 
 
 Do not plant too deeply. 
 The old rule is to plant to a 
 depth of 5 times the thickness 
 of the seed. This, however, 
 is not an absolute rule and 
 is not safe in all cases. 
 Consult planting table on 
 page 23 for depth. 
 
 HOEING 
 
 When the green rows ap- 
 pear it is time to start 
 hoeing or cultivating. Never 
 hoe or cultivate deeply an 
 inch or two is deep enough 
 but stir the ground frequent- 
 ly, and always after rain or 
 watering, as soon as it is dry 
 enough. The hoeing must 
 not be done after rain or 
 watering when the ground is 
 still so wet as to cause the 
 muddy earth to pack like 
 cement, as this causes the 
 earth to cake and dry out 
 
 -2 
 
 -3 
 
 surface of ground 
 
 altogether too rapidly, which is undesirable. 
 Frequent hoeing causes the formation of a 
 dust layer which prevents the soil underneath 
 from drying out. The garden should always 
 be kept free from weeds, as these, if permitted 
 to grow, consume plant food and moisture 
 needed by the plants. 
 
 WATERING 
 
 A plentiful supply of moisture is essential. 
 If there is not sufficient rainfall the moisture 
 should be provided by watering the garden. 
 In doing this it is better to soak the ground 
 
 Fig. 13 A small potato planted 
 whole. The depth of planting here 
 shown is approximately 4^ inches to 
 the center of the potato. This is the 
 depth for late potatoes. Early po- 
 tatoes are planted 2 inches nearer 
 
 To moisten the surface is not enough. 
 There must be a thorough wetting. If pipe 
 connections are available a garden hose is 
 the best means of watering. One of the 
 most satisfactory methods is to open small 
 furrows between rows and 
 allow water to run into these 
 trenches, raking the earth 
 back into place several hours 
 later and making a mulch, 
 after the water has thor- 
 oughly soaked in. The 
 sprinkling pot will serve if 
 hose is not available, but it 
 is more laborious. Overhead 
 sprinklers are very satis- 
 factory. They consist of 
 pipes mounted on supports 
 extending the length of the 
 area to be watered. Holes 
 are drilled at intervals of 3 
 to 4 feet and small nozzles 
 are inserted which yield a 
 spray-like misty rain when 
 the water is turned on. By 
 turning the pipes and also 
 changing the position of them 
 it is possible to water an area 
 of any size. 
 
 In home gardens proper 
 drainage is often disregarded. 
 Drainage improves the soil 
 by allowing air to enter; by 
 raising the temperature of 
 the soil; by rendering the 
 soil more porous and granu- 
 lar; by enabling the roots of 
 plants to grow deeply into the soil and by 
 allowing earlier cultivation in the spring. 
 
 Blind ditches, partly filled with stones or 
 other material covered with soil, or open 
 ditches, will be found satisfactory for the 
 home garden. They should be along the 
 lowest level of the garden, and have suitable 
 outlet. Lacking an outlet, lay tile 12 inches 
 below surface of garden, slanting toward a 
 hole 10 feet deep and 5 feet across, in center 
 of garden. Fill this, two thirds to top, with 
 stones, covering stones with clay and covering 
 the clay with loam. 
 
 -5 
 
12 
 
 WAR GARDENING 
 
 DIRECTIONS FOR VEGETABLE GROWING 
 
 POTATOES 
 
 As one of the staple needs of the household Potatoes are entitled to special attention in 
 Home Gardening and Community Gardening. In selecting for seed it is desirable to choose 
 medium to large, smooth, shallow-eyed potatoes. The best seed will produce the best crop. 
 Potatoes grow best in sandy loam or in a gravel loam. Heavy, sticky clay or loose sand is not 
 desirable soil. Potatoes should not be grown in the same place in the garden in which they 
 were grown the previous year. A rotation of three or four years is desirable. 
 
 Preparation of the soil should be done with care. The ground should be worked with 
 plow, spade and hoe, to a depth of 8 or 10 inches, and should be thoroughly broken up or 
 pulverized, then thoroughly worked with a steel-toothed rake. This preparation is of great 
 importance and should not be slighted. Attention to details is necessary to success. 
 
 Treat Seed for Scab 
 
 One of the most common diseases affecting 
 seed potatoes is scab. This attacks the skin 
 of the potato, causing it to thicken, and giving 
 it a scabby appearance. It is carried through 
 the winter, in soil, in manure and on the po- 
 
 Fig. 14 Properly cut seed potatoes, 
 and is about the size of a hen's egg. 
 
 Each"piece has two good eyes 
 
 tatoes themselves. To control this affection 
 it is important that potatoes should be ro- 
 tated with other crops as to location, and the 
 same soil not used for potatoes except at 
 intervals of three or four years. A simple 
 remedy, easily applied, is to soak the seed 
 potatoes before planting, in a solution of 
 Formalin and water. This solution is made 
 of 1 ounce of Formalin (40 per cent formalde- 
 hyde), mixed in 2 gallons of water. In this 
 mixture soak the uncut potatoes for two 
 hours, and spread them out to dry. The 
 solution can be used on as many lots of 
 potatoes as desired. 
 
 Seed potatoes should be spread out in a 
 room in which they will be exposed to strong 
 light for two weeks before cutting, to start 
 sprouts and detect poor seed. If large po- 
 tatoes are used cut them into pieces weighing 
 from 1 to 2 ounces, each piece having at least 
 two eyes. If potatoes are scarce and expen- 
 sive the pieces may be cut to a single eye. 
 Do not cut the seed until it is to be planted. 
 
 Planting 
 
 For planting, prepare trenches or furrows 
 from 3 to 5 inches deep and from 24 to 36 
 inches apart. Plant seed pieces 3 inches 
 deep for early potatoes and 5 inches for late 
 
 varieties. The seed pieces should be 14 to 
 18 inches apart in rows, the smaller the pieces 
 the closer the planting. Fill the trench with 
 dirt, firming it in order that the moisture may 
 be brought in contact with the seed pieces 
 to assist in the process of germination. 
 Usually potatoes should not be planted as 
 late as the first week in July very 
 far north of the Mason and Dixon 
 line except in sections where it is 
 known that they will mature 
 before freezing weather arrives. 
 
 Cultivation 
 
 As soon as the potato plants 
 come up begin cultivating them. 
 The cultivation should begin be- 
 fore they come up if a crust forms. 
 Cultivate or hoe every week during the 
 season, to keep the surface in good condition. 
 When the plants are young work the soil up 
 around them to support the plants. 
 
 Potatoes are subject to diseases and in- 
 sects which are scheduled on page 21. Take 
 precautions to keep these from getting a 
 start. Follow instructions as to spraying 
 
 Fig. 15 On the left is shown tuber sprouted in warm, 
 dark storage place. Such spouts sap vitality and 
 decrease yield. On the right is green sprouted tuber. 
 By this latter method the tuber retains its vitality 
 and a good yield is insured. 
 
 and keep at it during the season. It is 
 better to spray before trouble appears than 
 to take chances. 
 
 Dig early potatoes when they are of the 
 size desired. Late potatoes, for storing, 
 should not be dug until the leaves and stems 
 are dead, or until the skin is so firm that it 
 may not easily be rubbed off. 
 
THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 13 
 
 SWEET POTATOES 
 
 Sweet potatoes are grown mostly in the 
 Southern States or where there is warm, 
 sandy soil, and are not especially recom- 
 mended for the home garden. If space 
 permits a few plants may be grown. 
 
 If you wish to grow your own plants 
 start a hotbed about six weeks before apple- 
 blossom time. Place 5 or 6 inches of sand 
 over the manure in the hotbed and lay 
 down small, healthy sweet pota- 
 toes, close together but not touch- 
 ing. Cover them with one or two 
 inches of sand ; water occasionally 
 to keep slightly moist. Sprouts 
 will soon begin to grow and 
 immediately send out roots into 
 the sand. When these sprouts 
 are four or more inches long they 
 may be pulled from the potatoes 
 and are rooted and ready to be 
 planted. They need not be pulled, 
 however, until time to plant them 
 in the garden, when all danger of 
 frost is past. They should be set 
 14 inches apart in rows 36 to 60 
 inches apart. If only a few plants 
 are wanted they should be pur- 
 chased from a seedsman, as the 
 trouble involved in growing them 
 in small quantities is too great to 
 make it worth while. 
 
 On land which is not thorougly 
 drained the plants should be set 
 on ridges -and these should be 
 made broad, as narrow ridges 
 will dry out too rapidly. The 
 ridges should be maintained during 
 the entire growing season. 
 
 Sweet potatoes should be dug 
 when the soil is dry and the 
 weather bright, before there is 
 danger of hard frosts. A spading 
 fork may be used in digging them. 
 Guard against bruising or injuring 
 them in digging and handling. 
 Let the roots lie out to dry for two 
 or three hours after digging. 
 
 Asparagus 
 
 Fig. 16 Lima bean vine 
 on pole. 
 
 Use strong plants two years old, 
 which may be purchased from seedsmen. Set 
 them 18 inches apart, in rows 3 feet apart. 
 The rows should be 8 to 10 inches deep, with 
 width of 6 to 8 inches at bottom. After 
 spreading out roots cover crowns with 2 
 inches of soil. With the growth of the 
 shoots gradually fill in with earth until 
 level with surface. Careful cultivation is 
 required during the season. A small bed 
 heavily manured will furnish plants for 
 2 or 3 persons. 
 
 Beans 
 
 Beans form a staple crop which may be 
 raised in almost every climate. They need a 
 rich soil which holds moisture, but is well 
 drained. Frequent shallow cultivation must 
 be given and they must be kept growing with- 
 
 out a check until harvested. Never cultivate 
 while moisture is on vines. 
 
 Beans are susceptible to cold and for sure 
 results they should not be planted until 
 danger of frost is past. So little trouble is in- 
 volved in bean planting, however, that it is a 
 good plan to take a chance on making the first 
 planting as soon as the ground is reasonably 
 warm. If the first planting should be killed 
 by frost there is a good chance that the second 
 will come up and that it will 
 mature early. In this way a crop 
 will be assured early enough 
 to make it worth while to take the 
 small risk involved in the possible 
 loss of the early planting. 
 
 Dry shell beans are planted and 
 treated the same as string beans 
 are planted and treated. The 
 beans are allowed to mature in the 
 pods. They should be thoroughly 
 dried, shelled and stored as directed 
 for storage of seed on page 32. 
 
 String and lima beans are grown 
 alike. There are two sorts of each 
 low bush vines and bean vines 
 that climb poles. Pole beans are 
 best for small gardens. 
 
 Plant beans and bush limas 1 
 inch deep, 4 to 6 inches apart in 
 rows. 
 
 Make successive plantings every 
 ten days until hot weather. In 
 late summer make successive 
 plantings of string beans until 
 eight weeks before the usual time 
 of first frost. 
 
 Plant pole beans and pole 
 limas in hills 1 inch deep, 4 seeds 
 to hill, hills 3 feet apart. Thin to 
 2 plants to the hill. Before plant- 
 ing fix firmly in each hill a pole 5 
 to 6 feet long. If desired have 
 two rows of hills and slant the 
 poles so that each set of 4 may 
 be tied together at the top like an 
 Indian teepee. This prevents the 
 poles from falling, but reduces the 
 yield of the vines. 
 
 Help the vines to start twining 
 around the poles from right to left. 
 Note: Plant lima beans with the "eyes" 
 of the seed downward. 
 
 Beets 
 
 Sow seed rather thickly in row, using 1 oz. 
 to 50 feet, but thin the young plants by 
 pulling until the survivors are 4 inches apart. 
 The pulled plants make fine greens for cook- 
 ing or canning. 
 
 Brussels Sprouts 
 
 Grown like cabbage. 
 
 Cabbage 
 
 Set plants from indoor seed boxes or 
 pots 15 inches apart in rows, the rows be- 
 ing 30 inches apart. Between these rows 
 
14 
 
 WAR GARDENING 
 
 early lettuce, radishes, and other little 
 crops may be planted. Early cabbage should 
 be gathered as soon as it has formed solid 
 heads. Late cabbage may be stored in 
 trenches and covered with straw and earth. 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 Fig. 17 Corn, planted properly, at depth of 2 inches. 
 
 Carrots 
 
 Sow seed X m ch deep, using % ounce 
 to 25 feet of row. Thin to 2 or 3 inches 
 apart when roots crowd each other. 
 
 Cauliflower 
 
 Grown the same as cabbages, except when 
 the heads form, the loose outer leaves should 
 be tied together over the heads to keep out 
 the light and bleach them. 
 
 Celery 
 
 Sow seed in seed boxes and set plants in 
 garden in June or July, 6 inches apart, 
 trenches 6 inches deep and 3 feet apart. 
 Make the trenches 6 to 8 inches wide at the 
 bottom so that rains will not wash the earth 
 over the young plants. As the plants grow, 
 cultivate the ground into the trenches. 
 When plants are large heap earth around 
 stalks to whiten them. 
 
 Celeriac 
 
 This is a large rooted form of celery. It 
 is grown like celery, except that the plants 
 do not need bleaching. The large root is 
 cooked for use. The plants should be pro- 
 tected in freezing weather by straw or 
 mulch (half-rotted manure and straw), and 
 dug when needed. 
 
 Corn, Sweet 
 
 Plant 5 or 6 seed 1 inch deep in hills 3 
 feet apart. When plants are 4 inches high 
 pull out all but 2 or 3 plants in each hill. 
 Make new plantings every 2 weeks until 
 July or August so as to have corn for use 
 during the entire season. 
 
 Cucumbers 
 
 Plant 8 to 10 seed 1 inch deep in hills 4 
 feet apart. Later thin to 2 plants per hill. 
 Do not plant until soil is warm and frosts 
 are over. ^ Hoe or cultivate only until plants 
 start to vine, then pull weeds by hand. 
 
 Eggplant 
 
 Little plants from seed boxes are set 2 
 feet apart in rows 3 feet apart. 
 
 Endive 
 
 In midsummer sow seed ^ inch deep 
 and later thin plants to 8 inches apart. To 
 blanch hearts raise leaves and tie together 
 over heart. 
 
 Kale 
 
 Sow seed }4 inch deep in rows 18 to 24 
 inches apart. Thin the plants until they 
 are from 6 to 8 inches apart in the rows. 
 
 Kohlrabi 
 
 Sow seed > inch deep and later thin 
 plants to 4 or 6 inches. 
 
 Lettuce 
 
 Sow seed y* inch deep in rows 1 foot apart 
 and later thin out until plants are 5 to 6 
 inches apart. There should be successive 
 plantings, but lettuce is not grown in ex- 
 tremely hot weather. Sow seed the last of 
 August and in September to be transplanted 
 to the cold frame in October. 
 
 Mint 
 
 Roots may be procured from a seedsman 
 or neighbor. Plant one or two clumps of 
 these roots in a corner of garden in the spring. 
 
 Muskmelon 
 
 Grown like cucumbers except hills must 
 be 6 feet apart. 
 
 Muskmelons are difficult to raise and 
 are not recommended to gardeners who 
 are not experienced in their culture. 
 
 Fig. 18 Corn, planted properly in hill, at a depth of 
 2 inches and with corner kernels 3 inches apart. 
 
 Okra 
 
 Sow seeds when corn and beans are being 
 planted. Sow 1 inch deep a few inches apart 
 in rows 3 to 5 feet apart. Thin plants to 18 
 or 24 inches apart. Until plants are almost 
 grown cultivate frequently and not very 
 deeply. 
 
 Pick young pods every day to keep plant 
 bearing. 
 
 Onions 
 
 Onions will grow from seed or from bulbs, 
 called sets. It is better to use sets in home 
 gardens. For early green onions plant sets 
 
THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 15 
 
 3 inches apart in rows 1 foot or more apart. 
 To grow from seed, plant the seed rather 
 thickly ^4 of an inch deep in rows and thin 
 them later until plants are 2 to 3 inches 
 apart. If sets for planting next spring are 
 desired, do not thin out any plants, but let 
 them crowd so they will remain small. Seed 
 may be planted in seed box or seed bed and 
 when transplanted placed 3 inches apart. 
 
 Parsley 
 
 Sow seed thinly yi inch deep, later thin- 
 ning plants when they crowd each other. 
 
 Parsnips 
 
 Sow seed thinly ^ of an inch deep in 
 rows 18 to 24 inches apart and later thin 
 plants to 3 inches apart. 
 
 Peas 
 
 An important factor in the successful raising 
 of garden peas is that the smooth-seeded type 
 are not easily damaged by light frost. Because 
 of this they may be planted early in the spring 
 practically as soon as weather conditions 
 permit preparation of the ground. They may 
 be grown in almost any ordinary soil. The 
 best soil is sandy loam, well drained, and rich 
 with rotted manure. To give continuous 
 supply throughout the growing season make 
 successive plantings from one to two weeks 
 apart. For the earliest crops select the smooth- 
 seeded varieties of quick maturity. These 
 varieties require no supports. For later crops 
 select the large, wrinkled varieties. 
 
 -I 
 
 -4JH, 
 
 Fig. 19 Peas, planted properly, at depth of 4 inches. 
 
 As soon as plants break through the ground, 
 cultivate. Continue to do this three or four 
 times a week until the vines lop over. 
 
 Peas should be planted in trenches 4 inches- 
 deep, the seed being covered with 2 to 3 inches 
 of soil. From 1 to 2 pints of seed will plant 
 
 100 feet of row. As the plants grow, grad- 
 ually fill in the trench around them. Let 
 the vines of the tall varieties grow up on 
 brush or poultry wire. The rows of peas 
 should be 3 to 4 feet apart, but if the space 
 is small it is desir- 
 able to plant double 
 rows 1 foot apart, 
 placing the brush 
 between these rows. 
 
 Peppers 
 
 Set young plants 
 from seed box 18 
 inches apart in row. 
 Pepper plants are 
 tender and should 
 not be set out until 
 the ground is warm. 
 
 Potatoes 
 
 For special in- 
 structions on Irish 
 and Sweet Potatoes 
 see pages 12 and 13. 
 
 Pumpkin 
 
 Plant in hills 8 
 to 10 feet apart, 
 using 8 to 10 seed 
 to a hill. Plant 
 seed 1 inch deep. 
 Later thin to 2 or 3 
 plants to a hill. 
 
 Fig. 20 A tomato plant 
 should be tied with a strip 
 of cloth, at a height of ten 
 inches, again at about 18 
 inches and again at about 
 26 inches. The plant here 
 pictured is a good one from 
 which to save seed. 
 
 Radishes 
 
 Planted and grown the same as carrots. 
 
 Rhubarb 
 
 Procure roots from a neighbor or dealer 
 as seed .planting is not advised. Set them 
 3 to 4 feet apart, in rows or next to fence. 
 Use manure freely. 
 
 Salsify or Oyster Plant 
 
 Also called vegetable oyster. Grown like 
 carrots. Plants must be thinned to 3 inches 
 apart. 
 
 Spinach 
 
 Sow seed thickly 1 inch deep in rows 
 12 to 18 inches apart, for both early spring 
 and fall crops. 
 
 Squash 
 
 Grown the same as cucumbers or musk- 
 melon, except that the hills of Hubbard 
 squash should be 7 to 9 feet apart. 
 
 Sow seed 
 necessary. 
 
 Swiss Chard 
 
 inch deep. Thin out when 
 
 Tomatoes 
 
 Tomatoes form one of the favorite crops of 
 the home garden, as they will grow in all types 
 of soil. Sandy loam, with plenty of humus, 
 is ideal for growing tomatoes. 
 
16 
 
 WAR GARDENING 
 
 If plants are grown in seed flats, hotbeds 
 or cold frames, follow the directions for 
 transplanting given on pages 9 and 10. 
 Plants suitable for setting out should be 
 4-6 inches high, having a thick stem and 
 dark green leaves. Begin cultivation as 
 soon as the plants are set. Cultivate deeply 
 and close to plants at first but later cultiva- 
 tion should be more shallow to prevent 
 injury to roots. Cultivate frequently to keep 
 the soil loose over the surface, so preventing 
 evaporation. Always cultivate after a rain. 
 
 When preparing seed flats, hotbeds, or 
 cold frames for tomato seed, use soil which 
 has never grown tomatoes. This insures 
 plants free from disease. It is not advisable 
 to plant tomatoes on land which has been 
 planted the previous year with white potatoes, 
 melons or tomatoes. To plant on such soil 
 increases the danger from disease and pests. 
 
 It is always advisable to train the plants to 
 stakes or other supports. They may be 
 trained on wires or on poultry wire fastened 
 on posts set about fifteen feet apart in rows. 
 Barrel hoops a foot apart fastened to stakes 
 eighteen inches apart are some times used. 
 To tie plant to support, loop the string 
 around the support and tie it under a leaf 
 stem. Remove all side branches at the axil 
 of the leaves as soon as they appear. Do 
 not remove flower clusters. When the plant 
 has reached a height of 5 feet cut off the top. 
 
 When three or four clusters of fruit have 
 formed and some of the fruit is as large as a 
 silver dollar prune the leaves at the base one 
 half. This hastens ripening. 
 
 Once a month apply a little commercial 
 fertilizer or compost around each plant. 
 Avoid the use of fresh or unrotted manure 
 as this produces too much leaf growth, the 
 fruit does not set and disease is encouraged. 
 
 Turnips 
 
 For early spring, plant % ounce of seed 
 to 50 feet of row, sowing them y? inch deep, 
 in rows 1 foot or more apart. For fall crop 
 % ou ice of seed to 50 feet of row, K" inch 
 deep, or make the rows 8 to 10 inches wide 
 and scatter seeds thinly in broad rows. 
 
 Vegetable Marrow 
 
 Plant 6 or 8 seed to a hill, one inch deep, 
 in hills 8 to 9 feet apart. Thin to 2 plants 
 to hill. Give the same care as for pump- 
 kins. The young and tender vegetable 
 marrow may be baked whole like sweet 
 potatoes or may be sliced and fried like 
 eggplant, or boiled like summer squash. 
 
 Watermelon 
 
 Plant 1 inch deep, 8 or 10 seed to each 
 hill, the hills 10 feet apart. Later thin to 
 2 plants to each hill. 
 
 Watermelons require much room and are 
 not recommended for small gardens. 
 
 DISEASE AND INSECT PREVENTION 
 
 Every garden is subject to attack from 
 insects and diseases. Your garden may not 
 be attacked, but it is wise to take advance 
 precautions. Spraying at occasional in- 
 tervals from the time the plants have made 
 their start until they are harvested is worth 
 while. A hand sprayer should be used to 
 distribute the necessary solutions on the 
 plants. Such sprayers may be bought in 
 various types. Some of them may be bought 
 for a dollar or less and others range up to 
 the neighborhood of $10 for the small, 
 compressed air type. The simplest and 
 cheapest type is the small atomizer sprayer 
 with hand pump and with glass receptacle 
 
 for holding mixture. (Figure 21.) Another 
 type, costing a little more, is the bucket pump. 
 (Figure 21.) If you have no spray pump a 
 
 Fig. 21 Some of the best types of sprayer. At the left is a hand sprayer, which is one of the most satisfactory for 
 the small garden. The glass receptacle is better than metal. This sprayer can be bought for from 50 cents to 
 $2.00. In the center is a bucket sprayer which costs about $5.00. At the right is a compressed air sprayer, which 
 is highly efficient and costs from $5.00 to $10.00. One sprayer may be used by several families, or by community 
 gardeners, reducing the cost to each user. 
 
THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 17 
 
 phate in about one-half gallon of hot water 
 and then dilute with enough cold water to 
 make a total of \% gallons; or wrap the 
 copper sulphate in a small piece of cheese- 
 cloth, fill a quart jar with cold water and sus- 
 pend the copper sulphate into the top of the 
 water; in a couple of hours it will be dis- 
 solved. In another vessel slake the lime 
 and dilute it with enough water to make 1> 
 gallons. If hydrated lime is used simply 
 mix it with water. Then pour these two 
 solutions together, pouring the solution of 
 copper sulphate slowly into the mixture of 
 lime and water, stirring vigorously while this 
 process is under way. The stirring insures 
 proper mixing of the two. 
 
 Bordeaux mixture may be purchased in 
 concentrated form from seedsmen, but the 
 
 good substitute is the whisk broom, for 
 spattering the spray on plants. After using, 
 wash out pump and hose as some sprays will 
 corrode metal and others will rot hose. The 
 ordinary sprinkling pot may be used to apply 
 mixtures, but this is wasteful. 
 
 Buy Spraying Materials Early 
 
 Early purchase of spraying materials is 
 important. The supply will be limited and 
 the demand large. Make a list of the ma- 
 terials you will need, with amounts, and 
 place your order immediately. If you have 
 equipment from last season place your order 
 early for repair parts for pump, hose or 
 nozzle, especially extra couplings and hose 
 splicers for burst hose. If you delay until 
 the spraying season arrives you are likely to 
 fail to procure your supply. By 
 joining with friends or neighbors 
 and buying in quantities you can 
 procure materials at lower prices 
 than if buying alone. 
 
 For home mixing the poisons 
 and chemicals required for sprays 
 and other remedies and prevent- 
 ives can be bought at a drug or 
 seed store. The mixtures ready 
 prepared can be bought at a seed 
 store. 
 
 Diseases 
 
 The ordinary blights are usually 
 overcome by spraying with Bor- 
 deaux mixture, made as indicated 
 in the next paragraph. There 
 
 are some diseases, however, which pig. 22 Potato blights and their effect. At the left are shown leaves 
 cannot be overcome, and when afflicted with early blight, indicated by brown spots with concentric 
 trouble appears that does not 
 
 yield to treatment the affected 
 
 plants should be taken up and burned to 
 
 prevent the spread of the infection to others. 
 
 Bordeaux Mixture 
 
 Copper Sulphate, Blue Stone or Blue 
 
 Vitriol 3 ounces 
 
 Lump Lime or Hydrated Lime 3 ounces ', 
 
 Water 2% gallons 
 
 To make Bordeaux mixture procure the 
 ingredients at a drug or seed store. If lump 
 lime is used it must be fresh. Instead of 
 lump lime some authorities prefer fresh hy- 
 drated lime as being just as good and at the 
 same time much simpler to use, needing 
 only to be stirred into the water. Hydrated 
 lime is lime to which enough water to dry- 
 slake it has been added by the manufac- 
 turer. It is a powder and does not require 
 slaking. 
 
 For making or holding Bordeaux mixture 
 use containers of wood, glass or earthenware. 
 In one container dissolve the copper sul- 
 
 rings. At the right is shown late blight, with dark brown spots looking 
 water-soaked. These pictures should help in detecting trouble. 
 
 homemade mixture is better and cheaper. 
 Do not make more at one time than will be 
 needed within a short time. The mixture 
 is better and more effective if made fresh for 
 each spraying. 
 
 Sulphur 
 
 For the control of mildew, pulverized sul- 
 phur or flowers of sulphur, procured at a 
 drug or seed store, is dusted full strength on 
 the diseased plants. A tin can with small 
 holes punched in the bottom makes a good 
 sifter for this purpose, or a cheap flour sifter 
 may be used. The holes in a flour sifter are 
 the proper size for this purpose. 
 
 THE SUCKING INSECTS 
 
 For the destruction of insects which suck 
 the sap of plants, such as the true bugs and 
 the plant lice, or aphids, it is necessary to 
 
18 
 
 WAR GARDENING 
 
 use a mixture which kills by contact or sub- 
 stances which smother. Aphids, or plant lice, 
 usually collect on the underside of leaves, 
 causing them to crumple. This crumpling 
 causes the edges of the leaves to turn down, 
 protecting the aphids. Badly crumpled 
 leaves should* be picked and burned. In 
 spraying be sure to apply the spray to the 
 underside of the leaves. Otherwise the 
 edges will serve as protection and prevent 
 the spray from reaching the entire plant 
 effectively. 
 
 Nicotine Sulphate Solution 
 
 To destroy the sucking insects use nico- 
 tine sulphate solution, made as follows: 
 
 Nicotine sulphate J ounce 
 
 Laundry or other soap ^ ounce 
 
 Water 2 gallons 
 
 Dissolve the soap and then add this and 
 the nicotine sulphate to the water. 
 
 Fig. 23 Bean anthracnose is indicated by dark sunken 
 scab-like spots on pods. There are also spots on leaves. 
 
 Bordeaux and Nicotine Sulphate 
 Combination 
 
 A combination spray for plant diseases and 
 sucking insects is made thus: 
 
 Bordeaux mixture 2 gallons 
 
 Nicotine sulphate J^ ounce 
 
 Laundry or other soap ^ ounce 
 
 THE EATING INSECTS 
 
 The eating insects, or those which eat fruit 
 or foliage, may usually be killed by using a 
 spray of poisonous solution or by dusting 
 
 poison powders on the plants attacked. 
 Arsenate of lead, procured at a drug or seed 
 store, is a favorite poison for this purpose, and 
 may be used in spray or powder, but it must 
 be handled with care as it is poisonous to 
 human beings. It should never be applied 
 to vegetables that are soon to be used, nor on 
 cabbage or cauliflower after the heads have 
 begun to form. As an added precaution wash 
 carefully all vegetables before using, whether 
 they have been sprayed or not. 
 
 Arsenate of Lead Solution 
 
 Arsenate of lead spraying solution is made 
 by mixing 1 ounce of arsenate of lead powder 
 (or 2 ounces of paste) with 6 quarts of water. 
 If the arsenate of lead is used in paste form 
 instead of powder mix 2 ounces with 6 quarts 
 of water. The powder is more easily weighed 
 and handled. Keep the mixture well stirred 
 while spraying, to insure even distribution. 
 
 To apply arsenate of lead in dry form mix 
 1 ounce of the powder with 3 pounds of air- 
 slaked lime, dry road dust or ashes finely 
 sifted. Use a sifter for dusting this onto the 
 plants, while the plants are wet with dew or 
 rain. 
 
 Bordeaux-Arsenate of Lead Combination 
 
 Spraying with a combination of Bordeaux 
 mixture and arsenate of lead every two weeks 
 is a wise safeguard against both disease and 
 eating insects. To make this combination 
 spray use Bordeaux mixture instead of water 
 when preparing the arsenate of lead. By 
 using a combination spray half the labor of 
 spraying is saved. 
 
 In spraying cabbage and cauliflower with 
 Bordeaux and arsenate of lead before the 
 heads form, a little soap mixed with the 
 arsenate of lead will make it stick better. 
 Shave the soap, add a small quantity of water 
 and boil until the soap is dissolved or put it 
 in cold water and stir occasionally until dis- 
 solved. Cool and stir into the arsenate of 
 lead solution. 
 
 Paris green has long been used for pro- 
 tection, but arsenate of lead is now used 
 much more extensively and is considered 
 better. 
 
 Poisoned Bait 
 
 Poisoned bait is useful against cutworms 
 and slugs. Small portions of the bait should 
 be placed around plants subject to attack by 
 them. The pests feed at night and hide under 
 chips or other objects during the day. Bait 
 should be placed beneath these. Poisoned 
 bait may be made at home thus; 
 
 Wheat bran 1 pound 
 
 White arsenic, powdered J^ ounce 
 
 Cheap sirup 1 or 2 ounces 
 
 Water to make a thick mash of the mixture. 
 
THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 19 
 
 on the surface of which a small quantity of 
 kerosene is floating. Insects collected by 
 hand should be destroyed immediately. 
 
 For slugs and snails sprinkle any form of 
 lime over plants and around where they 
 occur. 
 
 Some Other Forms of Protection 
 
 One form of protection against cutworms 
 is a collar 2 inches wide made of stiff paper, 
 placed around the stem of the plant and with 
 its lower edge inserted in the ground, to 
 prevent the pests from reaching both stem 
 and upper part of root. 
 
 Small frames covered with mosquito net- 
 ting or cheesecloth set over young plants will 
 protect them. 
 
 The bran and the white arsenic should be 
 mixed. Dilute the sirup with a little water 
 and pour this over the bran and white arsenic. 
 Stir well. Add enough water to make a thick 
 mash. 
 
 Liquid Poisoned Bait 
 
 Sodium Arsenate 1 ounce 
 
 Water 4 quarts 
 
 Molasses 1 pint 
 
 Dissolve the sodium arsenate in boiling 
 water and add the molasses. Flavor by add- 
 ing chopped pieces of vegetable of the kind 
 which is to be sprayed. Apply with a whisk 
 broom. 
 
 Removing Insects by Hand 
 
 The larger eating insects may be removed 
 by hand or knocked off into a pan of water 
 
 GUARD AGAINST DISEASES AND INSECTS 
 
 An ounce of prevention is worth a pound 
 of cure in the matter of controlling diseases 
 and insects. Clean garden soil aids in keep- 
 ing out insects and disease. All plants 
 purchased should be healthy and free from 
 disease. The roots should not be swollen 
 or knotted. Treat Irish potatoes for scab 
 before planting. Do not plant cabbage 
 having clubroot or sweet potatoes affected 
 with black-rot. 
 
 Many insects carry disease and spores 
 from one plant to another as well as attack- 
 ing the crops directly. 
 
 Avoid wounding or bruising plants and 
 vegetables when cultivating and harvesting 
 them, to prevent certain insects from gaining 
 access to them. 
 
 Have order, neatness and cleanliness in 
 the garden. In the fall turn under promptly, 
 all vegetation so that insects and disease 
 spores may not find winter quarters. Keep 
 down all weeds, as a great many insects feed 
 naturally upon them. All diseased plants which 
 remain at the end of the season should be 
 burned, as should all rubbish which is of such 
 character that it will not decay and is there- 
 fore not useful in making compost. This 
 includes trash, sticks and the like. It may 
 seem like a waste of vegetable matter to 
 burn the dead tomato vines, bean vines and 
 other plant tops which have been diseased, 
 but this should be done because to save or 
 compost these for fertilizer would simply be 
 maturing and saving millions of disease 
 spores which would be on hand ready to 
 attack the crops next year. More than this, 
 a clean garden appeals to the eye and to the 
 pride of the owner as a winter landscape. 
 
 Corn stalks, cabbage leaves and stumps, 
 beet tops if not canned, and other healthy 
 plants should be saved for mulching or be 
 added to the compost heap. 
 
 The remnants of vegetable matter, which 
 are not infected with disease or insects, 
 should be made into compost heaps for the 
 coming year and covered with stable ma- 
 
 Fig. 24 Emphasizing the importance of spraying. On 
 the left is, a potato plant which was not sprayed. The 
 ravages of the potato bug are plainly shown. On the 
 right is a plant which was properly sprayed as a pre- 
 ventive measure. 
 
 nure and dirt to hasten decay, as decayed 
 vegetable matter enriches the soil. (Direc- 
 tions for making a compost heap are given 
 on page 5). Plowing or deep spading in 
 the fall is important, as it breaks up the 
 winter homes of underground insect pests. 
 Rotation of crops also lessens the danger of 
 attacks from insects and diseases. 
 
 TAKE NO CHANCES 
 
 Too much emphasis cannot be placed 
 on the need for taking precautions 
 against diseases and insects. Familiar- 
 ize yourself with such diseases and 
 insects as prevail in your neighborhood 
 on the crops you plan to raise. Then 
 provide yourself in advance with 
 remedies and equipment. Watch care- 
 fully for first signs of trouble and 
 apply remedies at once. Inspect your 
 garden every two or three days. 
 
20 WAR GARDENING 
 
 PREVENTIVES AND REMEDIES 
 
 NOTE : It is important that immediate attention be given insects and 
 as soon as they appear. Delay in spraying or removal may prove fatal. 
 
 ASPARAGUS 
 
 Rust (Rusty appearance of leaves and stems). 
 Procure rust resistant variety, such as Reading 
 Giant or Palmetto. 
 
 Beetles (Eat young stems and leaves). 
 
 Remedy : On young plants spray with arsenate 
 of lead when pests appear, repeating 10 days later 
 and again 10 days later if necessary. Add an 
 ounce of laundry soap per gallon of spray to make 
 it stick to the foliage. Do not use arsenate of 
 lead on new stems used for food during cutting 
 season. On old plants, spray after cutting 
 season. Nicotine sulphate sprayed on the young 
 insects will kill all it hits. 
 
 BEETS 
 
 Leaf spot (Reddish and purple spots, turning ashy 
 gray). Usually not affecting garden beets. 
 
 Remedy: Spray with Bordeaux mixture when 
 plants are 3 to 4 inches high, repeating 2 and 4 
 weeks later. 
 Web worm (Eats the leaves). 
 
 Remedy: Spray with arsenate of lead when 
 worms appear; repeat when necessary. 
 
 Spinach aphis (Sucks sap f^m leaves). 
 
 Remedy: Spray with nicotine sulphate when 
 pests appear and repeat when necessary. In 
 order to strike the aphids the spray must be 
 directed against the undersides of the leaves. 
 Beet-root aphis (Sucks sap from roots). 
 
 Remedy: Pour a small amount of. nicotine 
 sulphate spray around roots and repeat if necessary. 
 
 BUSH BEANS 
 
 Anthracnose (Dark, sunken spots, scab-like, on 
 pods; spots on leaves). Pick and burn diseased 
 pods. In saving seed discard those from diseased 
 plants, as seed carry the infection. 
 
 Leaf beetles (Very small, dark or pale stripes; eat 
 leaves). 
 
 Remedy: Spray with arsenate of lead when 
 pests appear, repeat in 10 days and later if neces- 
 sary. Bordeaux mixture repels but does not kill. 
 
 Aphids or plant lice (Suck sap from plant and 
 make leaves crumple). 
 
 Remedy: Spray with nicotine sulphate when 
 pests appear, repeating when and as often as 
 necessary. Crumpled leaves protect lice from 
 spray, and should be picked and burned. Ap- 
 ply spray to underside of leaves, to strike aphids. 
 
 Bacterial blight (Water soaked spots on leaves 
 and pods). No satisfactory remedy. Pull up 
 and burn plants. 
 
 Downy Mildew (thick white growth). Burn all 
 diseased pods. Spray with Bordeaux mixture, 
 repeating every ten days if necessary. 
 
 CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER 
 
 Club root (Root swells and decays). Pull up and 
 burn plants. 
 
 Preventive: In spring apply 1 Ib. lime to each 
 8 sq. ft. of ground before setting out plants. 
 Black rot (Leaves turn yellow, then brown and 
 black and decay. Pull up and burn plants.) 
 
 Preventive: Soak seed 15 minutes in solution 
 made of J oz. formalin and 3 pints water; rinse 
 in clean water; plant at once. 
 
 Yellows (Leaves turn yellow, then brown, and drop). 
 Pull up and burn plants. 
 
 Preventive: Treat seed as for black rot. 
 Cabbage worms (Eat leaves). 
 
 Remedy: When worms appear spray with 
 arsenate of lead, repeating if necessary before 
 heads form. Add an ounce of laundry soap per 
 gallon of spray to make it stick to the leaves. 
 not use arsenate of lead later than 3 
 before using or marketing cabbage. 
 Aphids or lice (Suck sap from leaves). 
 
 Remedy: Spray with nicotine sulphate solu- 
 tion when pests appear; repeat if necessary. 
 Cabbage looper (Eats leaves). 
 
 Remedy: Treat as for cabbage worms. 
 
 Cabbage Maggots (Tunnel inside of roots). 
 
 Preventive: When plants are set out take a 
 piece of tarred building paper 2 or 3 inches in 
 diameter, cut a slit from one side to center, and 
 4 or 5 slits at center. Fit this around stem by 
 slipping plant through the long slit, and press 
 paper firmly against ground, to prevent young 
 maggots from reaching root. 
 
 Black leg (Diseased, sunken areas on stem, leaf 
 stem and leaves, plant becoming purplish). 
 There is no remedy. Pull up and burn plants. 
 
 Preventive: Disinfect seed for 10 minutes with 
 1 tablet of corrosive sublimate mixed in 1 pint 
 of water. 
 
 Cutworms (Dark colored, eat young plants off at 
 surface of earth). 
 
 Remedy: Spread poisoned bran mash over 
 ground before setting out plants; spread around 
 plants when set. Afterwards spread poisoned bait 
 around plants as necessary to control worms. 
 It is wise to wrap paper around stem from leaves 
 to root just before setting out. Cutworms are 
 especially abundant where sod has grown. 
 
 CELERY AND CELERIAC 
 
 Blight or leaf spot (Gray or brown spots, drooping 
 stems). 
 
 Remedy: Spray young seedlings, in seed box 
 or seed bed, with Bordeaux mixture. Spray 
 again as soon as set in garden, repeating 10 to 
 14 days later. Repeat again if necessary. Spray- 
 ing in seed bed must not be neglected if disease 
 appears. 
 
 SWISS CHARD 
 
 Leaf spot (Symptoms same as with beets). 
 
 Remedy: When disease appears, spray as di- 
 rected for beets. (Usually no spraying will be 
 found necessary). Wash sprayed leaves well 
 before using. 
 
 Damping off (Small seedlings dying in seed bed). 
 
 Preventive: Care should be taken to water 
 
 and partially shade the young seedlings in hot 
 
 and dry weather. As soon as seed are planted 
 
 cover bed with thin layer of sand. 
 
 SPINACH 
 
 
 
 Aphids (Suck sap from leaves). 
 
 Remedy: Spray under side of leaves with 
 nicotine sulphate, when aphids appear. Repeat 
 a second and third time if necessary. 
 
THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 
 
 CORN 
 
 Smut (Large, black, irregular swellings on ears 
 or tops). The only remedy is to cut off and burn 
 the smut swellings. 
 
 Cornear worms (Bore through husk and eat the 
 young kernels). Kill all worms which are found 
 when husking corn for use. 
 
 21 
 
 Cutworms (A dark worm which cuts plant off at 
 surface of earth when plant is small). 
 
 Remedy: Use poisoned bait in the same 
 manner prescribed for cabbage. Repeat if nec- 
 essary. Being a night worker the cut-worm is 
 usually found in the morning in the ground by 
 cut off plants. Dig out and kill. 
 
 Seed Corn Maggot (Tunnels in seed, sprouts and 
 stems of plants). Apply liquid poisoned bait 
 with a whisk broom. 
 
 CUCUMBERS 
 
 Anthracnose (Brown spots on leaves). 
 
 Remedy: Spray with Bordeaux mixture when 
 plants begin to form vines. Repeat two or three 
 times if necessary, at intervals of 2 weeks. 
 
 Downy mildew (Yellow spots on leaves). 
 Remedy: Treat as for anthracnose. 
 
 Wilt (Leaves droop and wilt quickly). Pull up and 
 burn plants. Striped beetles act as carriers of this 
 disease and should be controlled carefully. 
 
 Stink bug or squash bug (Sucks sap from leaves 
 and injects an injurious substance). 
 
 Remedy: Pick them or shake them into pan 
 of water and kerosene. Destroy egg masses. 
 Place small pieces of boards near hills. The 
 bugs will collect underneath these and may 
 be easily crushed. 
 
 Striped beetle or 12-spotted beetle (Both eat 
 leaves). 
 
 Preventive: Cover young plants with protectors 
 of cheesecloth or wire gauze. 
 
 Control: Mix arsenate of lead in the Bordeaux 
 mixture which is used for diseases. Another 
 remedy is to cover leaves with tobacco dust. 
 Treatment should be given as soon as beetles 
 appear, or when covers are removed. Repeat 5 
 days later and again 5 days later, with further 
 repetitions when necessary. 
 
 Vine borer (Worm which bores into vine at surface 
 of earth). 
 
 Remedy: Carefully cut the vine lengthwise, 
 remove borer and kill. As plants grow throw 
 earth over vine at every other joint, in order that 
 new roots may form and to keep the vine growing. 
 
 EGGPLANT 
 
 Blight or wilt (Whole plant wilts). No remedy. 
 
 Pull up and burn plants. 
 Flea beetle (Small jumping beetle which eats 
 
 leaves). 
 
 Remedy: Spray with Bordeaux mixture and 
 
 arsenate of lead combination. 
 
 ONIONS 
 
 Thrips (Very small sucking insects, which cause 
 leaves to turn a silvery color or whitish, and 
 later to curl and twist). 
 
 Remedy: Spray with nicotine sulphate solu- 
 tion when pests appear, repeating once or twice as 
 
 Cutworms (Dark worms which attack onions as 
 they do corn). 
 
 Remedy: Same as with corn. 
 
 Onion Maggot (Eats bulb, inducing decay). 
 Remedy: Apply liquid poisoned bait with a 
 whisk broom. 
 
 Anthracnose (Dark sunken spots in fruit; cracks in 
 leaves). 
 
 Remedy: Spray with Bordeaux mixture when 
 plants are set, repeating 10 days later and again 
 10 days later. 
 
 PEAS 
 
 Powdery mildew (Covers plant with powdery 
 white growth). 
 
 Remedy: Use pulverized sulphur or flowers 
 of sulphur, or Bordeaux mixture, by sprinkling on 
 plants when mildew appears, just before bloom 
 appears. Repeat if necessary two weeks later 
 and again 2 weeks later. 
 Pea Aphis. 
 
 Remedy: Same as for bean aphis. 
 
 POTATOES 
 
 Early blight (Brown spots, with concentric rings on 
 leaves. Worst in moist weather.) 
 
 Remedy: Spray with Bordeaux mixture when 
 plants are 6 inches high. Repeat two weeks 
 later and again two weeks later. 
 
 Late blight (Dark brown spots on leaves, appearing 
 water soaked and f not having concentric rings. 
 The spots become yellow and the leaves die. 
 Worst in hot, sultry weather, August and Septem- 
 ber. Lives over winter in seed potatoes.) 
 Remedy: Same as for early blight. 
 
 Colorado potato beetle (The common potato bug, 
 which eats leaves). 
 
 Remedy: Spray with arsenate of lead when 
 beetles appear. Repeat when and as often as is 
 necessary. Hand picking is effective, as is also 
 knocking the bugs into a pan of water containing 
 some kerosene. 
 
 Blister beetle (Long black potato bug or old fash- 
 ioned potato bug. Eats leaves.) 
 
 Remedy: Same as for Colorado potato beetle. 
 Flea beetle (Small, jumping insect which eats leaves, 
 usually appearing when plant is small). 
 Remedy: Spray as for Colorado potato beetle. 
 
 SWEET POTATOES 
 
 Beetles (Eat foliage). 
 
 Control: Spray with arsenate of lead and 
 lime. 
 
 Cutworms (Worms which cut plants off at the 
 surface of earth). 
 
 Control: Use poisoned bait in the same manner 
 as prescribed for cabbage. 
 
 PUMPKIN 
 
 This plant is subject to the same diseases and insects 
 as cucumber, and should be treated the same way. 
 
 Black Rot (Black, sunken and nearly circular spots 
 appear on tubers. It begins as small spots on 
 stems and spreads until the stems rot off. ) 
 
 Control: Use only sound healthy tubers to 
 produce healthy plants. 
 
 RUTABAGA 
 
 This plant is subject to the same pests as cabbage and 
 should be treated the same way. 
 
22 WAR GARDENING 
 
 AVOID WASTE STORE, CAN OR DRY 
 
 The home gardener must remember that his responsibility does not end with the 
 maturity and harvesting of his crops. Authorities are agreed that after several years 
 of war 1919 will see the world's food shortage more marked than ever before. For 
 this reason the matured crops must be considered as only a beginning. Garden products 
 must be put by for winter use in order that the abundance of the growing season may 
 be made to supply the needs of the months of non-production. 
 
 EVERY POUND OF THE SUMMER'S CROP THAT CAN BE SPARED FROM 
 THE SUMMER DIET MUST BE STORED, CANNED OR DRIED IF AMERICA 
 IS TO GIVE THE WORLD THE FULL WORTH OF HER HOME GARDEN 
 PRODUCTION. NOTHING MUST GO TO WASTE. 
 
 Vast quantities of foodstuffs must be sent overseas to feed the people of starving 
 Europe. In order that a sufficient volume of exportable food may be available for this 
 purpose it is imperative that the home-grown foodstuffs be made to supply this coun- 
 try's household needs, as far as possible, for the coming winter. 
 
 For home storage complete directions are given in Part II of this book. 
 
 For home canning and home drying full details are given in a manual issued by the 
 Commission. The book also contains directions for jelly making, the making of fruit 
 butters, pickling, fermentation and salting. 
 
 For a copy of the book on canning, drying, etc., write to the National War Garden 
 Commission, Washington, D. C. 
 
 RADISH RHUBARB 
 
 Cabbage maggot (Small worm which tunnels into FIea beetle (Eats smallTholes in the leaves). 
 
 theradish). Remedy: Same as for flea beetle of potato. 
 
 . Preventive: Sprinkle tobacco dust along row applied when beetles first appear and repeated 
 
 when seed is planted, or spread sand on which when necessary. 
 kerosene has been sprinkled along the row when 
 plants are small. Burn all plants that may be 
 
 TURNIP SQUASH 
 
 Subject to the same diseases and insects as cabbage. This'plant is subject to the same diseases and insects as 
 
 and should be treated the same way. cucumbers and should be treated the same way. 
 
 TOMATOES 
 
 Leaf spot, or blight (Leaves become spotted, turn Wilt (Causes plant to wilt and die). Pull up and 
 
 yellow and drop; stems dry up and fruits drop). burn plants. 
 
 Tomato worms-(Large green naked caterpillar, 
 
 Fruit rot (Decay begins at blossom end of fruit). Cutworms (Dark worms which cut plants off at the 
 
 Preventive: In the absence of an effective surface of earth). 
 
 remedy the only safeguard is to cultivate well and Remedy: Same as with cabbage. 
 
 be careful to water as the plants need. 
 
 Anthracnose (Sunken, discolored spots in fruit, Flea beetle (Small jumping beetle which eats small 
 followed by decay). holes in leaves). 
 
 Remedy: Same as for leaf spot. Remedy: Same as with potatoes. 
 
 WATERMELON 
 
 Anthracnose (Brown spots on leaves; small sunken Insects This plant is subject to the same insects as 
 spots on fruit). cucumber and should be treated the same way. 
 
 Remedy: Spray with Bordeaux mixture when 
 melons are half grown. Repeat 10 days later and 
 again if necessary. 
 
 YOUR QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED 
 
 This Commission maintains a Department of Household Science which will welcome 
 questions connected with Gardening, Canning, Drying and kindred subjects. Tech- 
 nically trained workers, of practical experience, will give prompt attention to all in- 
 quiries. Address Department of Household Science, National War Garden Com- 
 mission, Washington, D. C. 
 
THE SEEDS OF VICTORY INSURE THE FRUITS OF PEACE 23 
 
 PLANTING TABLE 
 
 Vegetable 
 
 Quantity 
 required 
 for 100 
 feet of row 
 
 Distance Apart 
 In Inches 
 
 Depth of 
 Planting 
 Inches 
 
 Time of Planting 
 
 Mature 
 (In days, 
 except as 
 noted) 
 
 Rows 
 
 In Row 
 
 Asparagus, seed .... 
 Asparagus, plants. . . 
 
 1 oz 
 60 to 80 
 Y 2 to 1 pt. . . 
 
 Yi to 1 pt. . . 
 2 oz ........ 
 
 12 to 24 
 36 to 48 
 20 to 24 
 36 to 48 
 18 to 24 
 
 3 to 5 
 
 Htol.... 
 8 to 10.... 
 
 Early spring 
 
 3 to 4 yrs. . 
 1 to 3 yrs. . 
 40 to 65.. . 
 50 to 80... 
 60 to 90. . . 
 
 60 to 80... 
 60 to 80... 
 60 to 80... 
 
 90 to 130.. 
 90 to 130.. 
 75 to 110.. 
 
 100 to 130. 
 
 120 to 150. 
 60 to 80. . . 
 60 to 100.. 
 30 to 40... 
 60 to 80... 
 
 100 to 140. 
 90 to 180. . 
 1 to 2 yrs.. 
 
 90 to 120.. 
 60 to 80... 
 60 to 90... 
 
 120 to 150. 
 60 to 90... 
 130 to 150. 
 
 90 to 120. . 
 
 90 to 120.. 
 125 to 160. 
 40 to 80... 
 
 100 to 140. 
 80 to 140.. 
 100 to 130. 
 100 to 140. 
 20 to 40... 
 1 to 3 yrs. . 
 60 to 80... 
 120 to 180. 
 
 30 to 60. . . 
 60 to 80... 
 120 to 160. 
 100 to 140. 
 
 80 to 100. . 
 60 to 80... 
 110 to 140. 
 100 to 120. 
 
 15 to 20 
 4 to 6 
 
 Early spring 
 
 April to August 
 May and June 
 May and June 
 
 April to June 
 April to July 
 April to August 
 March and April 
 (Start in hotbed dur- 
 ing February) 
 
 Beans, pole 
 Beans, Lima, bush. . 
 
 Beans, Lima, pole. . . 
 Beets 
 
 Hills 24-36.... 
 4 to 6. 
 
 
 
 36 to 48 
 
 Hills 24 to 36 
 
 
 12 to 18 
 24 to 30 
 24 to 30 
 
 24 to 36 
 18 to 24 
 24 to 30 
 
 18 to 36 
 
 18 to 24 
 30 to 36 
 12 to 18 
 
 5 or 6 to ft. ... 
 16 to 24 
 
 to 2 
 
 Brussels sprouts .... 
 Cabbage, early 
 
 Cabbage, late 
 Carrot 
 
 Xoz 
 1 oz 
 
 12 to 18 
 
 y 
 
 16 to 24 
 6 or 7 to ft. ... 
 14 to 18 
 
 4 to 8 
 
 Yz 
 H 
 
 y* 
 
 May and June 
 
 April to June 
 April to June (Start in 
 hotbed during Feb- 
 ruary or March). . . . 
 May and June. (Start 
 in hotbed during 
 March or April). . . . 
 April to July 
 
 Cauliflower 
 
 1 packet 
 Yt. oz 
 
 Celery 
 
 Chard 
 
 
 4 to 6 to ft 
 
 
 Yt pt 
 
 30 to 36 
 4 to 5 toft 
 48 to 72 
 18 to 24 
 
 1 to 2... 
 
 y 2 toi.... 
 y 2 to i'. '.'.'. 
 
 Yi 
 
 3 to 4 
 
 May to July 
 
 
 
 March to May 
 
 
 Yi oz 
 
 48 to 72 
 24 to 36 
 
 April to July 
 
 Eggplant 
 
 
 April and May. (Start 
 in hotbed during 
 March) 
 
 
 1 oz 
 
 18. .. 
 
 8 to 10 
 4 to 6 
 6 to 8 
 
 4 to 6. . . 
 4 to 6 
 
 Midsummer 
 
 Horse-radish 
 Kale 
 
 70 roots 
 
 24 to 30 
 18 to 24 
 
 18 to 24.. . 
 12 to 18 
 72 to 96 
 
 36 to 48 
 12 to 18 
 12 to 18 
 
 12 to 18 
 
 18 to 24.. . 
 36 to 48 
 18 to 24 
 
 24 to 36 
 36 to 60 
 96 to 144. . . . 
 12 to 18 
 36 to 60 
 
 Early spring 
 
 Early spring and Aug- 
 ust and September. . 
 April to August 
 
 Kohlrabi 
 Lettuce 
 
 Yioz 
 Yz oz 
 
 March to September. . . 
 April to June. (Start 
 early plants in hot- 
 bed during March) . . 
 May and June 
 April and May 
 
 Muskmelon. . 
 
 
 Hills 72 
 
 1 
 
 Okra, or gumbo .... 
 Onion seed 
 
 2oz 
 1 oz 
 
 24 to 30 
 5 or 10 to ft ... 
 4 or 5 to ft 
 
 3 to 6 
 
 4 or 6 toft 
 15 to ft 
 15 to 18.. . 
 
 1 to 2 
 
 Htol.... 
 Ito2 
 
 y* 
 
 Htol.... 
 3 to 4 
 
 Onion, sets 
 Parsley 
 
 Iqt 
 
 Autumn and March to 
 May 
 Early spring and Sep- 
 tember 
 
 Parsnip 
 Peas 
 
 y^ oz 
 1 to 2|pts. . . . 
 
 April and May 
 March to June 
 May and June. (Start 
 early plants in hot- 
 bed during March) . . 
 March to June 
 
 Pepper 
 
 
 Potato, Irish 
 Potato sweet 
 
 5lbs 
 75 slips 
 
 14 to 18. . . 
 
 3 to 5 
 2 to 3 
 1 
 
 14 
 96 to 144 
 
 March to June 
 May 
 
 Pumpkin 
 Radish 
 
 Rhubarb plants 
 
 Hoz 
 1 oz 
 33 
 
 8 or 12 to ft. . . 
 36 to 48 
 
 *Nb'TE" 
 Yztol... 
 
 ito2*.!!! 
 i 
 
 March to September. . . 
 Early spring 
 May and June 
 Early spring 
 September or very 
 early spring 
 
 Rutabaga 
 
 4 oz 
 
 18 to 24 
 18 to 24 
 12 to 18 
 
 36 to 48.. . 
 84 to 120.... 
 36 to 48 
 36 to 48 
 
 18 to 24 
 96 to 144... 
 96 to 120. . . . 
 
 6 to 8.. . 
 
 Salsify . . 
 
 2 to 4 
 7 or 8 to ft. ... 
 
 Hills 36 to 48 
 
 Spinach 
 
 1 oz 
 
 Squash, bush 
 Squash, late 
 Tomato, seed 
 Tomato, plants 
 
 Yi oz .... 
 
 April to June 
 
 Hi Is 84 to 108. 
 30 to 36. 
 
 i 
 
 
 y^ oz 
 
 y 2 toi.... 
 
 May and June. (Start 
 early plants in hot- 
 bed during February 
 and March) 
 April and August 
 April to June 
 May 
 
 33 to 40 
 
 30 to 36 
 
 6 or 7 to ft. . 
 Hills 96 to 108 . 
 96 to 120 
 
 I 4 to2. 2 .' 
 1 
 
 Veg. marrow 
 Watermelon 
 
 Y oz 
 
 H oz 
 
 * NOTE. Set rhubarb plants so that growing tips are at surface of ground. 
 
 Absolute dates for planting can not be given, because of variations in seasons 
 from year to year and varying climatic conditions in different sections. For general 
 guidance see "When to Plant," on page 10. 
 
PART II 
 
 HOME STORAGE MANUAL FOR 
 VEGETABLES AND APPLES 
 
 No form of Food Conservation is more important than the home storage 
 of vegetables for winter use. Canning and drying are essential to the nation's 
 food supply, and should be practised to the fullest possible extent, but they do 
 not take the place of storage. To keep vegetables in their natural state is the 
 simplest form of preparation for winter needs. By taking proper precautions 
 against decay and freezing an abundant supply of certain kinds of fresh 
 vegetables may be kept at minimum expenditure of money and effort. 
 
 STORAGE HELPS SOLVE FOOD PROBLEM 
 
 The importance of making provision for 
 winter food needs is even greater this year 
 than it was in 1918. Every pound of food- 
 stuffs that can be spared for export will be 
 needed in Europe for feeding American 
 troops and to prevent the starvation of the 
 domestic and military populations of the 
 Allied nations. Every pound of vegetables 
 stored away for home uses will release ex- 
 portable food. A nation with a food short- 
 age is a nation in peril. For this reason 
 it is of vital importance that no vegetables 
 of high food value be allowed to go to 
 waste. To save is to be patriotic. 
 
 The home gardening campaign conducted 
 by the National War Garden Commission 
 will this year result in the creation of a vast 
 new planting area. The output of these 
 gardens is greatly in excess of immediate 
 needs. Unless proper steps are taken to 
 safeguard the surplus the waste will be pro- 
 digious. This Commission will stimulate 
 nation-wide activity in canning and drying. 
 An important purpose of this booklet is to 
 arouse similar interest in the storage of 
 vegetables. 
 
 WHAT AND HOW TO STORE 
 
 There are many vegetables which can 
 be stored to good advantage. Included in 
 the list are Potatoes, Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, 
 Onions, Sweet Potatoes, Celery, Salsify, 
 Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Win- 
 ter Squash, Turnips, Beans and Lima Beans. 
 Good results in storage depend upon: 
 
 1 Ventilation. 
 
 2 Regulation of temperature. 
 
 3 Sufficient moisture. 
 
 4 Quality of vegetables stored. 
 
 For some vegetables satisfactory storage 
 places are afforded by the pantry shelf or 
 attic. For others the cellar is the right 
 place. For others outdoor storage is pref- 
 erable. This may take the form of pits or 
 banks, or it may be done in hillside caves 
 or cellars. 
 
 COMMUNITY STORAGE 
 
 Especially good results may be obtained 
 if several neighboring families will form 
 community clubs to provide storage facili- 
 ties. In this way very complete provision 
 may be made for handling winter supplies 
 at slight trouble and expense to the indi- 
 vidual household. 
 
 Community or co-operative storage may 
 be effected in various ways. Several fami- 
 lies may join together and construct out- 
 door cellars or they may join in the use of 
 an available building conveniently located 
 in which vegetables may be stored in large 
 quantities. 
 
 CELLAR STORAGE 
 
 Beets 
 Cabbage 
 Carrots 
 Celery 
 
 Parsnips 
 Potatoes 
 Salsify 
 Turnips 
 
 In a house heated by a cellar furnace 
 vegetables may be stored to good advantage 
 in the cellar. Partition off a small room as 
 far as possible from the heating plant. Two 
 sides of this room should be outside walls. 
 There should be at least one outside win- 
 dow, for temperature regulation and venti- 
 lation. The suggested arrangement in Figure 
 1 shows ventilation afforded by a stove- 
 
STORE YOUR SURPLUS FOR WINTER 
 
 Fig. 1 This suggests an arrangement for storage in a cool cellar. An earth floor is best, as it gives off some mois- 
 ture. If the floor is of concrete it should be covered with 2 or 3 inches of sand and this should be sprinkled with 
 water occasionally. In the drawing a pane in the upper part of one window is shown to be missing. This 
 is to allow the escape of heated air. In severely cold weather close these openings. The stove pipe fitted into 
 the place for one of the lower panes admits cold air. Instead of a stove pipe a wooden flue, made of old boards 
 or parts of boxes, may be used. Bins and boxes should be placed on slats to lift them from the floor and allow 
 circulation. For this same purpose bins and boxes should be at least one or two inches from the wall. Air holes 
 bored in sides and bottom of bins and boxes help circulation. Protect glass jars from light. 
 
 pipe inserted through one of the lower 
 panes of the window, to admit cold air and 
 indicates the removal of one of the upper 
 panes of glass to allow the escape of warm 
 air. This affords constant circulation. 
 
 An earth floor is desirable, but this is not 
 always possible, as most city and many town 
 and country houses have floors of concrete. 
 In a cellar with a concrete floor the concrete 
 should be covered with two or three inches 
 of sand, which should be sprinkled with water 
 from time to time. 
 
 In this room may be stored Beets, Car- 
 rots, Cabbage, Celery, Parsnips, Salsify, 
 Turnips and Potatoes. (Special attention is 
 given Potatoes on page 28.) Put them in 
 bins or in boxes, baskets, slat crates or bar- 
 rels. It is best to use movable containers 
 and small ones. Bins should not hold more 
 than two or three bushels apiece, as the 
 larger bulk brings danger of heating and 
 consequent decay. There should be full 
 protection from mice. 
 
 The vegetables should be harvested when 
 the ground is dry, if possible, and should 
 lie outdoors a few hours until any surface 
 moisture on them has evaporated. Remove 
 the tops, leaving an inch or so, from beets, 
 turnips, carrots and salsify. To leave an 
 inch or so of top prevents bleeding and dry- 
 ing out. Sort vegetables according to size 
 and condition. Imperfect or bruised ones 
 should be selected for immediate use and 
 only sound vegetables should be stored. 
 
 In cellar storage beets, turnips and carrots 
 may be buried in slightly damp sand to good 
 purpose. 
 
 Cabbages may be stored in the cellar in 
 boxes or barrels of earth or sand, or they may 
 be placed in a cool cellar on the floor with 
 roots up. 
 
 Celery, to be stored in a cellar, should be 
 allowed to stay in the garden until there is 
 danger of severe freezing. In order to pro- 
 long the period of keeping it outdoors the 
 plants should be protected from frost by 
 banking them with earth to within two or 
 three inches of the tops. On cold nights 
 protect the tops with paper, burlap, mats, 
 straw or other covering. The importance of 
 not harvesting at the first appearance of frost 
 arises from the fact that this period is likely 
 to be followed by warm weather, which will 
 cause decay by creating too high a tempera- 
 ture in the place of storage. With the arrival 
 of steady cool weather, which will freeze the 
 plants, dig them, leaving some soil adhering 
 to the roots. For cellar storage place the 
 plants upright, covering the roots with three 
 or four inches of sand or light soil. (Fig. 2.) 
 Earth may be banked around the stalks but 
 this is not necessary. Water the soil oc- 
 casionally, being sure to keep the leaves and 
 stalks dry to prevent decay. 
 
 Celery may also be stored in cellar boxes, 
 following these same directions. 
 
 The cellar storage room may also be used 
 for the storage of fresh fruits and for canned 
 goods, preserves and dried vegetables and 
 fruits. Fig. 1 shows a suggested arrange- 
 ment for shelves for canned and dried articles. 
 If the shelves are not protected from light 
 by doors all canned goods in glass should be 
 wrapped in brown paper, to prevent bleaching 
 
26 
 
 HOME STORAGE 
 
 of the contents as a result of exposure to the 
 light. 
 
 Wide fluctuations of temperature should 
 be avoided. The ideal temperature is 40 
 degrees F. The root cellar should be kept 
 at not less than 32 degrees and not over 
 50 degrees. 
 
 PIT STORAGE 
 
 Beets Potatoes 
 
 Carrots Turnips 
 
 Cabbage Salsify 
 
 Celery Parsnips 
 
 For outdoor storage one of the best forms 
 is a mound shaped pit. To prepare for this 
 remove two or three inches of earth and 
 line this shallow excavation with hay, straw, 
 leaves or similar material. Place the vege- 
 tables on this in a conical pile. Cover the 
 vegetables with several inches of the material 
 used in making the lining. Cover this with 
 3 or 4 inches of earth. As severe weather 
 approaches the outer covering should be 
 increased. An additional layer of hay or 
 similar material may be placed over the 
 layer of earth and on top of this another layer 
 of earth. In extremely cold climates the 
 total thickness of earth layers should be as 
 much as 12 inches. Over the outer layer of 
 earth pile manure or corn stalks for added 
 protection. To give ventilation have the 
 inner layer of straw project through the outer 
 covering and extend to the top of the cone. 
 For protection from rain and snow this 
 opening should be covered. A board laid 
 over the top and weighted with a stone is 
 
 Fig. 2 For storage in cellar without heater celery 
 should be set in two or three inches of sand or light 
 soil and the plants then banked with soil. The soil 
 must not be allowed to become dry. 
 
 suitable for this purpose. An idea of the 
 construction is given in Fig. 5. 
 
 It is well to make several small pits rather 
 than one large one, for the reason that when a 
 pit has been once opened the entire contents 
 should be removed. This form of storage is 
 used for potatoes, beets, carrot, turnips, 
 parsnips, cabbage and salsify. It is well to 
 store several varieties of vegetables in one 
 pit so that the opening of a single pit will 
 
 afford a supply of all of them. In following 
 this plan it is desirable to separate the various 
 crops by the use of straw or leaves. 
 
 When a pit has been opened it is impossible 
 to give adequate protection to vegetables 
 therein. For this reason those not required 
 for immediate use should be removed, placed 
 in the basement storage room, or other cool 
 
 Fig. 3 Shallow bins or shelves with board sides, for 
 storing root crops in cool cellar. The air of the room 
 must not be allowed to become too dry, as this will 
 cause the vegetables to shrivel. Potatoes must be 
 protected from light. 
 
 place, and used as needed. This emphasizes 
 the importance of making small pits, each 
 one holding not more than two to six weeks' 
 supply. 
 
 Instead of making a dirt pit, barrels may 
 be used in which to place vegetables. (Fig. 
 8.) Make a slight depression the length of 
 the barrel and put in a thick layer of straw or 
 leaves. On this place the barrel. Cover the 
 barrel with successive layers of straw or 
 leaves, and dirt. As the weather grows colder 
 put on more dirt until there is from 14 to 18 
 inches of covering. For ease in opening 
 make a door at one end, against which pile 
 earth and manure of sufficient thickness to 
 prevent freezing. 
 
 Cabbage 
 
 For late varieties of cabbage the pit should 
 be long and narrow. The cabbages are placed 
 in rows with heads down and covered with 
 dirt. No other covering is needed. The 
 removal of a portion of this supply does not 
 disturb the remainder. (Fig. 6.) 
 
 Cabbages may also be stored by placing 
 the whole plants in a trench, roots down and 
 plants close together. The roots should be 
 covered with dirt. A frame should be built 
 around the trench by driving stakes at the 
 corners and placing boards against these to 
 form the enclosure. The construction of 
 such a trench is shown in Fig. 7. The boards 
 are banked with earth and across the top of 
 the trench boards or poles are placed, sup- 
 ported by the frame. These should be cov- 
 ered with straw, hay or corn fodder, for pro- 
 tection of the contents of the trench. Two 
 feet of the straw or similar material will be 
 required in cold climates. 
 
 Mature heads of cabbage of long-keeping 
 sorts, such as Danish Ball Head, may be cut 
 
STORE YOUR SURPLUS FOR WINTER 
 
 27 
 
 from the plant and stored one layer deep on 
 shelves in cool, frost-proof cellars. 
 
 Celery 
 
 In storing celery in a pit or trench, the 
 plants are set side by side as close as they 
 may be packed and wide boards set up 
 
 tially underground. A side-hill location is 
 desirable for ease in handling the vege- 
 tables. To make such a cellar dig an excava- 
 tion and in this erect a frame by setting 
 posts in rows near the dirt walls. Saw 
 these posts off at uniform height and place 
 plates on their tops. On these plates place 
 rafters. Board up completely 
 with the exception of a place 
 for the door. The whole should 
 be covered with dirt and sod, 
 and in cold climates added pro- 
 tection should be given by a 
 layer of straw, fodder or simi- 
 lar material. Ventilate with a 
 flue. A dirt floor is best, as 
 some moisture is desirable. This 
 form of storage is especially 
 good for the joint use of several 
 families. 
 
 On a more pretentious scale 
 cellars of this nature may be 
 made of brick, stone or concrete. 
 Such cellars afford practically 
 perfect storage room for pota- 
 toes, carrots, cabbages, parsnips, 
 beets, turnips and salsify. 
 
 Fig. 4 For squashes, sweet potatoes and pumpkins shelves near furnace 
 afford good storage. 
 
 along the outside edges of the pit. Dirt is 
 banked up against these boards and the top 
 covered with corn fodder or similar covering. 
 If celery is kept in the row where grown the 
 earth should be banked around the plants 
 with the approach of cold weather. For 
 freezing weather bring the dirt to the tops of 
 the plants and cover the ridge with coarse 
 manure, straw or fodder, using stakes or 
 boards to hold the covering in place. Only 
 late maturing and late planted celery can be 
 safely stored. (Fig. 9.) 
 
 A hotbed, instructions for the making of 
 which are given on page 7 (Fig. 2), in Part I 
 of this booklet, makes an excellent place for 
 outdoor storage for celery. The surplus 
 earth and manure should be removed and a 
 board covering should be substituted for the 
 sash and glass. Store the celery in the same 
 manner as in pit storage. For protection from 
 cold use any covering that will prevent freezing. 
 
 Celery should not be stored with turnips or 
 cabbage. It will absorb odors from these 
 vegetables and its flavor will be impaired. 
 
 OUTDOOR CELLAR 
 
 Beets Potatoes 
 
 Carrots Turnips 
 
 Parsnips Salsify 
 Cabbage 
 
 An outdoor cellar makes a good storage 
 place. In cold climates this should be par- 
 
 VARIOUS METHODS 
 
 Permanent cold frames, with 
 deep pits, may also be used to advantage in 
 storing vegetables if the drainage is made 
 thorough. After the frames are filled the sash 
 should be covered with boards and the outside 
 banked with soil or manure. As the weather 
 becomes severe a covering of straw or mats 
 is necessary. This covering should be heavy 
 enough to prevent freezing. 
 
 Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts which 
 have not matured may be taken up and 
 
 Fig. 5 Irish potatoes in an outdoor mound. This 
 mound must be in a well-drained location. After re- 
 moving 2 or 3 inches of earth, pile the potatoes on a 
 2 or 3-inch layer of dry straw, leaves or hay. Cover the 
 vegetables with 2 or 3 inches of straw, leaves or hay, 
 and cover this with 3 or 4 inches of earth. Increase 
 the thickness of the earth layer as severe weather 
 approaches, making it as much as 12 inches in extremely 
 cold climates. Manure or corn stalks should be piled 
 over the mound. The straw, coming to the top, will 
 afford ventilation. The opening should be covered 
 for protection from rain. 
 
 planted in shallow boxes of soil in a light 
 place in the cellar. If kept well watered 
 they will mature for winter use. 
 
28 
 
 HOME STORAGE 
 
 Dry beans may be stored in cloth bags 
 in a pantry or in any cool, dry and well 
 ventilated room. The bags should be hung 
 away from the floor to prevent damage by 
 rats and mice. 
 
 Onions require a cool, dry place. They 
 should be cured by being exposed to the 
 air for a few days in the shade. The tops 
 should be removed before storing. Keep 
 them in baskets, trays or other holders 
 which let the air circulate. Onions are not 
 damaged by temperatures slightly below 
 freezing, and for storing them the attic is 
 better than the cellar. If stored in the cellar 
 they should be suspended from the ceiling. 
 
 Squashes are susceptible to cold and 
 moisture, and for that reason should be 
 stored in a dry place where the tempera- 
 ture will be between 50 and 60 degrees F. 
 Squashes may be kept by placing them in a 
 single layer on a dry floor and covering 
 with rugs or carpets, but care must be 
 taken that the stems are not broken off and 
 that they do not become bruised before 
 storing. Whenever it is found that any of 
 the squashes or pumpkins are showing signs 
 of decay, the sound portions should be 
 canned. 
 
 Tomatoes may be saved by pulling up the 
 entire plant before freezing weather. The 
 vines should be suspended by the roots in a 
 cool cellar. The tomatoes will gradually 
 ripen. If these tomatoes, when cooked, are 
 found to be acid, the acidity can be over- 
 come by using baking soda. 
 
 Parsley may be saved by transplanting 
 into flower pots late in the fall. These 
 should be kept in windows where they will 
 receive sunshine. 
 
 Parsnips and salsify are not injured by 
 remaining in the ground all winter. Enough 
 for immediate needs may be dug in the 
 fall and the others harvested as required. 
 
 Fig. 6 Cabbage stored, roots up, in a bank of earth. 
 The place must be well drained. The cabbages are 
 covered with earth, but this need not be as thick as for 
 gome vegetables, as slight freezing does no harm. 
 
 POTATOES 
 
 As one of the staple vegetables, potatoes 
 are entitled to special consideration for 
 winter storage. If you have raised a sur- 
 plus crop in your own garden save as many 
 as possible for your winter's supply. If 
 you have none of your own raising it is well 
 to buy them early in the fall, at the time 
 
 of greatest supply and lowest prices, and 
 store them for the winter, making yourself 
 independent of the market during the time 
 of highest prices. 
 
 Potatoes may be stored in cellars, pits 
 and outdoor cellars, as already described. 
 Before they are stored they should be al- 
 lowed to dry. This is done by digging 
 
 Fig. 7 This shows cabbage, pulled with roots, stored 
 in a shallow trench, with roots down. The roots are 
 covered with earth. The stakes, projecting 2 feet 
 above the surface of the earth, serve as supports for 
 boards or "poles which make an enclosure. This frame 
 should be banked with dirt (b). Across the top place 
 poles or plank and cover with straw, hay or corn 
 fodder (a). Make the trench as long as necessary and 
 any width up to 8 feet. 
 
 them on bright days, if possible, and allow- 
 ing them to lie alongside the rows for a few 
 hours. Before storing sort them carefully 
 as to size and soundness. The smaller pota- 
 toes and those which show signs of threatened 
 decay should not be stored, but should be 
 used early. 
 
 The success of potato storage depends on 
 the exclusion of light, proper ventilation, 
 the proper amount of moisture, the size of 
 the pile or container and the type of the 
 tubers stored. 
 
 In storing potatoes it should be remem- 
 bered that the purpose is to protect them 
 from great changes of temperature and 
 from light. Even a small amount of light 
 changes the food value of potatoes. There 
 should be enough moisture to keep -the pota- 
 toes from wilting, but not enough to cause 
 moisture to gather on the surface. 
 
 If potatoes are stored in a place where 
 there is moisture in the air, provision should 
 be made to permit free circulation of air 
 through the containers. Barrels, boxes and 
 bins may be ventilated by boring holes in 
 sides and bottoms. Barrels, boxes and crates 
 should be set on slats to hold them off the 
 floor and allow the air to circulate underneath. 
 If the storage place is light a blanket, several 
 thicknesses of paper, or old sacks should be 
 placed on top of the containers. 
 
 If the air of the storage place is dry it 
 should not be allowed to circulate freely 
 through the containers, as dry air will 
 cause withering of the potatoes. In such 
 storage places the potatoes should be put 
 
STORE YOUR SURPLUS FOR WINTER 
 
 29 
 
 in containers made airtight by lining bot- 
 tom and sides with several thicknesses of 
 newspaper and covering the top snugly in 
 the same manner. 
 
 The temperature of a cellar storage room 
 for potatoes should be carefully controlled 
 
 Fig. 8 A barrel can be made into a good storage pit for 
 cabbage, turnips, potatoes etc. Barrel is placed on its 
 side and covered with straw and dirt. 
 
 to prevent wide fluctuations. A constant 
 temperature around 40 degrees F. is desir- 
 able. It should not be allowed to go below 
 32 degrees or above 50 degrees. 
 
 Potatoes should not be washed before 
 storage. If they begin sprouting in the 
 spring all the shoots should be rubbed off. 
 The bins should be examined occasionally 
 and any rotting potatoes removed to pre- 
 vent the spread of infection. 
 
 Bins 
 
 Do not have one large bin for potatoes, 
 as those in the center will be subjected to 
 too high temperature, which will cause all 
 of them to go through a sweating process. 
 Too large a bin makes good ventilation im- 
 possible. Open bins, not more than a foot 
 deep, arranged as a shelf, as shown in Fig. 
 3, are excellent for cellar storage. Another 
 good arrangement of shelf storage for certain 
 crops is shown in Fig. 4. 
 
 Pits 
 
 A small pit provided with ventilation, as 
 shown in Fig. 5, is the most satisfactory. 
 It is better to have several small pits than 
 one large one, as the entire contents must be 
 removed when a pit is opened. Place not 
 more than two to six weeks' supply in a 
 single pit. 
 
 SWEET POTATOES 
 
 In storing sweet potatoes the important 
 points to be kept in mind are that the pota- 
 toes must be well matured before they 
 are dug; they must be handled with ex- 
 treme care; they must be allowed to dry or 
 cure thoroughly before storage, and they 
 must be kept at an even temperature. A 
 test for maturity is to cut or break a sweet 
 potato and expose it to the air for a few 
 minutes. If the surface of the cut or break 
 
 dries the potato may be considered mature, 
 but if moisture remains on the surface it is 
 not properly ripe. In sections where frosts 
 come early digging should take place about 
 the time the first frost is expected, without 
 regard to maturity. Care in handling is nec- 
 essary to prevent bruising and subsequent 
 decay. Curing is done by keeping them at 
 an even temperature of 80 to 85 degrees F. 
 for a week or ten days after harvesting, to 
 dry off the moisture. The room in which 
 this is done must be ventilated in order that 
 the moisture-laden air may escape. 
 
 For storing sweet potatoes on a large 
 scale a specially constructed house is de- 
 sirable. For home storage the roots may 
 be kept near the furnace in the cellar or 
 near the furnace chimney in a vacant up- 
 stairs room or in the attic. The room 
 should be kept fairly warm. After curing 
 the temperature should be maintained 
 around 55 degrees F. 
 
 Care should be taken not to store sweet 
 potatoes which are infested with the sweet 
 potato weevil or root-weevil, one of the 
 most serious pests of the Gulf region. This 
 pest practically confines itself to destruc- 
 tion of the tubers after harvesting. When 
 the tubers are found infested they should 
 be fumigated with carbon disulphid, to be 
 procured at a drug store. Place the tubers 
 in a box or other container which can be 
 tightly closed. The carbon disulphid is a 
 liquid which gives off fumes heavier than 
 air, and one ounce per bushel should be 
 placed in an open dish on top of the roots 
 and the container closed. Do not allow 
 open lights or fire in the presence of this 
 gas as it is highly explosive. All badly 
 affected roots should be burned. 
 
 Fig. 9 This shows celery set into an outdoor pit or 
 trench for storage. Boards should be placed along the 
 edges of the pit or trench and dirt banked against these 
 boards. The tops of the celery should be covered with 
 corn fodder, straw or similar covering. The celery 
 may be removed easily at any time. 
 
 APPLES 
 
 Apple storage is simple and is desirable 
 not only for those who grow their own 
 apples but also for those who depend on 
 the market for their supply. The one es- 
 sential is that the fruit be kept in a cool, 
 
30 
 
 HOME STORAGE SEED SAVING 
 
 dry place, and so stored as to be in no danger 
 of absorbing odors from vegetables stored 
 nearby. 
 
 Families raising no apples, but having a 
 good storage place, meeting the require- 
 ments as to temperature, will find it advan- 
 tageous to buy a winter's supply in the 
 fall, when prices are low. The cost of pur- 
 chases thus made will be considerably less 
 than if apples are bought as needed during 
 the winter. 
 
 To store, sort apples carefully, removing 
 and using at once all fruit which is bruised 
 or shows signs of decay. The best results 
 are secured by wrapping each apple in half 
 a sheet of newspaper and storing in barrels, 
 boxes, crates or bins. The wrapping pre- 
 vents the apples from touching each other 
 and thus prevents the spread of decay which 
 may start. It also protects the apples from 
 odors if vegetables are stored nearby. Apples 
 absorb odors freely from potatoes, onions, 
 turnips and other vegetables and should never 
 be stored, unwrapped, in the same room with 
 vegetables of any kind. In addition to wrap- 
 
 ping the individual apples it is desirable to 
 line the barrel or other container with a half 
 inch thickness of newspapers, on the bottom 
 and sides, and then cover the top with news- 
 papers and either nail a cover on or tie the 
 papers securely with strings. This will keep 
 odors out. The lining and covering give 
 full protection and make it possible to store 
 apples in the general cellar storage room. 
 
 Remember that the cellar or other place 
 in which they are stored must be cool. A 
 temperature of 32 degrees F. is ideal, and 
 the temperature should not be allowed to go 
 above 40 degrees if it can be held this low. 
 
 Apples may be stored unwrapped in bar- 
 rels, boxes, crates or bins if proper atten- 
 tion is paid to sorting, to providing a cool 
 place for storage and to occasional sort- 
 ing during the winter, for the removal of 
 possible decayed fruit. If any of the fruit 
 in any container is found to have begun 
 to decay all the apples in all the containers 
 should be sorted at once and decaying fruit 
 removed. Apples stored unwrapped must 
 not be kept in the room with vegetables. 
 
 SAVE NEXT YEAR'S SEED FROM THIS YEAR'S GARDEN 
 
 Owners of gardens will find that the saving 
 of seed from this year's gardens will be of 
 great help for next year's planting. While 
 it is more satisfactory, ordinarily, to purchase 
 seed from reliable dealers 
 the increased planting of 
 home gardens, the poor 
 crop of seed, the decrease 
 of foreign importation, 
 the exporting of certain 
 seed to Europe and the 
 use of certain kinds for 
 food have caused a short- 
 age and, as an emergency 
 measure, each gardener 
 should save as much seed 
 as possible. 
 
 Saving of seed is easily 
 done, though it requires 
 care and attention. In 
 saving seed select them 
 from plants of a single 
 variety grown by itself 
 if possible, rather than 
 from plants where more 
 than one variety have 
 
 been planted. Where there are two or 
 more varieties of the same vegetable 
 growing side by side, cross fertilization 
 takes place and standard seed cannot be 
 obtained. It is well to learn all the features 
 which make up the most desirable type of 
 variety of vegetable from which seed is to 
 be saved. Seed saved where it is grown has 
 
 Fig. 10 In selecting 
 corn to be saved for 
 seed, choose the most 
 perfect ears. 
 
 two advantages. For one thing more careful 
 selection can be given than is possible for all 
 seed placed on the market. Another advan- 
 tage is that plants from this seed will succeed 
 best under local conditions. 
 
 Select seed plants which are free from 
 disease, which show a vigorous growth, a 
 good yield and quality, and mature early. 
 Mark selected plants with string. Plants 
 selected for seed should be given especially 
 careful cultivation and 
 every effort should be 
 made to promote their 
 full development. When 
 seed is ripe harvest with 
 care. 
 
 Seed properly stored, 
 with the exception of 
 parsnip and onion, 
 should retain vitality 
 from 2 to 5 years. Thus 
 enough seed may be 
 saved from a good crop 
 to tide over the poor 
 years. 
 
 SEED MATURING IN 
 ONE YEAR 
 
 Some of the seed de- 
 
 t_. t -i 
 
 sirable for saving be- 
 
 cause they mature in 
 one year are: 
 
 BEANS Select the best plants and let the 
 pods mature. Pull up plants preferably in 
 
 Fig. 11 
 O f ha 
 
 A good way 
 nging seed corn 
 to dry. 
 
SAVE THIS YEAR'S SEED FOR NEXT YEAR'S GARDEN 31 
 
 the early morning, to prevent shattering. 
 Place plants in a dry, well aired place until 
 seed are hard. Shell and spread in a layer 
 until dry. 
 
 SWEET CORN Select the ears just at 
 maturity and while on plants, as plant must 
 be considered as well as the ear. The plant 
 should be free from disease and preferably 
 have two or more good ears to the stalk. The 
 distance between joints should be short and 
 the ears set on short, strong shanks. Ears 
 should be nearly cylindrical and should taper 
 but slightly from butts 
 to tips. They should 
 be well filled out, with 
 husks tightly folded 
 over ears. Pick ears 
 from plants maturing 
 at nearly the same time, 
 uniform in size, strong 
 and well rooted. Me- 
 dium sized ears are 
 best. When fully ma- 
 ture strip down husks 
 and string up 10-15 
 ears in a dry shady 
 place so as to dry out 
 ears quickly. 
 
 CUCUMBERS AND 
 SUMMER SQUASH 
 Select desirable fruits 
 when in the usable 
 stage. Allow them to 
 remain on vines until 
 ripe, as indicated by 
 change of color or 
 hardening of surface. 
 Remove the seed from 
 the ripe fruit and wash 
 free of pulp. Spread 
 in a thin layer in the 
 sunshine to dry, stirring 
 frequently. A quart 
 or less should dry satisfactorily in a day. 
 
 EGGPLANT When fruit is opened for 
 food, select the best formed seed, wash and 
 dry. 
 
 LETTUCE Plants for seed should be 
 started early enough so that seed setting 
 and ripening does not occur during the 
 hot weather. With heading varieties it 
 may be necessary to cut across the tops 
 of the heads to allow the seed stalks to 
 push through. When seed heads turn white 
 and open, cut or pull the plants, put heads 
 in paper bags and hang in a dry place until 
 seed are ripened and drop out of Leads, or 
 lay the plants on a table in a dry airy place. 
 
 POTATOES Select productive seed hills, as 
 nearly free from disease as possible. Potatoes 
 should be true as to variety, which means 
 that a late variety should not be substituted 
 
 Fig. 12 To remove 
 kernels when prepar- 
 ing to plant or to test 
 seed, insert knife be- 
 tween rows and pry 
 sideways. 
 
 Fig. 13 Hubbard squash. A 
 good type winter squash for 
 seed. 
 
 for early variety if the crop is to be harvested 
 early. Early varieties cannot be substituted 
 for late varieties as they are not as productive. 
 Seed potatoes should be kept dormant in a 
 dark, cool place until planting time. The 
 production of 
 long sprouts, or 
 wilting, will re- 
 duce the vigor. 
 Rub off the long 
 sprouts before 
 the potatoes are 
 planted. 
 
 RADISHES 
 Select the finest 
 roots and cut off 
 all but a few 
 central leaves. 
 Put the roots in 
 a moist, airy 
 place for a short 
 
 time and then plant them with the crown 
 an inch below the surface. When seed 
 ripen, cut plants and lay on paper exposed 
 in the sun. When the outside covering is 
 dry, then rub out seed, dry and store. 
 
 TOMATOES Gather fruit from selected 
 plants when a little 
 over ripe, but not de- 
 cayed. The seed may 
 be freed by one of 
 two methods. One of 
 these is to crush the 
 fruit, and force through 
 a sieve, and then put 
 the seed in a coarse 
 cloth and press out 
 pulp - under water. 
 Another method is to 
 crush fruit, put in a 
 container and allow to 
 ferment for two or 
 three days, stirring 
 once in a while. The 
 seed settle and the pulp 
 which rises may be 
 poured off. Wash the 
 seed in clear water 
 an dry. 
 
 Winter Squash, Pumpkin, Muskmelon, 
 Watermelon 
 
 When fruit is opened for food, select the 
 best formed seed, wash and dry. 
 
 SEED MATURING IN TWO YEARS 
 
 Such vegetables as beets, carrots, parsnip, 
 salsify, cabbage, etc., which require one season 
 in which to grow will produce seed in the 
 second year. Seeds of beets, carrots, cauli- 
 flower, turnips and late radishes are not often 
 grown satisfactorily in the home garden. 
 
 Fig. 14 Seeding 
 plants of onion in blos- 
 som. They should be 
 staked. 
 
32 
 
 SEED SAVING 
 
 They must be carefully stored during the 
 winter. Root crops of late planting are most 
 satisfactory for seed. Select those of the best 
 shape, color and size. Cut off all but an inch 
 or two of the leaf stems and store in a frost 
 proof pit or cellar. If a cellar is used protect 
 the roots from withering by putting them in 
 sand, fine soil or sifted coal ashes. They 
 should be kept very slightly moist. Do not 
 store them in a heated cellar. 
 
 CABBAGE In the fall select the best 
 heads, pull up entire plants and store them in 
 a trench. Next spring set out two or more 
 plants as one plant alone rarely produces 
 seed. It may be necessary to cut the head 
 across the top to allow the seed stalk to 
 develop. When the seed pods turn yellow 
 cut off the stalk and lay it on paper in a cool 
 shady place to dry; early morning is the best 
 time to gather. Rub out the seed when the 
 pod is dry. Do not grow kale, collards, 
 cabbage or kohlrabi any two of them in 
 the same garden, as they will cross-fertilize. 
 
 ONIONS Seed bearing bulbs should be well 
 rooted. In the fall plant them 3 inches deep. 
 As cold weather approaches cover with earth 
 to protect them from freezing. In the spring 
 remove the ridges. The seed stalks should 
 be supported with stakes. When most of the 
 seed is ripe cut out the seed stalks, dry in the 
 sunshine and rub out the seed. 
 
 PARSNIPS These may be left in the ground 
 all winter. In the spring plant selected roots 
 3 to 5 feet apart in row. When seed are ripe 
 cut seed stalk and dry. 
 
 STORAGE OF SEED 
 
 Put heavy seed, such as beans and peas, in 
 cloth bags; smaller seed in paper bags or 
 envelopes. Label each bag carefully, inside 
 and out, as to contents. To protect seed 
 from mice put the bags in perforated tin 
 boxes. A bread box makes an ideal storage 
 place for seed. An upstairs room or attic 
 room, provided it is not warm, is a very 
 good place in which to store seed. The room 
 must be dry and well ventilated to prevent 
 molding. 
 
 Stored seed should be occasionally ex- 
 amined for insects. If insects or weevils are 
 present fumigate with carbon bisulphid, a 
 liquid which vaporizes, producing a gas 
 heavier than air. To fumigate, place the 
 seed in an air-tight receptacle and pour the 
 carbon bisulphid over the seed. Open to air 
 in from 24 to 36 hours. Use an ounce of 
 carbon bisulphid to a bushel of seed. Car- 
 bon bisulphid is very inflammable and fire 
 or flame must not be taken near the fumi- 
 gating receptacle. Disregard of this precau- 
 tion will result in an explosion. 
 
 This manual was prepared by the Commission's experts and is based on their 
 own research and experience, supplemented by information procured from the 
 United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Colleges, Experiment 
 Stations, and other sources. 
 
 The National War Garden Commission, wishing to do all within its power to 
 aid the War Industries Board in the very necessary economy in the use of paper, 
 has limited the edition of this book and asks those who receive it in quantity to 
 make the most careful distribution so that the book may reach the hands of 
 none but those who will use it. IF THE INDIVIDUAL RECIPIENT CAN NOT 
 USE THIS BOOK IT IS URGED THAT IT BE HANDED TO SOME ONE WHO 
 WILL USE IT. 
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 
 Cold frame and Hotbed 7 
 
 Community gardening 1 
 
 Community storage 24 
 
 Cultivation 11 
 
 DISEASES AND INSECTS 16 
 
 FERTILIZERS 
 
 Commercial 5 
 
 Compost 5 
 
 Green manure 6 
 
 INDOOR PLANTING 9 
 
 PLANTING 
 
 Continuous crops 11 
 
 Fall crops 10 
 
 Succession of crops 10 
 
 Table for planting 23 
 
 Time of planting 10 
 
 POTATOES 
 
 Growing 12 
 
 Diseases, and insects 21 
 
 Storage 28 
 
 Page 
 POTATOES, SWEET 
 
 Growing 13 
 
 Storage 29 
 
 SEED 
 
 Quantity to buy 
 Saving for next year 
 Testing before planting 
 
 9 
 
 .. 30 
 
 8 
 
 SPRAYING 16 
 
 SOIL 5,7 
 
 STORAGE 
 
 Apples 29 
 
 Cellar 24 
 
 Outdoor cellar 27 
 
 Pit t 26 
 
 Seed 32 
 
 Various methods 27 
 
 TOOLS... 7 
 
UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION 
 
 Mobile, Alabama. 
 September 6th, 1918. 
 MR. P. S. RIDSDALE, Secretary, 
 
 National War Garden Commission, 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 Dear Mr. Ridsdale: 
 
 I desire to tender my sincere thanks for the books which you have furnished 
 for distribution and use among the war gardeners of Mobile, and as encourage- 
 ment and assistance to others to take up this splendid work conducive not only 
 to increased supply of food products, but to the health and happiness of those 
 who wisely give Mother Earth the attention which just at this time she all the 
 more richly deserves. 
 
 It is needless for me to assure you that the books have been extremely 
 helpful. I consider them the most complete and serviceable ever produced; 
 and excepting only the family Bible, the foundation of all ethics and morality ES 
 well as the common law, these books are of more vital importance to every house- 
 holder, in fact, good citizens throughout the land, than most printed matter 
 obtainable. 
 
 Your books on canning and drying are likewise of inestimable value, and 
 your splendid co-operation in the common cause of increasing and conserving 
 the food supply in. our present crisis meets with the heartiest appreciation. 
 
 Very sincerely, 
 (Signed)' HENRY A. FORCHHEIMER, 
 
 Federal Food Administration Board. 
 
 UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION 
 
 Davenport, Iowa. 
 September 5, 1918. 
 MR. P. S. RIDSDALE, Secretary, 
 
 National War Garden Commission, 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 My dear Mr. Ridsdale: 
 
 We have found your publications of great value in our work in this State 
 and it gives me pleasure to thank you for your prompt and cordial compliance 
 with all of our requests. 
 
 Your book on War Vegetable Gardening and the one devoted to Canning and 
 Drying are filled with information of great value to the gardener and housewife. 
 
 It has been a source of great satisfaction to us to be able to distribute your 
 books in every County in Iowa and we have used care to place them in the hands 
 of people who need them and who are constantly calling for just the information 
 contained in them. 
 
 We feel that your co-operation has been of great importance. 
 
 Faithfully yours, 
 
 (Signed) M. L. PARKER, 
 
 State Merchant Representative, 
 
 Iowa Food Administration. 
 
After J. N. Darling, in New York Tribune. 
 
 NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION 
 
 A Patriotic Organization Affiliated with the Conservation Department 
 of the American Forestry Association 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 CHARLES LATHROP PACK, President. 
 
 PERCIVAL S. RIDSDALE, Secretary. 
 
 LUTHER BURBANK, Calif. 
 
 DR. CHARLES W. ELIOT, Mass. 
 
 DR. IRVING FISHER, Conn. 
 
 FRED H. GOFF, Ohio 
 
 JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, Mass. 
 
 FAIRFAX HARRISON, Va. 
 
 HON. MYRON T. HERRICK, Ohio. 
 
 NORMAN C. McLouo, Associate Secretary. 
 
 DR. JOHN GRIER HIBBEN, N. J. 
 
 EMERSON McMiLLiN, N. Y. 
 
 CHARLES LATHROP PACK, N. J. 
 
 A. W. SHAW, 111. 
 
 MRS. JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN, 111. 
 
 CAPT. J. B. WHITE, Mo. 
 
 HON. JAMES WILSON, Iowa. 
 
 P. P. CLAXTON, U. S. Commissioner of Education. 
 
Victory Edition 1919 
 
 HOME 
 
 CANNING & DRYING 
 
 of Vegetables & Fruits 
 
 Published try 
 
 National War Garden Commission 
 
 Washington, DC. 
 
 Copyright 1919 by NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION 
 
 THE KAISER IS CANNED CAN FOOD 
 
WAR DEPARTMENT 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
 June 7, 1918. 
 
 NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION, 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 Dear Sirs: 
 
 The War Department finds much satisfaction in the creation of War Gardens 
 at various army camps by the Conservation and Reclamation Division of the 
 Quartermaster General's office. Food production at these camps has been the 
 subject of some concern with the department. The large areas of tillable land 
 within many of the military reservations have been regarded as offering potential 
 food production on a large scale, and I feel that the army is to be congratulated- 
 that the utilization of this space has now taken concrete form. 
 
 Camp War Gardens will serve more than one useful purpose. The pro- 
 duction of food at the mess door is of great importance in that it not only lessens 
 the army's demand on the usual sources of supply but eliminates transportation 
 as well. 
 
 To the National War Garden Commission I extend the thanks of the Depart- 
 ment for its quick response to the appeal of the Quartermaster General's office 
 for co-operation. Not confining itself to mere compliance with the letter of the 
 request, the Commission entered fully into its spirit. At a time when funds 
 were not available through Government channels the Commission voluntarily 
 provided seed, fertilizers and equipment which made possible the establishment 
 of a War Garden of 300 acres or more at Camp Dix. For this generous contri- 
 bution and for swift action to overcome the handicap of a late start I take pleasure 
 in making this acknowledgment and in expressing the hope that the Camp Dix 
 War Garden of the National War Garden Commission will prove an unqualified 
 success. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 (Signed) NEWTON D. BAKER, 
 
 Secretary of War. 
 
 UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION 
 
 Baltimore, Maryland. 
 September 14, 1918. 
 
 NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION, 
 Maryland Building, 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 We wish to express to you our appreciation of your helpfulness in our war 
 garden, canning and drying work in Maryland during the season of 1918. Your 
 book on canning and drying has been of great value, while the canning outfits 
 which you so kindly gave us made it possible for us to establish canning centers 
 throughout the State, with results of far-reaching importance which could not have 
 been otherwise accomplished. We are equally appreciative of your prompt and 
 willing response to our request for the services of one of your trained investigators 
 to assist in our war garden work. Your spirit of prompt and willing service is 
 cordially appreciated. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 (Signed) EDWIN G. BAETJER, 
 
 Federal Food Administrator for Maryland. 
 
BACK UP THE CANNON 
 BY USE OF THE CANNER 
 
 By CHARLES LATHROP PACK, President 
 
 National War Garden Commission 
 
 WE stand with our backs to the 
 wall." That call to the civ- 
 ilized world, made by Gen- 
 eral Haig in the spring of 1918, has 
 brought and still must bring answer 
 from the women. Only by their co- 
 operation has it been possible for that 
 call to be answered, for no nation can 
 do a great work unless the women of 
 that nation put their influence into 
 the job. 
 
 We were forced into a war which 
 was something more than a war to 
 decide policies or mark boundaries 
 a war involving the most sacred 
 questions with which men and 
 women have to deal the sanctity of 
 womanhood, the sacredness of child- 
 hood and the right to live in free- 
 dom. We could not yield these rights 
 while we had the strength to defend 
 them. 
 
 In the emergency created by this 
 war the question of food goes hand 
 in hand with thrift. Our position 
 has been no less closely involved in 
 the conflict than that of Europe. In 
 proof of this let me call attention 
 to the plan the enemy had for us. I 
 quote from a book called "War," by 
 Klaus Wagner, published in 1916 in 
 Berlin. On page 165 the author says: 
 
 "Not only North America, but the 
 whole of America must become a bul- 
 wark of German Kultur, perhaps the 
 strongest fortress of the Germanic 
 races. That is every one's hope who 
 frees himself from his own local Eu- 
 ropean pride and who places race 
 feeling above his love for home." 
 
 Mark that well his race feeling 
 above his love for home; and then let 
 me quote one of the thousands of let- 
 ters received by the National War 
 
 Garden Commission. Here it is, from 
 a boy: 
 
 "I have decided to help win the 
 war by having a war garden, and I 
 have just read your notice that any 
 one can have a free garden book. 
 Please send it to me. My father 
 joined the army in 1915 and was 
 killed in 1916. -Harvey Cameron, 
 New Glasgow, Nova Scotia." 
 
 That boy is typical of the boys and 
 men of many nations who have been 
 fighting against the common enemy. 
 If they could look the job in the face 
 that way, what can we do? Our boys 
 have been giving their lives toward 
 the achievement of victory. Every 
 mile of reclaimed territory in devas- 
 tated France and Belgium adds hun- 
 dreds of hungry mouths to be fed. 
 With France and Belgium liberated 
 many more people have become de- 
 pendent on this country's food sup- 
 ply. In victory we must feed not 
 only more millions abroad but also 
 care for our own people at home and 
 our soldiers until they return. Peace 
 cannot mean an increase of the 
 world's grain supply for another year 
 at least, and it will take several years 
 of bountiful crops to refill the empty 
 bins and granaries of the world. 
 
 Victory, therefore, must necessarily 
 bring a large increase in our obliga- 
 tion. We must not only produce 
 food as close to the kitchen door as 
 possible, but we must save a vast vol- 
 ume of this food for winter use. To 
 save it we must can it, dry it, or other- 
 wise prepare to have it in readiness 
 for the months of non-production. 
 Canning and drying, therefore, are as 
 imperative to-day as if the war were 
 just beginning. 
 
TIME-TABLE FOR BLANCHING AND STERILIZING 
 
 The following time-table shows blanching time for various vegetables and fruits, and 
 also sterilizing time in the hot-water bath outfit, and in equipment for sterilization by the 
 water-seal method, the steam-pressure method and the aluminum steam-cooker method: 
 
 Vegetables 
 
 Blanching 
 
 Sterilizing 
 
 Hot-water 
 
 Water seal 
 
 Steam pressure in Ibs. 
 
 5 to 10 
 
 10 to 15 
 
 Asparagus 
 
 Minutes 
 10 to 15 
 5 
 5 to 10 
 5 to 10 
 3 
 5 
 5 to 10 
 15 
 5 to 10 
 5 to 10 
 5 
 5 to 10 
 Roast 
 5 to 10 
 See directions 
 5 
 
 Minutes 
 120 
 90 
 120 
 120 
 60 
 90 
 180 
 120 
 180 
 120 
 90 
 120 
 35 
 180 
 120 
 90 
 120 
 120 
 120 
 22 
 
 20 
 16 
 16 
 16 
 16 
 16 
 16 
 16 
 
 '16 
 12 
 20 
 16 
 16 
 30 
 20 
 16 
 20 
 16 
 30 
 
 Minutes 
 90 
 80 
 90 
 90 
 40 
 80 
 120 
 90 
 120 
 90 
 80 
 90 
 25 
 120 
 90 
 80 
 90 
 90 
 90 
 18 
 
 12 
 12 
 12 
 12 
 12 
 12 
 12 
 12 
 
 *ii 
 
 8 
 12 
 12 
 12 
 15 
 12 
 12 
 15 
 12 
 20 
 
 Minutes 
 60 
 60 
 60 
 60 
 30 
 60 
 90 
 60 
 60 
 60 
 60 
 60 
 20 
 60 
 60 
 60 
 60 
 60 
 60 
 15 
 
 8 
 10 
 10 
 10 
 10 
 10 
 10 
 10 
 
 10 
 6 
 8 
 10 
 10 
 10 
 8 
 10 
 15 
 10 
 12 
 
 Minutes 
 40 
 40 
 40 
 40 
 20 
 40 
 60 
 40 
 40 
 40 
 40 
 40 
 15 
 40 
 40 
 40 
 40 
 40 
 40 
 10 
 
 Beets 
 
 Brussels sprouts 
 
 Cabbage 
 
 Cauliflower 
 
 Carrots 
 
 Corn 
 
 Greens . . . . 
 
 Lima beans 
 
 Okra 
 
 Parsnips 
 
 Peppers sweet or hot 
 
 Peppers pimentos. 
 
 Peas. 
 
 Pumpkin 
 
 Salsify . . 
 
 Sour-crout 
 
 String beans 
 
 5 to 10 
 
 See directions 
 To loosen skins 
 
 ijrf 
 
 Ito 2 
 none 
 none 
 none 
 none 
 none 
 none 
 See directions 
 1 to 2 
 1 to 2 
 
 ijf 
 
 To loosen skins 
 none 
 3 to 5 
 
 IK 
 none 
 
 Squash 
 
 Tomatoes 
 
 Fruits 
 
 Aooles 
 
 Apricots 
 
 Blackberries 
 
 Blueberries 
 
 Dewberries 
 
 Cherries sweet 
 
 Cherries sour . 
 
 Currants 
 
 Fruit juices 
 
 Gooseberries. 
 
 Oranges 
 
 Pears 
 
 Peaches 
 
 Plums 
 
 Pineapples 
 
 Quinces 
 
 Raspberries 
 
 Rhubarb 
 
 Strawberries 
 
 none 
 
 Fruits without sugar 
 
 
 
 The time given In this table is for quart Jars. Add 30 minutes for 2-quart Jars and deduct 5 
 minutes for pint jars. 
 
 The time given is for fresh, sound and firm vegetables. Increase the time of sterilization by 
 adding one-fifth for vegetables which have been gathered over 24 hours. 
 
 The time given is for altitudes up to 1000 feet above sea level. For higher altitudes increase the 
 time in hot-water bath 10 per cent for each additional 500 feet. For example, If the time is given as 120 
 minutes in the table and your location is 1500 feet above sea level, the time should be made 132 minutes. 
 
 Neither home-made nor commercial hot-water bath outfits are entirely satisfactory, however, for 
 canning at very high altitudes, as the temperature of water In them does not reach 212 degrees F. In 
 such localities water-seal and steam-pressure outfits are advisable, as they give higher temperatures. 
 
PART I 
 
 HOME CANNING MANUAL 
 
 To save vegetables and fruits by canning this year is a patriotic duty. War 
 has made the need for Food Conservation more imperative than at any time 
 in history. America is responsible for the food supply of Europe. The 
 American family can do nothing more helpful in this emergency than to 
 Can All Food That Can be Canned. In this way the abundance of the summer 
 may be made to supply the needs of the winter. 
 
 CANNING IS FOOD THRIFT 
 
 The National War Garden Commission's 
 campaign for five million or more War Gar- 
 dens has brought about the creation of a vast 
 food supply hitherto greatly neglected. To 
 utilize this to the best advantage calls for 
 Canning operations in every household 
 throughout the nation. 
 
 The preservation of foodstuffs by Canning 
 is always effective Food Thrift. It enables 
 the individual house- 
 hold to take advantage 
 of summer's low prices 
 for vegetables even if 
 no garden has been 
 planted. It effects the 
 saving of a surplus of 
 foodstuffs that would 
 otherwise be wasted 
 through excess of sup- 
 ply over immediate 
 consumption. It elimi- 
 nates the cold storage 
 cost that must be added to the prices of 
 commodities bought during the winter. Of 
 vital importance, also, is that it relieves 
 the strain on transportation facilities of 
 the country. This phase has been especially 
 emphasized for this year by the unprece- 
 dented traffic situation. All this increases 
 the need for Home Canning and proves that 
 this is a national obligation. 
 
 CANNING MADE EASY BY MODERN 
 METHODS 
 
 By the Single Period Cold-Pack method it 
 is as easy to can vegetables as to can fruits, 
 and this year it is more useful. By the use of 
 this method canning may be done in the 
 kitchen or out of doors. It may be done in 
 the individual household or by groups of 
 families. Community canning is important 
 in that it makes possible the use of the best 
 
 COLD-PACK IN THE SOUTH 
 
 In some parts of the Southern States 
 there has been complaint as to results 
 obtained in the use of the Single Period 
 Cold-pack method, but inquiry and re- 
 search have shown that in most cases the 
 trouble arose from lack of care in follow- 
 ing instructions or the use of poor rub- 
 bers, and was not to be blamed on the 
 method itself. With proper care and per- 
 fect cleanliness the results in the South 
 are as good as elsewhere. 
 
 equipment at small individual outlay and 
 induces Food Conservation on a large scale. 
 Community canning by school children, under 
 the direction of competent teachers, is espe- 
 cially valuable. 
 
 This Manual presents all necessary in- 
 structions for canning vegetables and fruits, 
 in a manner which may be so readily under- 
 stood that the work is no longer a problem, 
 but is so simple that 
 any adult or child may 
 do it with success. 
 
 COMMUNITY 
 WORK 
 
 One of the best 
 methods to follow in 
 canning and drying 
 operations is for sev- 
 eral families to club 
 together for the work. 
 The work may be car- 
 ried on at a schoolhouse, in a vacant store- 
 room, at the home of one of the members or 
 at some other convenient and central loca- 
 tion where heat and water can be made avail- 
 able. By joining in the purchase of equip- 
 ment each participant will be in position 
 to save money as against individual pur- 
 chases and at the same time have the ad- 
 vantage of larger and more complete equip- 
 ment. The cost is slight when thus divided 
 and the benefits very great to all concerned. 
 For a co-operative enterprise it is well to 
 have a committee of from three to five to take 
 charge of all details. First determine how 
 many people will take part in the work, how 
 much each proposes to can or dry, what 
 vegetables and fruits each will furnish and 
 such other information as will have a bear- 
 ing on the selection of equipment. After 
 deciding how much money will be needed, 
 
HOME CANNING MANUAL 
 
 have each member contribute his or her 
 proportion, determined by the amount of 
 canning or drying he or she proposes to do. 
 
 The equipment should be bought as early 
 as possible to prevent disappointment in 
 
 FIG. 1. Home-made rack for wash-boiler. 
 
 delivery which is almost certain to follow 
 delay. This equipment may be ordered 
 through a local dealer or direct from the 
 manufacturers. The National War Garden 
 Commission publishes a list of manufacturers 
 which may be had upon application. 
 
 The equipment may be used by the in- 
 dividual members on a schedule arranged by 
 the committee, or a working force may be 
 appointed to do all the work, receiving pay 
 in the form of a percentage of the product. 
 
 Publicity is important in keeping interest 
 aroused and there should be a committee to 
 arrange with the local papers for the publica- 
 tion of information concerning the enterprise. 
 This serves as an incentive to others. 
 
 The National War Garden Commission 
 will send upon application its pamphlet on 
 Community and Neighborhood Canning and 
 Drying, giving details as to organization. 
 
 STERILIZATION OF FOOD 
 
 The scientist has proved that food decay is 
 caused by microorganisms, classed as bacteria, 
 yeasts and molds. Success in canning neces- 
 
 FIG. 2. Wash-hotter with rack for jars. 
 
 sitates the destruction of these organisms. 
 A temperature of 160 to 190 F. will kill 
 yeasts and molds. Bacteria are destroyed at 
 a temperature of 212 F. held for the proper 
 length of time. The destruction of these 
 organisms by heat is called sterilization. 
 
 METHODS OF CANNING 
 
 There are five principal methods of home 
 canning. These are: 
 
 1. Single Period Cold-pack Method. 
 
 2. Fractional or Intermittent Sterilization 
 Method. 
 
 3. Open Kettle or Hot-pack Method. 
 
 4. Cold Water Method. 
 
 5. Vacuum Seal Method. 
 
 The method recommended for home use 
 is the Single Period Cold-pack method. 
 It is much the best because of its simplicity 
 and effectiveness, and in this book detailed 
 instructions are given for its use. 
 
 The outlines of the various methods are: 
 1. Single Period Cold-pack Method: The 
 prepared vegetables or fruits are blanched in 
 boiling water or live steam, then quickly 
 cold-dipped and packed at once into hot jars, 
 the contents covered with boiling water or 
 syrup, and the jars partially sealed and 
 sterilized in boiling water or by steam pres- 
 sure. The jars are then sealed tight, tested 
 for leaks and stored. Full details are given 
 on page 7 and the pages following. 
 
 FIG. 3. A type of commercial canner for hot-water 
 bath, using wood, coal, charcoal, chips, cobs, or brush. 
 
 2. Fractional or Intermittent Sterilization 
 Method: Vegetables are half sealed in jars 
 and sterilized for 1 hour or more on each of 
 three successive days. This method is ex- 
 pensive as to time, labor and fuel and dis- 
 courages the home canning of vegetables. 
 
 3. Open Kettle or Hot-pack Method: Vege- 
 tables or fruits are cooked in an open kettle 
 and packed in jars. There is always danger 
 of spores and bacteria being introduced on 
 spoons or other utensils while the jars are 
 being filled. This method should never be 
 used in canning vegetables. Even with fruits 
 it is not as desirable as the cold-pack. 
 
 4. Cold-water Method: Rhubarb, cran- 
 berries, gooseberries, and sour cherries, be- 
 cause of their acidity, are often canned by 
 this method. The fruits are washed, put in 
 sterilized jars, cold water is added to over- 
 flowing, and the jar is then sealed. This 
 method is not always successful as the acid 
 content varies with ripeness and the locality 
 in which the fruits are grown. 
 
CAN ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE CANNED 
 
 5. Vacuum Seal Method: Vegetables are 
 washed, blanched, cold-dipped and cooked 
 as for table use; packed and sealed in especially 
 made vacuum seal jars. The jars must be 
 well made and the work properly done to 
 bring about satisfactory results. 
 
 ADVANTAGES OF THE COLD-PACK 
 
 The Single Period Cold-pack method is 
 a simple and sure way of canning. It in- 
 sures a good color, texture and flavor to the 
 vegetable or fruit canned. In using this 
 method sterilization is completed in a single 
 
 period, saving 
 time, fuel and 
 labor. The sim- 
 plicity of the 
 method c o m - 
 mends it. Fruits 
 are put up in 
 syrups. Vege- 
 tables require 
 only salt for 
 flavoring and 
 water to fill the 
 container. 
 
 Another ad- 
 vantage is that 
 it is practicable 
 to put up food 
 in small as well 
 as large quanti- 
 ties. The house- 
 wife who un- 
 derstands the 
 process will find 
 that it pays to put up even a single con- 
 tainer. Thus, when she has a small surplus 
 of some garden crop she should take the 
 time necessary to place this food in a con- 
 tainer and store it for future use. This is 
 true household efficiency. 
 
 COLD-PACK EQUIPMENT 
 
 1. The Homemade Hot-water Bath Outfit. 
 A serviceable Single Period Cold-pack can- 
 ning outfit may be made of equipment found 
 in almost any household. Any utensil large 
 and deep enough to allow an inch of water 
 above jars, and a false bottom beneath them, 
 and having a closely fitting cover, may be 
 used for sterilizing. A wash-boiler, large lard 
 can or new garbage pail serves the purpose 
 when canning is to be done in large quantities. 
 Into this utensil should be placed a wire or 
 wooden rack to hold the jars off the bottom 
 and so constructed as to permit circulation of 
 water underneath the jars. 
 
 For lifting glass-top jars use two button- 
 hooks or similar device. For lifting screw- 
 top jars, suitable lifters may be bought for a 
 small sum. A milk carrier makes a good 
 false bottom, and if this is used the jars 
 may be easily lifted out at the end of the 
 sterilization period. 
 
 FIG. 4. Steam pressure canner; 
 home and community canning. 
 
 2. Commercial Hot -water Bath Outfits. 
 There are upon the market outfits on the order 
 of the wash-boiler or pail type of homemade 
 canner. These are excellent and are es- 
 pecially desirable if one has considerable 
 quantities of vegetables or fruits to put up. 
 There are also commercial canners conve- 
 
 FIG. 5. Water-seal outfit. On the left is shown the 
 cover, with thermometer. In the center is the double 
 walled vat or holder. On the right is a crate for jars. 
 
 nient for out-door work, haying fire-box and 
 smoke-pipe all in one piece with the sterilizing 
 vat. As with the homemade outfit, contain- 
 ers are immersed in boiling water. 
 
 3. Water Seal Outfits. These are desirable, 
 as the period of sterilization is shorter than in 
 the homemade outfit and less fuel is therefore 
 required. The outfit consists of two con- 
 tainers, one fitting within the other, and a 
 cover which extends into the space between 
 the outer and the inner container. The 
 water jacket makes it possible for the tem- 
 perature in the 
 
 inner container 
 to be raised 
 several degrees 
 above 212 F. 
 
 4. Steam Pres- 
 sure Outfits. 
 Canning is very 
 rapid when ster- 
 ilization is done 
 in steam main- 
 tained at a pres- 
 sure. There are 
 several canners 
 of this type. 
 Each is pro- 
 vided with pres- 
 sure gauge and 
 safety valve and 
 they carry from 
 
 FIG. 6. Aluminum pressure canner. 
 
 5 to 30 pounds of steam pressure. This type 
 is suitable for home or community canning. 
 
 5. Aluminum Pressure Outfits. These cook- 
 ers are satisfactory for canning and for general 
 cooking. They carry from 5 to 30 pounds of 
 steam pressure. Each outfit is provided with 
 a steam pressure gauge and safety valve. 
 
 HIGH ALTITUDES 
 
 At high altitudes the boiling point of 
 water is below 212 F. At moderate eleva- 
 tions satisfactory results may be obtained 
 in the use of the hot-water bath by increasing 
 the time of sterilization 10 per cent for every 
 
HOME CANNING MANUAL 
 
 500 feet above 1000. To insure best results 
 in very high altitudes, however, a steam 
 pressure canner or aluminum pressure cooker 
 
 is recommend- 
 ed to be used. 
 This type of 
 canner pro- 
 duces a temper- 
 ature up to 250 
 F. at 15 Ibs. 
 pressure, insur- 
 ing proper ster- 
 ilization and 
 also saving time 
 and fuel. A 
 steam pressure 
 canner may be 
 bought around 
 $20. Several 
 families may 
 
 FIG. 7. Home canner and steam use one an d di- 
 cooker holding 14 quart jars. Re- . , , 
 quires same time as hot-water bath. Vide tne COSt. 
 
 OPERATION OF PRESSURE CANNERS 
 AND ALUMINUM COOKERS 
 
 1. Have water in the canner up to the false 
 bottom, but not above it. Keep this water 
 boiling during the time that packed jars are 
 being placed in the canner, and add water 
 occasionally to prevent its boiling dry. 
 
 2. To prepare product follow instructions 
 in "Steps in the Single Period Cold-pack 
 Method " on pages 8 and 9. As each jar is 
 packed, set it at once, partially sealed, in the 
 canner. The cover of the canner may be put 
 in position, but not clamped. 
 
 3. When all of the filled jars are placed in 
 the canner, put on the cover, and fasten op- 
 posite clamps moderately tight; then tighten 
 each pair of clamps fully. 
 
 4. The petcock should be left open until 
 live steam escapes from it. The canner 
 should be steam-tight, and no steam should 
 escape except through the open petcock. 
 When live steam escapes, close the petcock 
 completely. 
 
 5. Begin to count time when the steam 
 gauge registers the required temperature. 
 
 6. Maintain a uniform pressure during the 
 sterilizing period by setting the weight on the 
 arm, when the proper pressure is registered on 
 the steam gauge, so that surplus steam will es- 
 cape at that desired pressure. A uniform 
 temperature may be maintained also, by 
 turning down the flame or moving the canner 
 to a less hot part of the stove. 
 
 7. When the sterilization period is com- 
 plete, do not allow steam to escape, but allow 
 the canner to cool until the steam gauge 
 registers zero. 
 
 8. Open petcock, remove the cover of 
 canner, and take out the jars. As each jar is 
 removed, complete seal at once. 
 
 CONTAINERS 
 
 For home use glass jars are more satisfac- 
 tory for canning than tin. This is especially 
 true this year when there is a shortage of tin 
 cans. Tin cans are used chiefly for canning 
 on a large scale for commercial purposes. 
 
 There are many jars of , different styles 
 and prices on the market; and provided the 
 seal is not defective, equally good results 
 may be obtained from all. Glass is a popular 
 household choice because one can see through 
 it and thus have some idea as to the condi- 
 tion of the contents. Glass jars may be 
 used for years if properly cared for. 
 
 All types of jars which seal readily may be 
 used. Jars having glass tops held in place 
 by bails are especially easy to handle while 
 hot. Screw-top jars are serviceable. Glass 
 caps held in place by separate metal screw 
 bands are now on the market, as well as the 
 one-piece sort of former years. Vacuum 
 seal jars are very easily managed. Tops for 
 Economy jars should be purchased each year. 
 The composition material, which takes the 
 place of rubber, should have a rubber-like tex- 
 ture. If of mealy consistency it is unfit for 
 use and the top will not make a tight seal. 
 
 The color and shape of jars are not of first 
 moment, but are to be considered. Con- 
 tainers made 
 of white glass 
 should be used 
 if the product 
 is to be offered 
 for sale, as 
 blue or green 
 glass detracts 
 from the ap- 
 pearance of 
 the contents. 
 Wide-mouthed 
 jars are best 
 for packing 
 whole products 
 and are easiest to clean. Small-necked 
 bottles can be used for fruit juices. Large- 
 mouthed bottles can be used for jams, mar- 
 malades and jellies. 
 
 TESTS FOR JARS 
 
 Jars should be tested before they are used. 
 Some of the important tests are here given: 
 
 1. Glass-top Jars. First examine for cracks. 
 Then run a finger around the edge of necks of 
 jars, and if there are sharp projections, file 
 them off, or scrape them off with an old knife. 
 If left on they may cut rubbers and interfere 
 with perfect sealing. Place a top on a jar. 
 It will slip from side to side, but should not 
 rock, when tapped. Rocking tops will not 
 make a tight seal. Sometimes the fault is 
 with the top and sometimes with the neck. 
 Defective jars and tops when discarded for 
 
 FIG. 8. Rack for jars. 
 
CAN ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE CANNED 
 
 canning purposes may be used as containers 
 for jams, etc. The top-bail should go into 
 position with a light snap. If too loose it 
 should be taken off and bent slightly inward 
 in the center. If too tight bend outward. 
 
 2. Screw-top Jars. Use only enameled, 
 lacquered or vulcanized tops. Screw the top 
 
 on tightly 
 without the 
 rubber. If the 
 tip of a knife 
 or finger-nail 
 can be inserted 
 under the rim, 
 the tops should 
 not be used for 
 cold-pack can- 
 ning. If the 
 defect is very 
 slight, how- 
 ever, it may 
 
 FIG. 9. Wire rack for jars. 
 
 be remedied by pressing a knife handle on 
 the lower edge against a hard surface, thus 
 straightening the offending bulge. Another 
 test is made by putting on the rubber, screw- 
 ing the top on tightly and then pulling the 
 rubber out. If the rubber returns to place, 
 the top does not fit and should not be used 
 on that jar. 
 
 3. Vacuum seal jars may be tested in the 
 same way as the glass-top jars. See if the tops 
 rock if tapped, when placed on the jar without 
 fastening. 
 
 STANDARDS AND TESTS FOR RINGS 
 
 1. Good Rubber Essential. Buy new rub- 
 bers every year, as rubbers deteriorate from 
 one season to another. A good rubber for 
 
 FIG. 10. Simple test for rubbers. A perfect rubber 
 will show no crease or break after being folded tightly 
 several times. 
 
 cold-pack canning must be such as to stand 
 four hours of continuous boiling or one hour 
 under 10 pounds of steam pressure. The 
 combination of moist heat plus acids and 
 mineral matter in vegetables and fruits tends 
 to break down the rubbers during steriliza- 
 tion. Rubbers kept in a hot or very warm 
 place, as for example, on a shelf near the 
 kitchen range, will deteriorate in quality. 
 Be very particular about the rubbers used. 
 Spoilage of canned goods has been traced 
 frequently to the use of poor rubbers. 
 
 2. Testing Rubbers. It is always well to 
 test rubbers when buying. A good rubber 
 will return to its original size when stretched. 
 It will not crease when bent double and 
 pinched (Fig. 10). It should fit the neck 
 
 of the jar snugly. It is cheaper to discard a 
 doubtful rubber than to lose a jar of canned 
 goods. 
 
 GRADING 
 
 Vegetables and fruits should be sorted ac- 
 cording to color, size and ripeness. This is 
 called grading. It insures the best pack and 
 uniformity of flavor and texture to the canned 
 product, which is always desirable. 
 
 BLANCHING AND COLD-DIPPING 
 
 The most important steps in canning are 
 the preliminary steps of blanching, cold- 
 dipping, packing in hot, clean containers, 
 adding hot water at once, then immediately 
 half sealing jars and putting into the sterilizer. 
 Spoilage of products is nearly always due to 
 carelessness in one of these steps. Blanching 
 is necessary with all vegetables and some 
 fruits. It insures thorough cleansing and re- 
 moves objectionable odors and flavors and 
 excess acids. It starts the flow of coloring 
 matter. It reduces the bulk of greens 
 and causes shrinkage of fruits, increasing the 
 quantity which may be packed in a con- 
 tainer, which saves storage space. 
 
 Blanching consists of plunging the vege- 
 tables or fruits into boiling water or exposing 
 them to steam for a short time. For blanch- 
 ing in boiling water place them in a wire 
 basket (Fig. 17) or piece of cheesecloth (Fig. 
 18). The blanching time varies from one to 
 fifteen minutes, as shown in the time-table 
 on page 2, and the products should be kept 
 under water throughout the period. Begin 
 counting time when the articles are first 
 placed in boiling water or steam. 
 
 Spinach and other greens should not be 
 blanched in hot water. They must be 
 blanched in steam to prevent the loss of 
 mineral salts, volatile oils and other valuable 
 substances. To do this place them in a 
 colander and set this 
 into a vessel which has 
 a tightly fitting cover. 
 In this vessel there 
 should be an inch or 
 two of water, but the 
 water must not be al- 
 lowed to touch the greens 
 (Fig. 12). Another meth- 
 od is to suspend the 
 greens in the closed 
 vessel above an inch or 
 two of water. This may be done in a wire 
 basket or in cheesecloth. Allow the water to 
 boil in the closed vessel fifteen minutes. Ex- 
 cellent results are obtained, also, by the use 
 of a steam cooker or steam pressure canner. 
 
 When the blanching is complete remove the 
 vegetables or fruits from the boiling water 
 or steam and plunge them once or twice 
 
 FIG. 11. Wire rack 
 for jars. 
 
8 
 
 HOME CANNING MANUAL 
 
 into cold water the colder the better. 
 This latter process is the Cold Dip. It 
 hardens the pulp under the skin, so that the 
 products are not injured by peeling. It also 
 sets the coloring matter. Do not allow the 
 products to stand in the cold water. 
 
 Always blanch and cold-dip only enough 
 product to fill one or two jars at a time. 
 The blanching and cold-dipping should follow 
 at once when the vegetable or fruit is pre- 
 pared, and the packing into jars should im- 
 mediately follow the blanching and cold-dip. 
 
 PROCESSING 
 
 Processing is the sterilization treatment 
 to which products are subjected after pack- 
 ing them into jars. As soon as the jar is 
 filled, put the rubber and cap in place and 
 partially seal by adjusting top bail or screw- 
 ing on top with thumb and little finger. If 
 Economy jars are used the top should be held 
 in place with clamp. The jar should then be 
 put into sterilizer at once. 
 
 In using the hot-water bath outfit, count 
 the time of sterilization from the time water 
 begins to boil. 
 The water in the 
 sterilizer should 
 be at or just be- 
 low the boiling 
 point when jars 
 are put in. With 
 the Water Seal 
 Outfit begin 
 counting time 
 when the ther- 
 mometer reaches 
 214 F. With 
 the Steam Pres- 
 sure Outfit begin 
 counting time 
 the number of 
 
 LINE 
 
 FIG. 12. Use of a colander to 
 blanch greens in steam. The col- 
 ander is placed in a receptacle 
 with tightly fitting cover. No 
 water should touch the greens. 
 
 when the gauge reaches 
 pounds called for in directions. 
 
 When the processing is finished, at once 
 remove and seal each jar. 
 
 ARRANGING FOR CANNING 
 
 It is important to plan your work so that 
 whatever may be needed will be ready for 
 use. Arrange everything conveniently in 
 advance. Preliminary provisions include: 
 
 1. A reliable alarm clock in a convenient 
 place (set to ring when the sterilizing is done). 
 
 2. All the necessary equipment in place 
 before beginning work. See Fig. 14. 
 
 3. Jars, tops and rubbers carefully tested. 
 
 4. Fresh, sound fruits and vegetables. 
 
 5. Plenty of hot water for sterilizer, 
 blanching, warming the jars and for pouring 
 into packed jars. 
 
 6. Salt or syrup at hand. 
 
 7. Reliable instructions, carefully followed. 
 
 8. Absolute cleanliness. 
 
 STEPS IN THE SINGLE PERIOD COLD- 
 PACK METHOD 
 
 In canning by the Single Period Cold-pack 
 method it is important that careful attention 
 be given to each detail. Do not undertake 
 canning until you have familiarized yourself 
 with the various steps, which are as follows: 
 
 1. Vegetables should be 
 canned as soon as possible 
 after picking; the same day 
 is best. Early morning is the 
 best time for gathering. Fruits 
 should be as fresh as possible. 
 
 2. Before starting work 
 have on the stove the boiler 
 or other holder in which the 
 sterilizing is to be done, a pan 
 of boiling water for use in 
 blanching, a vessel containing 
 water to be used for warming 
 several jars at a time, and a 
 kettle of boiling water for use 
 in filling jars of vegetables; 
 
 ruits, the syrup FIG - 13 - A - 
 to be used in filling the jars, lifter is useful. 
 Arrange on this working table 
 all necessary equipment, including instruc- 
 tions. (Fig. 14.) 
 
 3. Test jars and tops. All jars, rubbers 
 and tops should be clean and hot, at the 
 moment of using. 
 
 4. Wash and grade product according to 
 size and ripeness. (Cauliflower should be 
 soaked 1 hour in salted water, to remove in- 
 sects if any are present. Put berries into a 
 colander and wash, by allowing cold water to 
 flow over them, to prevent bruising.) 
 
 5. Prepare vegetable or fruit. Remove all 
 but an inch of the tops from beets, parsnips 
 and carrots and the strings from green beans. 
 Pare squash, remove seeds and cut into small 
 pieces. Large vegetables should be cut into 
 pieces to make close pack possible. Remove 
 pits from cherries, peaches and apricots. 
 
 6. Blanch in boiling water or steam as 
 directed. Begin to count time when the 
 product is immersed. 
 
 7. Cold-dip, but do not allow product to 
 stand in cold water at this or any other stage. 
 
 8. Pack in hot jars which rest on cloths 
 wrung out in hot water. Fill the jars to within 
 X to % inch of tops. (In canning lima beans, 
 squash, corn, peas, pumpkin and sweet pota- 
 toes fill the jars to within 1 inch of the top, as 
 these vegetables swell during sterilization. In 
 canning berries, to insure a close pack, put a 
 2 or 3 inch layer of berries on the bottom of 
 the jar and press down gently with a spoon. 
 Continue in this manner with other layers un- 
 til jar is filled. Fruits cut in half should be 
 arranged with pit surface down.) 
 
 9. Add salt and then boiling water to veg- 
 etables to cover them. To fruits add hot syrup 
 or water. 
 
 10. Place a new wet rubber on jar and put 
 top in place. 
 
CAN ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE CANNED 
 
 FIG. 14. Table arranged conveniently with various articles needed for canning by the Cold-pack method. 
 The picture shows jars, rubbers, knife for removing air bubbles in containers, spoons, jar lifter, wire basket for 
 blanching, knife for paring and coring, book of directions, towels, pan for cold-dipping, alarm clock andfoalt. 
 
 11. With bail-top jar adjust top bail only, 
 leaving lower bail or snap free. With screw- 
 top jar screw the top on lightly, using only the 
 thumb and little finger. (This partial sealing 
 makes it possible for steam generated within 
 the jar to escape, and prevents breakage.) 
 On vacuum seal jars adjust spring securely. 
 
 12. Place the jars on rack in boiler or 
 other sterilizer. If the homemade or com- 
 mercial hot- water bath outfit is used, enough 
 water should be in the boiler to come at least 
 one inch above the tops of the jars, and the 
 water, in evaporating, should never be allowed 
 to drop to the level of these tops. In using 
 the hot- water bath outfit, begin to count 
 sterilizing time when the water begins to 
 boil. Water is at the boiling point when it 
 is jumping or rolling all over. Water is not 
 boiling when bubbles merely form on the 
 bottom or when they begin to rise to the top. 
 The water must be kept boiling all of the time 
 during the period of sterilization. 
 
 13. Consult time-table on page 2 and at 
 the end of the required sterilizing period re- 
 move the jars from the sterilizer. Place them 
 on a wooden rack or on several thicknesses of 
 cloth to prevent breakage. Complete the 
 sealing of jars. With bail-top jars this is 
 done by pushing the snap down (Fig. 15); 
 with screw top jars by screwing cover on 
 tightly. 
 
 14. Turn the jars upside down as a test for 
 leakage and leave them in this position till 
 cold. Let them cool rapidly but be sure that 
 no draft reaches them as a draft will cause 
 breakage. (If there is any doubt that a 
 bail-top jar is perfectly sealed a simple test 
 
 CAUTION AGAINST FREEZING 
 
 From a number of sources it has been 
 learned that the severe weather of last 
 winter caused considerable loss through 
 the freezing of canned goods. To pre- 
 vent similar trouble, care should be taken 
 to store canned vegetables and fruits 
 where they will be protected from freez- 
 ing. If the place of storage is not frost- 
 proof the jars should be moved to a 
 warmer place in severe weather. 
 
 may be made by loosening the top bail and 
 lifting the jar by taking hold of the top with 
 the fingers. (Fig. 28.) The internal suction 
 should hold the top tightly in place when thus 
 lifted. If the top comes off put on a new 
 wet rubber and sterilize 15 minutes longer 
 for vegetables and 5 minutes longer for 
 fruits.) With screw-top jars try the tops 
 while the jars are cooling, or as soon as they 
 have cooled, and, if loose, tighten them by 
 screwing on more closely. Vacuum seal jars 
 should be placed upright while cooling, and 
 
 FIG. 15. To the left is a bail-top jar partially sealed 
 and ready for sterilization. The top bail is snapped 
 into place and the lower bail left free. To the right 
 is shown the way to complete the seal. 
 
 the clamp removed when the jar is cool. 
 Then lift by the top and turn upside down, 
 as a test for leakage. 
 
 15. Wash and dry each jar, label and store. 
 If storage place is exposed to light, wrap each 
 jar in paper, preferably brown, as light will 
 either fade or darken the color of products 
 canned in glass. The boxes in which jars 
 were brought afford good storage. Store in a 
 cool, dark place, preferably dry. Exposure 
 to mold will cause decay of rubber, allowing 
 the leakage of air into jars. Paper wrappings 
 prevent mold. 
 
 This Commission publishes a book on "War 
 Gardening and the Home Storage of Vege- 
 tables," completely covering both subjects. 
 
10 
 
 HOME CANNING MANUAL 
 
 FIG. 16 
 
 FIG. 17 
 
 FIG. 18 
 
 In the pictures on this and the next page are shown successive steps in canning by the Single Period Cold- 
 pack Method. FIG. 16 shows paring and coring with sharp knife. FIG. 17 shows blanching with wire basket. 
 FIG. 18 shows blanching with cheesecloth. (Continued at top of opposite page.) 
 
 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CANNING VEGETABLES 
 
 The addition of 1 level teaspoonful of salt to a jar of vegetables is for quart jars. For 
 pint jar use Vz teaspoonful. For 2 quart jar use 2 teaspoonfuls. 
 
 Asparagus 
 
 Wash, scrape off scales and tough skin. 
 With a string bind together enough for one 
 jar. Blanch tough ends from 5 to 10 min- 
 utes, then turn so that the entire bundle is 
 blanched 5 minutes longer. Cold-dip. Re- 
 move string. Pack, with tip ends up. Add 
 1 level teaspoonful of salt and cover with boil- 
 ing water. Put on rubber top and adjust top 
 bail or screw top on with thumb and little 
 finger. Sterilize 120 minutes in hot- water 
 bath. Remove jars, complete seal and cool. 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 60 min- 
 utes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Beets 
 
 Use only small ones. Wash and cut off all 
 but an inch or two of root and leaves. Blanch 
 5 minutes, cold-dip and scrape off skin and 
 stems. They may be packed in jar sliced or 
 whole. Add 1 level teaspoonful of salt and 
 cover with boiling water. Put on rubber and 
 top and adjust top bail or screw top on with 
 thumb and little finger. Sterilize 90 minutes 
 in hot-water bath. Remove jars, complete 
 seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 60 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Young, tender beet tops should be canned 
 as greens. 
 
 Cabbage and Brussels Sprouts 
 
 The method is the same as for cauliflower, 
 except that the vegetables are not soaked 
 in salted water. Blanch 5 to 10 minutes. 
 Sterilize 120 minutes in hot-water bath. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 60 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Carrots 
 
 Select small, tender carrots, leave an inch 
 or two of stems, wash, blanch 5 minutes and 
 cold -dip. Remove stems and scrape off 
 skins. Pack whole or in slices, add 1 
 level teaspoonful of salt and cover with 
 boiling water. Put on rubber and top and 
 adjust top bail or screw top on with thumb 
 and little finger. Sterilize 90 minutes in 
 hot-water bath. Remove jars, complete seal 
 and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 60 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 FIG. 22 
 
 FIG. 23 
 
 FIG. 24 
 
 After partially sealing jars, place them in hot-water bath. FIG. 22 shows jar being placed in ordinary 
 household wash-boiler for sterilizing. FIG. 23 shows the adjustment of cover, with cloth to give tighter fit 
 and make it hold the steam. FIG. 24 shows jars being removed. (Continued at bottom of next page.) 
 
CAN ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE CANNED 
 
 11 
 
 FIG. 19 
 
 FIG. 20 
 
 FIG. 21 
 
 After blanching, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, vegetables and fruits are cold-dipped, as shown in FIG. 19. 
 In FIG. 20 is shown the process of filling jar, by use of funnel. FIG. 21 shows the partial sealing of jar. With 
 bail-top jar adjust top bail only; with screw top jar screw top on lightly. (Continued at bottom of opposite page.) 
 
 Cauliflower 
 
 Wash and divide head into small pieces. 
 Soak in salted water 1 hour, which will re- 
 move insects if any are present. Blanch 3 
 minutes, cold-dip and pack in jar. Add 1 
 level teaspoonful of salt and cover with boil- 
 ing water. Put on rubber and top and adjust 
 top bail or screw top on with thumb and little 
 finger. Sterilize 60 minutes in hot-water 
 bath. Remove jars, complete seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 30 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Corn 
 
 Canning corn on the cob, except for exhibi- 
 tion purposes, is a waste of space, time and 
 fuel. For home use remove the husks and 
 silk, blanch tender ears 5 minutes, older ears 
 10 minutes, cold-dip, and cut from cob. 
 Pack lightly to within 1 inch of the top of the 
 jar, as corn swells during sterilization. Add 
 1 level teaspoonful of salt and cover with boil- 
 ing water, put on rubber and top, adjust top 
 bail or screw top on with thumb and little 
 finger. Sterilize 180 minutes in hot-water 
 bath. Remove jars, complete seal and cool. 
 (When canned on cob 1 hour longer of sterili- 
 zation is necessary). 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 90 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Greens 
 
 Wash until no dirt can be felt in the bottom 
 of the pan. Blanch in steam 15 minutes. 
 (Mineral matter is lost if blanched in water.) 
 Cold-dip, cut in small pieces and pack 
 or pack whole. Do not pack too tightly. 
 Add 1 level teaspoonful of salt and cover 
 with boiling water. Put on rubber and top 
 and adjust top bail or screw top on with 
 thumb and little finger. Sterilize 120 minutes 
 in hot-water bath. Remove jars, complete 
 seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 60 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Lima Beans 
 
 Shell. Blanch 5 to 10 minutes. Cold- 
 dip, pack in jar, add 1 level teaspoonful of 
 salt and cover with boiling water. Put on 
 rubber and top, and adjust top bail or screw 
 top on with thumb and little finger. Sterilize 
 180 minutes in hot -water bath. Remove 
 jars, complete seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 60 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Okra 
 
 Wash and remove stems. Blanch 5 to 10 
 minutes, cold-dip and pack in jar. Add 1 
 level teaspoonful of salt and cover with boiling 
 
 FIG. 25 
 
 FIG. 26 
 
 FIG. 27 
 
 After removal from hot-water bath jars are inverted to test for leakage (FiG. 25) and left inverted until 
 cooled. They should be cooled rapidly, but protected from draft. FIG. 26 shows wrapping jar in brown paper 
 to exclude light. FIG. 27 shows storage on shelves. If shelves are exposed to light, do not neglect wrapping. 
 
12 
 
 HOME CANNING MANUAL 
 
 A WORD OF CAUTION 
 
 It must not be forgotten that success in canning demands careful attention to every 
 detail. No step should be slighted. Follow one set of instructions closely and do not 
 attempt to combine two, no matter how good both of them may be. To attempt to 
 follow two sets will inevitably cause spoilage. 
 
 The experience of the United States Department of Agriculture during the last five 
 years indicates that 75 per cent, of the spoilage has been due to the use of poor rubbers, 
 the use of old tops on screw-top jars, and improper sealing resulting from the use of de- 
 fective joints, springs and caps. Another fruitful source of trouble is that people some- 
 times undertake to can stale or wilted vegetables. No amount of sterilizing will over- 
 come staleness. Careless handling is also sure to cause loss. Absolute cleanliness in 
 every step is essential. 
 
 In sterilizing care must be exercised to see that the temperature is high enough 
 and maintained for the proper length of time. 
 
 IN OTHER WORDS DO NOT BLAME THE METHOD FOR FAILURE. 
 FOLLOW DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY AND PREVENT FAILURE. 
 
 water. Put on rubber and top, adjust top bail 
 or screw top on with thumb and little finger. 
 Sterilize 120 minutes in hot-water bath. Re- 
 move jars, complete seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 60 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Parsnips 
 
 The method is the same as for carrots. 
 Peas 
 
 Those which are not fully grown are best 
 for canning. Shell, blanch 5 to 10 minutes 
 and cold-dip. Pack in jar, add 1 teaspoonful 
 of salt and cover with boiling water. If the 
 jar is packed too full some of the peas will 
 break and give a cloudy appearance to the 
 liquid. Put on rubber and top and adjust 
 top bail or screw top on with thumb and little 
 finger. Sterilize 180 minutes in hot -water 
 bath. Remove jars, complete seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 60 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Peppers 
 
 Wash, stem and remove seeds. Blanch 
 5 to 10 minutes, cold-dip and 
 pack in jar. Add 1 level tea- 
 spoonful of salt. Cover with 
 boiling water, put on rubber and 
 top and adjust top bail or screw 
 top on with thumb and little 
 finger. Sterilize 120 minutes in 
 hot-water bath. Remove jars, 
 complete seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit 
 sterilize 60 minutes at 5 to 10 
 pounds pressure. 
 
 Pimentos 
 
 Place in a hot oven from 6 to 
 8 minutes. Peel, remove seeds, 
 and pack in flat layers. Do not 
 add any liquid. Sterilize 35 minutes 
 in hot- water bath. 
 
 Pumpkin, Winter Squash 
 (a) Remove seed. 
 
 thick. Pack in jar and sterilize 120 minutes 
 in hot-water bath. Remove jars, complete 
 seal and cool. 
 
 (b) Another method is to prepare the 
 pieces as in (a), blanch 3 minutes, cold-dip, 
 pack in jars and add 1 level teaspoonful of 
 salt to each quart jar. Cover with boiling 
 water and sterilize as (a). 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 60 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Salsify 
 
 Wash, blanch 5 minutes, cold-dip and 
 scrape off skin. It may be packed whole or 
 in slices. Add 1 teaspoonful of salt, and 
 cover with boiling water. Put on top and 
 rubber and adjust top bail or screw top on 
 with thumb and little finger. Sterilize 90 
 minutes in hot-water bath. Remove jars, 
 complete seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 60 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 String Beans 
 
 Wash and remove ends and strings and 
 cut into small pieces if desired. Blanch from 
 5 to 10 minutes, depending on 
 age. Beans which have been prop- 
 erly blanched will bend readily 
 without breaking. Cold-dip, pack 
 immediately in jar, add 1 level 
 teaspoonful salt and cover with 
 boiling water. Put on rubber 
 and top and adjust top bail or 
 screw top on with thumb and 
 little finger. Sterilize 120 minutes 
 in hot-water bath. Remove jars, 
 complete seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit 
 sterilize 60 minutes at 5 to 10 
 pounds pressure. 
 
 Summer Squash 
 Pare, cut in slices or small pieces 
 and blanch 10 minutes. Cold-dip, 
 pack in jars, add 1 level tea- 
 
 FIG. 28. A simple test for ?poonful of salt, cover with boil- 
 Cut the proper sealing of bail-top ing water, put on rubber and top 
 
 pumpkin or squash into strips, jars is to loosen top bail and and adjust top bail or screw top 
 Peel and remove stringy center. ^VJ^L^c?! on with thumb. 
 
 01- i -i'i -i M top with the fingers. 
 
 blice into small pieces and boil until step No. 14, page 9. 
 
 Sterilize 120 
 
 little finger, 
 mnutes in hot- 
 
CAN ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE CANNED 
 
 13 
 
 water bath. Remove jars, complete seal and 
 cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 60 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Tomatoes 
 
 Take medium sized tomatoes. Wash them, 
 blanch \% minutes or until skins are loose, 
 cold-dip and remove the skins. Pack whole 
 in jar, filling the spaces with tomato pulp 
 made by cooking large and broken tomatoes 
 until done and then straining and adding 1 
 
 level teaspoonful of salt to each quart of the 
 pulp. Put on rubber and top and adjust top 
 bail or screw top on with thumb and little 
 finger. Sterilize 22 minutes in hot- water 
 bath. Remove jars, complete seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 15 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Tomatoes may be cut in pieces, packed 
 closely into jars and sterilized 25 minutes in 
 hot-water bath. If this is done do not add 
 any liquid, as the liquid in the tomatoes will 
 be sufficient. 
 
 THE CANNING OF FRUITS 
 
 For fruits, as well as for vegetables, the 
 Single Period Cold-pack method is best. 
 With some exceptions, as shown in the table 
 on page 2, fruits should be blanched before 
 canning. When fruits are intended for table 
 use, syrup should be poured over them to fill 
 the jars. In canning fruits to be used for 
 pie-filling or in cooking, where unsweetened 
 fruits are desirable, boiling water is used in- 
 stead of syrup, and the sterilization period in 
 hot-water bath is thirty minutes. 
 SYRUPS 
 
 In the directions given various grades of 
 syrup are mentioned. These syrups are made 
 as follows: 
 
 Thin 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. 
 
 Medium 1 part sugar to 2 parts water. 
 
 Thick 1 part sugar to 1 part water. 
 
 Heat the water to boiling, then add the 
 sugar gradually, stirring constantly and keep- 
 ing the liquid boiling until the sugar is dis- 
 solved. Syrup made in this way requires 
 little or no skimming. 
 
 Use thin syrup with sweet fruits. Use 
 medium syrup with sour fruits. Thick syrup 
 is used in candying and preserving. 
 
 Because of the shortage of sugar it is 
 important to use substitutes wherever pos- 
 sible. A very satisfactory syrup for fruits 
 may be made of one part of light corn syrup 
 or honey to three parts of water or juice of 
 the fruit. Add the honey or corn syrup to 
 the liquid and simmer ten minutes. 
 
 Allow two cupfuls of syrup to each quart 
 jar of fruit. 
 
 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CANNING FRUITS 
 
 Apples 
 
 Wash, pare, quarter or slice and drop into 
 weak salt water. Blanch \J>4 minutes, cold- 
 dip, pack into jar and cover with water or 
 thin syrup. Put on rubber and top and 
 adjust top bail or screw top on with thumb 
 and little finger. Sterilize for 20 minutes in 
 hot- water bath. Remove jars, complete seal 
 and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 8 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Apples shrink during sterilization and for 
 this reason economy of space is obtained by 
 canning them in the form of sauce instead of 
 in quarters or slices. In canning sauce fill 
 the jars with the hot sauce and sterilize 12 
 minutes in hot-water bath. 
 
 Apricots 
 
 Use only ripe fruit. Wash, cut in half and 
 remove pit. Blanch 1 to 2 minutes. Pack in 
 jar and cover with medium syrup. Put on 
 rubber and top and adjust top bail or screw 
 top on with thumb and little finger. Sterilize 
 16 minutes in hot-water bath. Remove 
 jars, complete seal, cool and store. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 10 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Blackberries 
 
 Wash, pack closely and cover with medium 
 syrup. Put on rubber and top and adjust 
 
 top bail or screw n top with thumb and little 
 finger. Sterilize 16 minutes in hot-water 
 bath. Remove jars, complete seal and cool. 
 With, Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 10 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Blueberries Loganberries 
 
 Currants Raspberries 
 
 The method is the same as for blackberries. 
 Sterilize 16 minutes in hot- water bath. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 10 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Cherries 
 
 Cherries should be pitted before being 
 canned. Pack in jar and cover with medium 
 syrup. Put on rubber and top and adjust top 
 bail or screw on top with thumb and little 
 finger. Sterilize 16 minutes in hot-water 
 bath. Remove jars, complete seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 10 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Fruit Juices 
 
 See "Winter Jelly Making" on page 17. 
 Pears 
 
 Peel and drop into salt water to prevent 
 discoloration. Blanch \}4 minutes. Pack in 
 jar, whole or in quarters, and cover with thin 
 syrup. Put on rubber and top and adjust 
 top bail or screw on top with thumb and little 
 
14 
 
 HOME CANNING MANUAL 
 
 finger. Sterilize 20 minutes in hot-water 
 bath. Remove jars, complete seal and cool. 
 A slice of lemon may be added to the con- 
 tents of each jar for flavor. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 8 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Peaches 
 
 Blanch in boiling water long enough to 
 loosen skins. Some peaches do not peel 
 readily even if dipped in boiling water. In 
 such cases omit dipping in boiling water and 
 pare them. Cold dip and remove skins. Cut 
 in half and remove stones. Pack in jars and 
 cover with thin s rup. Put on rubber and 
 top and adjust top bail or screw on top with 
 thumb and little finger. Sterilize 16 minutes 
 in hot-water bath. Remove jars, complete 
 seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 10 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Plums 
 
 Wash, pack in jar and cover with medium 
 syrup. Put on rubber and top and adjust 
 top bail or screw on top with thumb and 
 little finger. Sterilize 16 minutes in hot- water 
 bath. Remove jars, complete seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 10 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Pineapples 
 
 Pare, remove eyes, shred or cut into slices 
 or small pieces, blanch 3 to 5 minutes, accord- 
 ing to size of pieces, and pack in jar. Cover 
 
 with medium syrup. Put on rubber and top 
 and adjust top bail or screw on top with thumb 
 and little finger. Sterilize 30 minutes in hot- 
 water bath. Remove jars, complete seal and 
 cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 10 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Quinces 
 
 The method is the same as for apples. 
 They may be canned with apples. Sterilize 
 20 minutes in hot- water bath 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 8 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Rhubarb 
 
 Wash and cut into short lengths. Cover 
 with boiling water or thin syrup. Put on 
 rubber and top and adjust top bail or screw 
 on top with thumb and little finger. Sterilize 
 20 minutes in hot-water bath. Remove jars, 
 complete seal and cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 15 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 Strawberries 
 
 Wash and pack closely in jar. Cover with 
 medium syrup, put on rubber and top and 
 adjust top bail or screw on top with thumb 
 and little finger. Sterilize 16 minutes in hot- 
 water bath. Remove jars, complete seal and 
 cool. 
 
 With Steam Pressure Outfit sterilize 10 
 minutes at 5 to 10 pounds pressure. 
 
 CANNING IN TIN 
 
 In sections where there is a large yield of 
 fruits or vegetables canning m tin in the home 
 is practical. This is especially true when 
 the goods are to be sold, as tin cans are more 
 easily transported than glass containers. Tin 
 cans of standard sizes may be purchased in 
 sanitary or cap and hole type. The No. 2 
 can is most satisfactory for canned vege- 
 tables and small fruits. No. 3 is used for 
 peaches, pears, and tomatoes. Enameled 
 tins should be used when canning berries, 
 plums, cherries, beets, pumpkins, and greens. 
 
 To can in tin special equipment is needed. 
 
 This includes a capping steel, a tipping cop- 
 per, fire pot for heating tools, flux, sal am- 
 moniac and wire solder. Sanitary cans re- 
 quire a special machine for sealing, which 
 eliminates the use of all other equipment. 
 
 Fruits and vegetables are prepared as 
 shown in the directions given for the cold- 
 pack method on pages 8 and 9. The only 
 variation is that after the product is packed 
 the cap is soldered and cans are then put 
 into the sterilizer and exhausted from two to 
 fifteen minutes, depending upon the kind 
 of contents. Exhausting is necessary as it 
 
 A WORD AS TO BOTULISM 
 
 Wide-spread attention has been attracted by the statement that vegetables canned 
 by the Single Period Cold-pack Method had caused cases of poisoning technically 
 known as botulism. It has been declared that the bacillus botulinus, which produces 
 botulism, was a menace to all users of vegetables canned by this method. Such state- 
 ments were obviously circulated by those seeking to discourage American food-thrift. 
 Expert research workers of the National War Garden Commission and the United 
 States Department of Agriculture agree that there is no danger of botulism from eating 
 vegetables which have been canned by carefully following the directions issued by the 
 Commission or the Department. CARE MUST BE TAKEN, HOWEVER, TO 
 FOLLOW DIRECTIONS EXPLICITLY. Cooking canned vegetables for 10 minutes 
 at the boiling point, after opening the jar for use, will remove any possible danger. 
 This applies also to Apricots and Pears. 
 
CAN ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE CANNED 
 
 15 
 
 FIG. 29 
 
 FIG. 30 
 
 FIG. 31 
 
 CANNING IN TIN. FIG. 29. Wiping juice and syrup from groove. FIG. 30. Applying cap and wiping groove 
 with brush dipped in soldering fluid. FIG. 31. Placing clean hot capping steel on can and melting solder into groove. 
 
 drives out the air which will cause the can to 
 bulge, giving it the same appearance as when 
 spoilage has occurred. After exhausting, 
 the cans are removed from the sterilizer and 
 the vent hole is closed. The cans are re- 
 turned to the sterilizer and sterilized, follow- 
 ing the time-table given on page 2. At the 
 end of the sterilization period remove cans 
 and plunge immediately into cold water. 
 Do not stack cans closely until cold. 
 
 After packing, label each can by writing 
 the name of contents on the side. If in- 
 tended for sale affix a label just before shipping. 
 Do not allow paste to touch the can, as it 
 will cause the tin to rust. The label should 
 be large enough to encircle the can and over- 
 lap at the edges. Put the paste on one of the 
 overlapping edges and draw label tightly 
 around can, pasting the two edges together. 
 
 To seal, wipe top of can clean and dry 
 and then put the cap in place, applying flux 
 carefully to the groove. Do not allow the 
 flux to enter can, as it is poisonous. Hold 
 the cap in place with the center rod and lower 
 the hot capping iron squarely and firmly on 
 the solder rim of the cap, or melt a little 
 
 solder in the groove by holding the solder wire 
 against the lower part of the capping steel. 
 Revolve the iron to melt the solder and seal 
 the can. Lift the capping iron with a sudden 
 twist, holding the center rod in place. When 
 solder has hardened remove center rod. 
 
 To tip, dry top of can and apply flux to 
 the hole in the center of the cap. Hold the 
 solder in the left hand, brush it with the hot 
 tipping iron so only a bead will drop and 
 close hole. 
 
 The steels must be kept clean and well 
 coated with solder. To do this, if capping 
 steel is rusty, clean with a file, brick or emery 
 paper. To tin the capping steel heat and 
 dip in flux, then heat again until red hot and 
 dip in sal ammoniac and solder until well 
 coated. Sal ammoniac is made by mixing 
 equal parts of dry sal ammoniac with solder 
 chips. Coat the tipping copper in same way. 
 
 Flux is made as follows: To muriatic acid 
 add strips of zinc until no more will dissolve. 
 Strain through a cloth and when ready to use 
 add an equal quantity of water. Flux which 
 is used for tinning the tools should not be 
 used for soldering. 
 
 FIG. 32 
 
 FIG. 33 
 
 FIG. 34 
 
 CANNING IN TIN, continued. FIG. 32. Turning steel to distribute solder. Fig. 33. Raising steel to allow 
 solder t9 harden after pressing down on center rod. FIG. 34. Sealing with drop of solder after exhausting can 
 and wiping vent hole. 
 
16 
 
 HOME CANNING MANUAL 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF JELLY MAKING 
 
 To be satisfactory, jelly must be made from 
 fruit juice containing pectin and acid. Pectin 
 is a substance in the fruit which is soluble 
 in hot water and which, when cooked with 
 sugar and acid, gives, after cooling, the right 
 consistency to jelly. 
 
 Fruits to be used should be sound, just ripe 
 or slightly under-ripe, and gathered but a 
 short time. Wash them, remove stems and 
 cut large fruits into pieces. 
 With juicy fruits add just 
 enough water to prevent 
 burning while cooking. In 
 using fruits which are not 
 juicy cover them with water. 
 Cook slowly until the fruits 
 are soft. Strain through a 
 bag made of flannel or two 
 thicknesses of cheesecloth or 
 similar material. 
 
 TELLY MAKING WITH 
 PECTIN TEST 
 
 To determine if the juice 
 contains pectin, boil 1 table- 
 spoonful and cool. To this add 1 table- 
 spoonful of grain or wood alcohol and mix, 
 gently rotating the glass. Let stand for a 
 while. If a solid mass which is pectin 
 collects, this indicates that in making jelly 
 one part of sugar or sugar substitute (corn 
 syrup or honey) should be used to one part 
 of juice. If the pectin collects in two or three 
 masses, use % to ^ as much sugar or sub- 
 stitute as juice. If it collects in several 
 small particles use half. If the presence of 
 pectin is not shown as described, it should be 
 supplied by the addition of the juice of 
 slightly under-ripe fruits, such as sour apples, 
 currants, crab-apples, green grapes, green 
 gooseberries or wild cherries. 
 
 Measure the juice and sugar or substitute. 
 Sugar may be spread on a platter and heated. 
 Do not let it scorch. When the juice begins 
 to boil add the sugar or substitute. Boil 
 rapidly. This is important. The jelly point 
 is reached when the juice drops as one 
 mass from the side of a spoon or when two 
 drops run together and fall as one from the 
 side of the spoon. Skim the juice, pour into 
 sterilized glasses and cool as quickly as pos- 
 sible. Currant and green grape juice require 
 8 to 10 minutes boiling to reach the jelly 
 point while all other juices require from 20 
 to 30 minutes. 
 
 When the jelly is cold pour over the sur- 
 face a layer of hot paraffin. A toothpick 
 run around the edge while the paraffin is still 
 hot will give a better seal. Protect the par- 
 affin with a cover of metal or paper. 
 
 FIG. 35. Straining fruit juice. 
 
 Three or more extractions of juice may be 
 made from fruit. When the first extraction 
 is well drained cover the pulp with water and 
 let it simmer 30 minutes. Drain, and test 
 juice for pectin. For the third extraction 
 proceed in the same manner. The juice re- 
 sulting from the second and third extractions 
 may be combined. If the third extraction 
 shows much pectin a fourth extraction may 
 be made. The first pectin 
 test should be saved for com- 
 parison with the others. 
 
 If the second, third or 
 fourth extraction of juice is 
 found thinner than the first 
 extraction, boil it until it is 
 as thick as the first, then 
 add the sugar or substitute 
 called for. 
 
 JELLY MAKING WITH- 
 OUT TEST 
 
 The test for pectin is de- 
 sirable, but it is not essential. 
 A large percentage of house- 
 wives make jelly without this test, and satis- 
 factory results may be obtained without it if 
 care is taken to follow directions and to use 
 the right fruits. For the inexperienced jelly 
 maker the safe rule is to confine jelly-making 
 to the fruits which are ideal for the purpose. 
 These include currants, sour apples, crab- 
 apples, under-ripe grapes, quinces, rasp- 
 berries, blackberries, blueberries, wild cher- 
 ries, and green gooseberries. These contain 
 pectin and acid in sufficient quantities. 
 
 In making jelly without the alcohol test, 
 with the juice of currants and under-ripe 
 grapes use 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of juice. 
 With raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, 
 sour apples, crab-apples, quinces, wild 
 cherries and green goosebe ries use ^ cup 
 of sugar to 1 cup of juice. This applies to 
 the first extraction of juice and to the later 
 extractions when they have been boiled to 
 the consistency of the first extraction. 
 
 Satisfactory jelly may be made by using 
 % to 34 cup corn syrup or honey to 1 cup of 
 fruit juice, following the general directions 
 for jelly making. The proportion of sugar 
 substitute will depend upon the acidity and 
 pectin content of the fruit juice. On account 
 of the water content of the corn syrup the 
 juice will require a little longer cooking before 
 the jelly point is reached. 
 
 Fruits which contain pectin but lack suffi- 
 cient acid are peach, pear, quince, sweet 
 apple and guava. With these acid may be 
 added by the use of juice of sour apples, 
 crab-apples or under-ripe grapes. 
 
 Strawberries and cherries have acidity but 
 
CAN ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE CANNED 
 
 17 
 
 lack pectin. The pectin may be supplied by 
 the addition of the juice of sour apples, crab- 
 apples or under-ripe grapes. 
 
 GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR JELLY 
 MAKING 
 
 Wash, remove stems, and with the larger 
 fruits cut into quarters. Put into a saucepan 
 and cover with water. Allow to simmer until 
 the fruit is tender. Berries require the addi- 
 tion of only a small amount of water. A 
 double boiler is excellent for heating a small 
 quantity. Put into a bag to drain, after 
 wringing the bag out in scalding water. If 
 desired, test juice for pectin as described. 
 Measure juice and sugar or syrup in 
 proportions indicated by the test for pectin or as 
 directed under "Jelly Making Without Test." 
 Add the sugar or syrup when the juice begins 
 to boil. The sugar or syrup may be heated 
 before being added. This avoids chilling 
 the juice. When the boiling juice reaches 
 the jelly point as shown on page 16, skim 
 and pour into sterilized glasses. 
 
 WINTER JELLY MAKING 
 
 Fruit juices may be canned and made into 
 jelly as wanted during the winter. The use 
 
 of sugar is not necessary until the actual 
 jelly making is undertaken. 
 
 To prepare for canning pour the juice into 
 sterilized bottles or jars. Put into hot- water 
 bath, with the water reaching to the neck of 
 the containers. Allow to simmer 20 to 30 min- 
 utes. If jars are used half seal them during 
 the simmering and complete seal when removed 
 from the sterilizer. Put absorbent cotton 
 into the necks of bottles and when the bottles 
 are taken from the bath put in corks, forcing 
 the cotton into the neck. Corks should first 
 be boiled and dried to prevent shrinking. 
 They may also be boiled in paraffin to make 
 them air-tight. After corking the bottles 
 apply melted paraffin to the tops with a 
 brush, to make an air-tight seal. Each bottle 
 should be labeled. In making jelly from 
 these juices during the winter follow the 
 "General Directions for Jelly Making." 
 
 Any fruit juice may be bottled following 
 the above method and used for beverages and 
 for flavoring desserts. Store jelly and bottled 
 juices in a cool, dark, dry place. 
 
 The need for conserving sugar makes winter 
 jelly making an especially useful form of con- 
 servation in these days of shortage. 
 
 FRUIT BUTTERS 
 
 Fruit butters may be made from good 
 sound fruits or the sound portions of fruits 
 which are wormy or have been bruised. 
 Wash, pare and remove seeds if there are any. 
 Cover with water and cook 3 or 4 hours at a 
 low temperature, stirring often, until the 
 mixture is of the consistency of thick apple 
 sauce. Add sugar, syrup or honey to taste 
 when the boiling is two- thirds done. Spices 
 may be added to suit the taste when the 
 boiling is completed. If the pulp is coarse 
 it should be put through a wire sieve or 
 colander. Pour the butter into sterilized jar, 
 put on rubber and cover and adjust top bail. 
 Put into a container having a cover and false 
 bottom. Pour in an inch or so of water and 
 sterilize quart jar or smaller jar 5 minutes 
 after the steam begins to escape. Remove, 
 push snap in place and cool. 
 
 Apple Butter with Cider 
 Four quarts of sweet or sterilized cider 
 should be boiled down to 2 quarts. To this 
 add 4 quarts of apples peeled and cut in small 
 pieces. If the texture of the apples is coarse 
 they should be boiled and put through a 
 strainer before being added to the cider. 
 Boil this mixture until the cider does not 
 separate from the pulp. When two-thirds 
 done add one pound of sugar, syrup or honey. 
 One-half teaspoonful each of cinnamon, all- 
 spice and cloves may be added. Pour into 
 sterilized jars and sterilize 5 minutes in steam. 
 
 Apple and pear butter may be made by 
 following the directions for apple butter with 
 cider but omitting the cider. 
 
 Peach Butter 
 
 Dip peaches in boiling water long enough 
 to loosen the skins. Dip in cold water, peel 
 and stone them. If peaches do not peel 
 readily when dipped in boiling water, omit 
 dipping and pare them. Mash and cook them 
 without adding any water. Add half as much 
 sugar, syrup or honey as pulp and cook until 
 thick. Pour into sterilized jars and sterilize 5 
 minutes in steam. 
 
 Plum butter may be made following the 
 directions for peach butter. 
 
 Apple Butter with Grape Juice 
 
 To every 4 quarts of strained apple sauce 
 add 1 pint of grape juice, 1 cup of brown 
 sugar, syrup or honey and X teaspoonful of 
 salt. Cook slowly, stirring often, until of the 
 desired thickness. When done stir in 1 tea- 
 spoonful of cinnamon, pack in hot jars and 
 sterilize 5 minutes in steam. 
 
 Dried Peach Butter 
 
 Soak dried peaches over night. Cook 
 slowly until tender. To each 2 pounds of 
 dried peaches add 1 quart of canned peaches 
 and 1 $4 pounds of sugar, syrup or honey. If 
 a fine texture is desired, strain pulp through a 
 colander. Cook slowly, stirring often, until 
 thick. Pack in hot jars and sterilize 5 minutes 
 in steam. 
 
PART II 
 
 HOME DRYING MANUAL 
 
 Drying vegetables and fruits for winter use is one of the vital national 
 needs. As a national need it becomes a patriotic duty. As a patriotic 
 duty it should be done in every family. 
 
 Failure to prepare vegetables and fruits for winter use by Drying is one of 
 the worst examples of American extravagance. During the summer nature 
 provides an over-abundance. This year, with the planting of 5,285,000 home 
 food gardens, stimulated by the National War Garden Commission and the 
 United States Department of Agriculture, this abundance will be especially 
 large. The excess supply is not meant to go to waste. The over-abundance 
 of the summer should be made the normal supply of the winter. The indi- 
 vidual family should conduct Drying on a liberal scale. In no other way can 
 there be assurance that America's food supply will meet our own needs. In 
 no other way, surely, can we answer the enormous demands made upon us 
 for furnishing food for our European Allies. 
 
 IMPORTANCE OF FOOD THRIFT 
 
 Winter buying of vegetables and fruits is 
 costly. It means that you pay transporta- 
 tion, cold-storage and commission merchants' 
 charges and profits. Summer is the time of 
 lowest prices. Summer, therefore, is the time 
 to buy for winter use. 
 
 Every pound of food products grown 
 this year will be needed to combat Food 
 Famine. The loss that can 
 be prevented, the money 
 saving that can be effected 
 and the transportation relief 
 that can be brought about 
 make it essential that every 
 American household should 
 make vegetable and fruit 
 Drying a part of its program 
 of Food Thrift. The results can be gained 
 in no other way. 
 
 Vegetable and fruit Drying have been 
 little practiced for a generation or more. 
 Its revival on a general scale is the pur- 
 pose of this Manual. There is no desire 
 to detract from the importance of canning 
 operations. Drying must not be regarded 
 as taking the place of the preservation of 
 vegetables and fruits in tins and glass jars. 
 It must be viewed as an important adjunct 
 thereto. Drying is important and economical 
 in every home, whether on the farm, in the 
 village, in the town, or in the city. For city 
 
 FIG. 1. Carrots cut lengthwise. 
 
 dwellers it has the special advantage that 
 little storage space is required for the dried 
 product. One hundred pounds of some fresh 
 vegetables will reduce to 10 pounds in dry- 
 ing without loss of food value or much of 
 the flavor. 
 
 This year's need for vegetable and fruit 
 Drying is given added emphasis by the 
 shortage of tin for the man- 
 ufacture of cans. This con- 
 dition has created an un- 
 usual demand for glass jars. 
 For this year, therefore, Dry- 
 ing is of more than normal 
 importance. Dried products 
 can be stored in receptacles 
 that could not be used for 
 canning. This is excellent conservation. 
 
 DRYING IS SIMPLE 
 A strong point in connection with vege- 
 table and fruit Drying is the ease with 
 which it may be done. The process is simple. 
 The cost is slight. In every home the neces- 
 sary outfit, in its simplest form, is already at 
 hand. Effective Drying may be done on 
 plates or dishes placed in the oven, with the 
 oven door partially open. It may be done 
 on the back of the kitchen stove, with these 
 same utensils, while the oven is being used 
 for baking. It may also be done on sheets of 
 
DRY ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE DRIED 
 
 19 
 
 paper or lengths of muslin spread in the sun 
 and protected from insects and dust. 
 
 Apparatus for home Drying on a larger 
 scale may be made at home or bought at 
 small cost. Still larger equipment may be 
 bought for community drying operations in 
 which a group of families combine for co- 
 operative work, at a school or other con- 
 
 FIG. 2. Potatoes prepared by use of meat chopper. 
 
 venient center. This latter is especially rec- 
 ommended as giving the use of the most im- 
 proved outfits at slight cost to the individual 
 family. See "Community Work," page 3. 
 
 Best results are obtained by rapid drying, 
 but care must be taken not to let the tem- 
 perature rise above the limit specified in the 
 directions and table. 
 
 One of the chief essentials in Drying is free 
 circulation of air, in order that the moist air 
 may escape and dry air take its place. 
 
 METHODS OF DRYING 
 
 For home Drying satisfactory results are 
 obtained by any one of three principal 
 methods. These are: 
 
 1. Sun Drying. 
 
 2. Drying by Artificial Heat. 
 
 3. Drying by Air-blast. (With an electric 
 or other motor fan.) 
 
 These methods may be combined to good 
 advantage. 
 
 FIG. 3. Apples peeled and sliced for drying. 
 
 SUN DRYING 
 
 Sun Drying has the double advantage of 
 requiring no expense for fuel and of freedom 
 from danger of overheating. For sun Dry- 
 ing of vegetables and fruits the simplest form 
 is to spread the slices or pieces on sheets of 
 plain paper or lengths of muslin nailed to 
 strips of wood and expose them to the sun. 
 Muslin is to be preferred if there is danger of 
 sticking. Trays should be used for large 
 quantities. Sun Drying requires bright, 
 
 hot days and a breeze. Once or twice a day 
 the product should be turned or stirred and 
 the dry pieces taken out. The drying prod- 
 uct should be covered with cheesecloth 
 tacked to a frame for protection from dust 
 and flying insects. Care must be taken to 
 provide protection from rain, dew and moths. 
 During rains and just before sunset the prod- 
 ucts should be taken indoors for protection. 
 
 TRAYS FOR SUN DRYING 
 
 To make a tray cheaply for use in sun 
 drying, take strips of lumber three-quarters 
 of an inch thick and 2 inches wide for the 
 sides and ends. To form the bottom, laths 
 should be nailed to these strips, with spaces 
 of one-eighth of an inch between laths to 
 permit air circulation. A length of 4 feet, 
 corresponding to the standard lengths of 
 laths, is economical. Nail 3 strips across 
 the bottom in the opposite direction from 
 the laths to prevent warping and to allow 
 space when the trays are stacked. The 
 
 FIG. 4. Small outdoor drier, easily made at home. 
 It has glass top, sloping for exposure to sun. Tray 
 is shown partly projecting, to indicate construction. 
 
 trays should be of uniform size in order that 
 they may be stacked together for conve- 
 nience in handling. Never put trays directly 
 on the ground. They should rest on supports 
 a few feet above the ground and should face 
 the south or southwest so as to receive the 
 sun's rays the longest possible time. 
 
 A small homemade Sun Drier, easily 
 constructed (Fig. 4), is made of light strips 
 of wood, a sheet of glass, a small amount of 
 galvanized wire screen and some cheese- 
 cloth. A convenient size for the glass top 
 is 18 by 24 inches. To hold the glass make 
 a light wooden frame of strips of wood > 
 inch thick and 1 inch wide. This frame should 
 have legs of material 1 by 1^ inches, with a 
 length of 12 inches for the front legs and 18 
 inches for those in the rear. This will cause 
 the top to slope, which aids in circulation of 
 air and gives direct exposure to the rays of the 
 sun. As a tray support, nail a strip of wood 
 to the legs on each of the four sides, about 
 
20 
 
 HOME DRYING MANUAL 
 
 4 inches below the top framework and sloping 
 parallel with the top. The tray is made of 
 thin strips of wood about 2 inches wide and 
 has a galvanized wire screen bottom. There 
 will be a space of about 2 inches between the 
 top edges of the tray and the glass top of the 
 Drier, to allow for circulation. Protect both 
 sides, the bottom and the front end of the 
 Drier with cheesecloth tacked on securely and 
 snugly, to exclude insects and dust with- 
 out interfering with circulation. At the 
 rear end place a cheesecloth curtain tacked 
 at the top but swinging free below, to allow 
 the tray to be moved in and out. Brace 
 
 FIG. 5. Commercial drier for use in oven. 
 
 the bottom of this curtain with a thin strip 
 of wood, as is done in window shades. This 
 curtain is to be fastened to the legs by buttons 
 when the tray is in place. 
 
 DRYING BY ARTIFICIAL HEAT 
 
 Drying by artificial heat is done in the oven 
 or on top of a cookstove or range, in trays 
 suspended over the stove or in a specially 
 constructed drier built at home or purchased. 
 
 When drying with artificial heat a ther- 
 mometer must be used. This should be 
 placed in the drier and frequently observed. 
 
 OVEN DRYING 
 
 The simplest form of Oven Drying is to 
 place small quantities of foodstuffs on plates 
 in a slow oven. In this way leftovers and 
 other bits of food may be saved for winter 
 use with slight trouble and dried while the 
 top of the stove is being used. This is 
 especially effective for sweet corn. A few 
 sweet potatoes, apples or peas, or even a 
 single turnip, may be dried and saved. To 
 keep the heat from being too great leave the 
 oven door partially open. For oven use a 
 simple tray may be made of galvanized wire 
 screen of convenient size, with the edges 
 
 bent up for an inch or two on each side. 
 At each corner this tray should have a leg 
 an inch or two in length, to hold it up from 
 
 FIG. 6. Commercial drier which may be placed on 
 top of cookstove or suspended over a lamp. 
 
 the bottom of the oven and permit circula- 
 tion of air around the product. 
 
 An oven drier which can be bought at a 
 low price is shown in Fig. 5. 
 
 DRYING ON TOP OF OR OVER STOVE 
 
 An effective Drier for use over a stove or 
 range may be made easily at home. Such 
 a Drier is shown in Fig. 9. For the frame 
 use strips of wood >-inch thick and 2 inches 
 wide. The trays or shelves are made of 
 galvanized wire screen of small mesh tacked 
 to the supports; or separate trays, sliding on 
 strips attached to the framework, are de- 
 sirable. This Drier may be suspended from 
 the ceiling over the kitchen stove or range, 
 or over an oil, 
 gasoline, or gas 
 stove, and it 
 may be used 
 while cooking is 
 being done. If 
 an oil stove is 
 used there must 
 be a tin or galva- 
 nized iron bot- 
 tom 4 inches 
 below the lowest 
 tray, to prevent 
 the fumes of the 
 oil from reaching 
 and passing 
 through the ma- 
 terial which is 
 to be dried, and FlGi 7. Commercial drier for use 
 to distribute the on stove, 
 
 heat. A bottom of this kind may be easily 
 attached to any Drier, either home-made or 
 commercial. A framework crane as shown in 
 Fig. 9 makes it possible for this Drier to 
 be swung aside when not in use. 
 
 In Fig. 8 is shown another form of Home- 
 made Cookstove Drier, more pretentious 
 than that shown in Fig. 9, but still easily 
 and cheaply made. A good size for this is: 
 base, 16 by 24 inches; height, 36 inches. The 
 lower part or supporting framework, 6 inches 
 high, is made of galvanized sheet iron, 
 
DRY ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE DRIED 
 
 21 
 
 slightly flaring toward the bottom, and with 
 two ventilating holes in each of the four 
 sides. The frame, which rests on this base, 
 is made of strips of wood 1 or 1^4 inches wide. 
 
 FIG. 8. Home-made drier of galvanized iron, 
 for use on stove. 
 
 Wooden strips, 1> inches wide, and 3 inches 
 apart, serve to brace the sides and furnish 
 supports for the trays. 
 
 In a Drier of the dimensions given there 
 is room for eight trays. The sides, top and 
 back are of galvanized iron or tin sheets, 
 tacked to the framework, although thin 
 
 FIG. 9. Home-made drier with swinging crane. 
 
 strips of wood may be used instead of the 
 metal. Small hinges and thumb-latch are 
 provided for the door. Galvanized sheet 
 iron, with numerous small holes in it, is 
 used for making the bottom of the Drier. 
 To prevent direct heat from coming in con- 
 
 tact with the product, and also to distribute 
 the heat by radiation, a piece of galvanized 
 sheet iron is placed 2 inches above the bot- 
 tom. This piece is 3 inches shorter and 3 
 inches narrower than the bottom and rests 
 on two wires fastened to the sides. 
 
 The trays are made of wooden frames of 
 1-inch strips, to which is tacked galvanized 
 wire screen. Each tray should be 3 inches 
 shorter than the Drier and enough narrower 
 to allow it to slide easily on the supports in 
 being put in or taken out. 
 
 In placing the trays in the Drier push the 
 lower one back as far as it will go, leaving 
 a 3-inch space in front. Place the next tray 
 even with the front, leaving the space at 
 the back. Alternate all the trays in this 
 way, to facilitate the circulation of the 
 heated air. It is well to have a ventilating 
 opening, 6 by 2 inches, in the top of the 
 Drier to discharge 
 moisture. The 
 trays should be 
 shifted during the 
 drying process, to 
 procure uniform- 
 ity of drying. 
 
 One of the sim- 
 plest forms of 
 homemade Drier FlG ia Commercial drier, 
 is a tray with bottom of galvanized wire 
 screen, suspended over stove or range, as 
 shown in Fig. 12. 
 
 Commercial Driers 
 
 Cookstove Driers are in the market in 
 several types. One of these, shown in Fig. 
 7, has 'a series of trays in a framework, 
 forming a compartment. This is placed on 
 top of the stove. A similar drier is shown 
 in Fig. 10. Another, shown in Fig. 6, 
 is a shallow metal box to be filled with 
 water, and so constructed that one end may 
 rest on the back of the stove and the other on 
 a prop reaching to the floor, or it may be 
 suspended over a lamp. 
 
 Commercial Driers having their own fur- 
 naces may be bought at prices ranging from 
 $24 to $120. This type is pictured in Fig. 
 11. Some of these, in the smaller sizes, may 
 be bought without furnaces, and used on the 
 top of the kitchen stove, as Fig. 7. The cost 
 is from $16 upwards. 
 
 AIR-BLASTELECTRIC FAN 
 
 The use of an electric fan is an effective 
 means of Drying. Fig. 15 shows how this 
 household article is used. A motor fan run 
 by kerosene or alcohol serves the same pur- 
 pose. Sliced vegetables or fruits are placed 
 on trays and the fan placed close to one end 
 of the box holding the trays, with the current 
 
22 
 
 HOME DRYING MANUAL 
 
 FIG. 11. Commercial drier 
 with furnace. 
 
 directed along the trays, lengthwise. Insects 
 must be kept out by the use of cheesecloth 
 or similar material. Drying by this proc- 
 ess may be done 
 in twenty-four 
 hours or less. 
 With sliced string 
 beans and shred- 
 ded sweet pota- 
 toes a few hours 
 are sufficient, if 
 the air is dry. Re- 
 arrange the trays 
 after a few hours, 
 as the drying 
 will be more 
 rapid nearest the 
 fan. 
 
 As artificial 
 heat is not used 
 in fan drying it 
 is important to blanch or steam the vege- 
 tables for the full specified time. It is also 
 necessary that all fan-dried products be 
 heated in an oven to 180 F. for 10 or 15 
 minutes before storing. 
 
 DETAILS OF DRYING 
 
 As a general rule vegetables or fruits, 
 for Drying, must be cut into slices or shreds, 
 with the skin removed. In using artificial 
 heat be careful to start at a comparatively 
 low temperature and gradually increase. De- 
 tails as to the proper scale of temperatures 
 for various vegetables and fruits are given in 
 the directions in this Manual and in the time- 
 table on page 28. To be able to gauge the 
 heat accurately a thermometer must be used. 
 An oven thermometer may be bought at slight 
 cost. If the thermometer is placed in a glass 
 of salad oil the true temperature of the oven 
 may be obtained. 
 
 FIG. 12. Simple tray drier made at home. 
 
 In the detailed instructions on pages 25, 26, 27 
 and 28, the temperatures used are Fahrenheit. 
 The temperatures indicated are for Drying by 
 artificial heat. 
 
 The actual time required for Drying can- 
 not be given, and the person in charge must 
 
 exercise judgment on this point. A little 
 experience will make it easy to determine 
 when products are sufficiently dried. When 
 first taken from the Drier vegetables should be 
 rather brittle, and fruits rather leathery and 
 pliable. One method of determining whether 
 fruit is dry enough is to squeeze a handful, 
 if the fruit separates when the hand is opened, 
 it is dry enough. Another way is to press a 
 
 FIG. 13. Electric range, useful for drying. 
 
 single piece; if no moisture comes to the sur- 
 face the piece is sufficiently dry. Berries are 
 dry enough if they stick to the hand but do 
 not crush when squeezed. 
 
 PREPARING MATERIAL FOR DRYING 
 
 A sharp kitchen knife will serve every 
 purpose in slicing and cutting vegetables 
 and fruits for Drying if no other device is 
 at hand. The thickness of the slices should 
 be from an eighth to a quarter of an inch. 
 Whether sliced or cut into strips the pieces 
 should be small so as to dry quickly. They 
 should not, however, be so small as to make 
 them hard to handle or to keep them from 
 being used to advantage in preparing dishes 
 for the table such as would be prepared from 
 fresh products. 
 
 Food choppers, crout slicers or rotary 
 slicers may be used 
 to prepare food for 
 drying. 
 
 Vegetables and 
 fruits for Drying 
 should be fresh, 
 mature and in prime 
 condition for eating. 
 As a general rule 
 vegetables will dry 
 better if cut into 
 small pieces with the 
 skins removed. 
 Berries are dried 
 whole. Apples, 
 quinces, peaches and 
 
 FIG. 14. Motor-fan, run 
 by kerosene 6r alcohol. 
 
 pears dry better if cut into rings or quarters. 
 Cleanliness is imperative. Knives and slicing 
 
DRY ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE DRIED 
 
 23 
 
 devices must be carefully cleansed before and 
 after use. A knife that is not bright and 
 clean will discolor the product on which it 
 is used and this should be avoided. 
 
 BLANCHING 
 
 Blanching is desirable for successful 
 vegetable Drying. Blanching gives more 
 thorough cleansing, removes objectionable 
 
 FIG. 15. Series of trays enclosed in wall-board 
 box, for use with electric fan. 
 
 odors and flavors, kills protoplasm and 
 softens and loosens the fiber, allowing quicker 
 and more uniform evaporation of the mois- 
 ture, stops destructive chemical changes, 
 and gives better color. It is done by placing 
 the vegetables in a piece of cheesecloth, a 
 wire basket or other porous container and 
 plunging them into boiling water. A more 
 desirable way is to blanch in steam. For 
 small quantities a pail or deep kettle is ser- 
 viceable. A false bottom raised an inch or 
 more is necessary. Upon this rests a wire 
 basket or cheesecloth filled with the prepared 
 vegetables. The water should be just below 
 the false bottom and be boiling vigorously 
 when the products are put in. Cover with a 
 tight-fitting cover. Keep the water boiling 
 during the blanching period. For larger 
 
 FIG. 16. Meat chopper for preparing vegetables. 
 
 quantities a wash-boiler partially filled with 
 water is convenient. Bricks set on end or a 
 wooden frame raised a few inches above 
 the water make good supports for the con- 
 tainers. 
 
 Do not continue blanching longer than the 
 prescribed time as some of the valuable 
 constitutents will dissolve out, the color will 
 be destroyed and the starch will be partially 
 cooked to a paste. 
 
 The time required is short and varies with 
 different vegetables. For the proper time 
 in each case consult the directions given for 
 Drying on pages 25, 26, 27 and 28 and the 
 time-table on page 28. 
 
 After blanching, drain to remove moisture 
 and arrange on trays. 
 
 DANGER FROM INSECTS 
 
 In addition to exercising great care to 
 protect vegetables and fruits from insects 
 during the Drying process, precautions should 
 be taken with the finished product to prevent 
 the hatching of eggs that may have been 
 deposited. One measure that is useful is to 
 subject the dried material to a heat of 180 
 F. for from 5 to 10 minutes. By the applica- 
 tion of this heat the eggs will be killed. Be 
 careful not to apply heat long enough to 
 damage the product. Store as soon as re- 
 moved from the oven. 
 
 "CONDITION" BEFORE STORING 
 
 The word "conditioning" as used in con- 
 nection with drying vegetables and fruits 
 simply means ' ' thorough drying. " It indicates 
 the after treatment of products on their 
 removal from the drying trays. 
 
 Put the dried products in bins, boxes, or, 
 if the quantity 
 is small, in bowls. 
 Once a day for 
 a period of ten 
 days to two 
 weeks, stir thor- 
 oughly or pour 
 from one box to 
 another. The 
 contai ners 
 should be in a clean, dry room, and pro- 
 tected from light and insects. Shutters and 
 screens at the window are desirable. Other- 
 wise protect the dried food by spreading 
 clean cloths over it. If any part of the 
 material is found to be moist, after this pro- 
 cess, return it to the drier for a short time. 
 When for several days no change in the 
 moisture content has been noticed, and 
 therefore no extra drying has been necessary, 
 the products are ready to be stored. 
 
 Properly conditioned products can be stored 
 without danger of spoiling, because spores and 
 fungi cannot begin growth if there is uniform 
 freedom from moisture on the surface. 
 
 PRACTICALLY ALL DRIED PROD- 
 UCTS SHOULD BE CONDITIONED. 
 
 FIG. 17. Croutslicer. 
 
24 
 
 HOME DRYING MANUAL 
 
 FIG. 18. Vegetable and fruit 
 slicer. 
 
 STORAGE FOR DRIED PRODUCTS 
 
 Of importance equal to proper Drying is 
 the proper packing and storage of the finished 
 product. With the scarcity of tins and the 
 high prices of glass jars it is recommended 
 that other containers be used. Those easily 
 available are baking-powder cans and similar 
 covered tins, pasteboard boxes having tight- 
 fitting covers, strong paper bags, and patented 
 
 paraffin paper 
 boxes, which 
 may be bought 
 in quantities at 
 comparatively 
 low cost. 
 
 A paraffin con- 
 tainer of the 
 type used by 
 oyster dealers 
 for the delivery 
 of oysters will be 
 found inexpen- 
 sive and easily handled. If using this, or a 
 baking-powder can or similar container, after 
 filling adjust the cover closely. For storage 
 on a larger scale use closely built wooden 
 boxes with well-fitted lids. Line each box 
 with paraffin paper in several layers. The 
 paper should cover the top of the contents. 
 
 It is essential that the container should 
 exclude light and insects but it should not be 
 air-tight. Products stored in air-tight con- 
 tainers suffer damage through moisture which 
 escapes from the product and condenses in 
 the package. 
 
 If a paper bag is used, the top should be 
 twisted, doubled over and tied with a string. 
 Another good precau- 
 tion is to store bags 
 within an ordinary 
 lard pail or can or 
 other tin vessel hav- 
 ing a fairly close-fit- 
 ting cover. 
 
 The products 
 should be stored in 
 a warm, dry place, 
 well ventilated and 
 protected from rats, 
 mice and insects. An 
 attic or upstairs- 
 room which is warmed 
 by pipes or flues pass- 
 ing through makes a 
 
 very satisfactory 
 FIG. 19. Slicing corn. ^ Shelves ^ 
 
 a furnace also make a suitable storage place. 
 In sections where the air is very moist, 
 especial care must be used. The containers 
 should be opened occasionally and if any 
 moisture has been taken up the contents 
 should be placed in the oven until dry. 
 
 It is good practice to use small containers 
 so that it may not be necessary to leave the 
 contents exposed long after opening before use. 
 
 For convenience label all packages. 
 
 Before storing products prepared by sun 
 drying, artificial heat must be applied to 
 destroy possible insect eggs. To do this place 
 the products in the oven, spread in thin 
 
 FIG. 20. Arranging "vegetables or fruits on trays. 
 
 layers, and allow them to remain until the 
 temperature reaches 180 F. as indicated by 
 a thermometer inside partially open oven. 
 
 WINTER USE OF PRODUCTS 
 
 In preparing dried vegetables and fruits 
 for use the first process is to restore the 
 water which has been dried out of them. 
 All dried foods require soaking. After soak- 
 ing the dried products will have a better 
 flavor if cooked in a covered utensil at a low 
 temperature for a long time. Dried products 
 should be prepared and served as fresh prod- 
 ucts are prepared and served. They should 
 be cooked in the water in which they have 
 been soaked, as this utilizes all of the mineral 
 salts, which would otherwise be wasted. 
 
 There can be no definite rule for the amount 
 of water required for soaking dried products 
 when they are to be used, as the quantity of 
 water evaporated in the drying process varies 
 with different vegetables and fruits. As a 
 general rule from 3 to 4 cups of water will be 
 required for 1 cup of dried material. 
 
 In preparing for use, peas, beans, spinach 
 and like vegetables should be boiled in water' 
 to which there has been added soda in the 
 proportion of y& teaspoonful of soda to 1 
 quart of water. This improves the color. 
 
 In preparing to serve dried vegetables 
 season them carefully. For this purpose 
 celery, mustard, onion, cheese and nutmeg 
 give desirable flavoring, according to taste. 
 
 From 3 to 4 quarts of vegetable soup may 
 be made from 4 oz. of dried soup vegetables. 
 
DRY ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE DRIED 
 
 25 
 
 DIRECTIONS FOR VEGETABLE DRYING 
 
 Potatoes 
 
 Wash well, and pare very thinly. If a 
 rotary peeler is used, the potatoes should be 
 graded for size, and those of similar size 
 pared in groups. The eyes will have to be 
 removed by hand. Cut into slices 
 Ke to % inch thick. Blanch in 
 steam 1 to 3 minutes; or in boil- 
 ing water 2 to 3 minutes. The 
 water should boil vigorously 
 enough to keep the pieces sepa- 
 rated and in motion. Drain and 
 place on drying trays in one-inch 
 layers, then dry at once. The 
 blanching should be just long 
 enough to prevent darkening while 
 the potatoes are drying. Start 
 drying at a temperature of 125 F. 
 and raise gradually to 145 to 
 150 F. toward the end of the dry- 
 ing period. When dry enough, 
 the pieces of potato will be free 
 from opaque, spongy white places, 
 and will rattle when stirred. Re- 
 move from drier, condition and 
 store. 
 
 Beets, Carrots and Parsnips 
 
 Wash well, scrape off skin, and 
 cut into slices of a uniform thick- 
 ness Ke to % inch. Blanch 2 
 minutes in steam or boiling water. Drain 
 well, spread on drying trays, and dry at 
 an initial temperature of 120 F. and not 
 exceeding 145 F. during the entire drying 
 period. These products are sufficiently dry 
 when the pieces break if an effort is made to 
 bend them, and when no moisture shows if 
 they are pressed between the fingers. 
 
 Cabbage 
 
 Take heads which are well developed. 
 Remove all loose outside leaves and central 
 stalk. Shred or cut into strips a few inches 
 long. Blanch in steam 3 minutes, or in 
 boiling water 4 minutes. Use a wire basket, 
 fill not more than 6 to 8 inches deep; and 
 stir well during the process. When drying, 
 spread in layers not over 1 inch deep, and 
 stir frequently until the product is dry enough 
 not to stick together in close masses. Begin 
 drying at 115 to 125 F. and when the cab- 
 bage is nearly dry, raise the temperature not 
 to exceed 135 F. Remove from drier when no 
 moisture can be squeezed out of thicker pieces 
 by strong pressure between the fingers. 
 
 Cauliflower 
 
 After cleaning, divide into small pieces. 
 The head may be cut by a vegetable slicer, 
 if preferred. Blanch 6 minutes in steam or 
 4 minutes in boiling water. Spread in thin 
 
 FIG. 21. Preparing dried products for storing. 
 
 layers on drying trays. Start at a tempera- 
 ture of 120 F. and gradually increase to 
 130 F. Although turning dark while drying, 
 cauliflower will regain part of original color 
 in soaking and cooking. The drying is com- 
 plete when strong pressure between the fingers 
 does not squeeze out moisture from the 
 thicker- pieces. 
 
 Celery 
 
 After washing, carefully cut into even- 
 length pieces j inch or 1 inch is a good 
 measure. Blanch 3 minutes in steam or 2 
 minutes in boiling water. Drain well, and 
 spread on drying trays in > inch layers. 
 Dry at 135 F., stirring occasionally. 
 
 Garden Peas 
 
 If the pods are dusty, wash well before 
 shelling. Garden peas with non-edible pod 
 are taken when of size suitable for table use. 
 Blanch 3 to 5 minutes according to size, then 
 drain and spread on drying trays. A depth 
 of y^ to 1 inch is practicable, but single 
 layers will dry quicker. Start the drying at 
 
 FIRE PREVENTION 
 
 In home drying care should be taken that danger from fire does not result, Driers 
 made wholly or partly of wood should not be exposed to heat in such way that the 
 woodwork might catch fire if accidentally overheated or left alone too long. DO NOT 
 USE WOOD ON TOP OF A STOVE. 
 
26 
 
 HOME DRYING MANUAL 
 
 a temperature of 115 to 120 F., raising it 
 gradually to 140 F. Stir occasionally. 
 When sufficiently dry, peas will show no 
 moisture near the center when split open. 
 
 For use in soups or puree, shell mature 
 peas, pass them through a meat grinder, 
 spread the pulp on trays and dry. 
 
 Spinach 
 
 Select plants which are well grown. Re- 
 move roots and wash well. Steam 2 minutes. 
 Spread on tray and dry at a constant tem- 
 perature of 130 F. Remove from drier 
 before the leaves break when handled. 
 
 Green String Beans 
 
 Select only such beans as are in perfect 
 condition for table use. Wash carefully and 
 string. It full grown they should be slit 
 lengthwise or cut not snapped into pieces 
 X to 1 inch long. Blanch 5 to 8 minutes 
 according to age. To set the color of nearly 
 grown beans add 2 level tablespoonfuls of 
 baking soda to every gallon of boiling water. 
 Drain well after blanching and spread in thin 
 layers on drying trays. Begin the drying at a 
 temperature of 130 F. and gradually raise 
 it to 140 or 145 F. Drying is complete 
 when no moisture can be pressed from 
 freshly broken pieces. 
 
 Lima Beans 
 
 Choose mature beans. Shell and blanch 3 
 minutes in boiling water, keeping the beans 
 well stirred by the motion of the rapidly 
 bubbling water. Drain to remove surface 
 moisture. Spread in thin layers on drying 
 trays, and stir occasionally during the drying 
 process. Start drying at 120 to 130 F. and 
 raise this temperature gradually to 150 F. 
 
 Okra 
 
 After washing, blanch young tender pods 
 2 to 3 minutes in boiling water or steam. 
 Allow 2 minutes for older pods, which should 
 be cut into halves or quarters. Dry the 
 younger pods whole. Spread on trays in 
 single layers and start drying at a temperature 
 of 115 F. to 120 F. Gradually raise this to 
 135 F. 
 
 Okra may also be dried by being strung on 
 a string and hung over the stove. This 
 should not be done except with young and 
 tender pods. Heat in oven before storing. 
 
 Onions 
 
 Peel and cut into y& to % inch slices. A 
 rotary slicer is convenient for this. Blanch- 
 ing is not needed. Spread in thin layers, on 
 drying trays and dry at a uniform tempera- 
 ture of 140 F. Stir occasionally when the 
 process is three-fourths done to prevent 
 pieces scorching. Remove promptly from 
 drier when pieces break on bending. 
 
 Pumpkin and Squash (Summer and Winter) 
 
 Pare, remove seeds and spongy portions. 
 Cut into yz inch pieces. Blanch 3 to 6 min- 
 
 utes, or until the pieces are semi-transparent. 
 Spread on trays. Start drying at a tem- 
 perature of 135 F. and raise this slowly to 
 160 F. These products will be pliable and 
 leathery when dried enough, and show no 
 moisture when cut. 
 
 The strips may be hung on strings and 
 dried in the kitchen above the stove. 
 
 Shell Beans and Peas 
 
 Beans of different kinds, after maturing 
 and drying on the vines, and being shelled, 
 should be heated to 165 to 180 F. for 10 to 
 15 minutes to destroy any insect eggs which 
 may be in them. This may be done in an 
 oven. These heated beans cannot be used 
 for planting, because they are devitalized and 
 will not grow. Store in a dry place in bags. 
 
 Mature lima beans need only to be shelled 
 and stored in bags. Cow peas or any field 
 pea can be treated in the same way. 
 
 Sweet Potatoes 
 
 Wash, pare and slice, blanch 6 to 8 minutes 
 and spread on drying trays. Dry until 
 brittle, starting at a temperature of 145 
 to 150 F. and gradually raising it to 155 
 to 165 F., when the drying is nearly done. 
 Remove from drier when pieces are brittle and 
 break under pressure. 
 
 Tomatoes 
 
 Select fruit which is firm and well ripened. 
 Blanch 1 or 2 minutes, or long enough to 
 loosen the skins. When cool enough to 
 handle, peel, and cut into slices ^ to ^ inch 
 thick. Spread in single layers on drying 
 trays, placing cheesecloth or other thin open- 
 mesh fabric over the tray bottoms if made of 
 wire. Start drying at a temperature of 120 
 F. and raise it gradually to 140 F. When 
 dry enough the tomatoes will break when 
 bent, on conditioning they will become some- 
 what pliable. 
 
 Turnips 
 
 Turnips for drying should be in prime 
 condition and free from pithiness. Prepare 
 as directed for potatoes. Blanch 1 to 2 
 minutes, drain and spread on drying trays. 
 The drying temperature is 135 to 140 F. 
 at the beginning, gradually raised to 160 to 
 165 F. When dry enough the pieces will 
 rattle when stirred. 
 
 Wax Beans 
 
 These are dried in the same manner as lima 
 beans. 
 
 Soup Mixtures 
 
 Vegetables for soup mixtures are prepared 
 and dried separately. These are mixed as 
 
 desired. 
 
 Sweet Corn 
 
 Select ears that are at the milk stage, prime 
 for table use and freshly gathered. Blanch 
 on cob in boiling water for 8 to 12 minutes to 
 
DRY ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE DRIED 
 
 27 
 
 set milk. Drain thoroughly, and with a 
 sharp knife cut off in layers or cut off half 
 the kernel and scrape off the remainder, 
 taking care not to include the chaff. Start 
 
 at temperature of 130 F. and raise gradually 
 to 140, stirring frequently. 
 
 Corn is dry when it is hard and semi- 
 transparent. 
 
 DIRECTIONS FOR FRUIT DRYING 
 
 Fruits may be dried in the sun until the 
 surface begins to wrinkle, then finished in 
 the drier. With stone fruits, such as peaches, 
 plums, apricots and cherries, none but fruits 
 that are fresh, ripe and in perfect condition 
 should be used. With apples, pears and 
 quinces, effective thrift calls for using the 
 sound portions of fruit that may be partially 
 wormy or imperfect. When properly dried, 
 fruits should be entirely free from moisture 
 when pressed between the fingers on removal 
 from drier and should be leathery and pliable. 
 
 Sulphuring Fruits 
 
 Apples, pears, peaches and apricots are 
 subject to chemical changes as soon as the skin 
 is removed or the flesh exposed to the air. 
 To stop these changes and so preserve the 
 natural appearance, color and flavor, it is 
 necessary, before drying, to sulphur these 
 fruits, as they can not be blanched. Blanch- 
 ing causes loss of sugars in the blanching 
 process and dripping^ of the juice occurs when 
 blanched fruits are subjected to the heat of 
 the drier. Sulphuring does not affect the 
 food value of the fruits and is not injurious to 
 persons using them. 
 
 Provide a box large enough to enclose a 
 stack of trays. This may be a packing box 
 or a frame covered with canvas, building paper 
 or wall-board. Stack the filled trays on 
 bricks or blocks of wood which will hold the 
 bottom tray several inches above the ground. 
 The trays should be separated from each other 
 by blocks of wood. Beneath this stack place 
 one or two sticks of sulphur in an old sauce- 
 pan, shovel or other holder. Set fire to this 
 sulphur by using coals or lighted shavings and 
 invert the box to cover trays and reach to the 
 ground. Add sulphur as needed during the 
 time specified in the directions. The time 
 varies with various fruits and is given in 
 special directions on pages 27 and 28. 
 
 Apples and Pears 
 
 Pare, core and slice, dropping slices into 
 cold water containing eight level teaspoonfuls 
 of salt to the gallon, if a light-colored product 
 is desired. Leaving them for a short time in 
 salt water will prevent discoloration. (If 
 preferred, core the whole fruit, after peeling, 
 and slice into rings, dipping these for a 
 minute or two into cold salted water as 
 described above.) 
 
 To sulphur spread in trays of wire 1 to 1^4 
 inches deep. Put each tray as soon as filled 
 
 into the sulphuring box for 20 to 30 minutes. 
 When the product feels moist on the surface 
 and shows a lightened color, the sulphuring is 
 complete. 
 
 Begin drying at 130 F. and raise this 
 gradually to 175 F. Stir or rearrange fruit 
 occasionally to insure even drying. The 
 fruit is dry when a handful of slices is pressed 
 and separate when released, leaving no 
 moisture on the hand. 
 
 Apricots 
 
 Select ripe fruit before it drops from the 
 tree. Remove pits by cutting fruit open with 
 a sharp knife. Apricots are usually dried 
 with the skins on. Arrange the halves on 
 trays with pit cavity uppermost, and dry. 
 If desired, they may be sulphured before dry- 
 ing} the time 1^4 to 2 hours, or until liquid 
 collects in the stone cavity. 
 
 Start drying at a temperature of 130 to 
 145 F. and raise it gradually to 165 F. 
 Remove from the drier when pliable and 
 leathery. 
 
 Berries 
 
 Dry as soon as possible after picking. 
 Spread in thin layers and put each tray as 
 soon as filled into the drier. It may be 
 necessary to spread cheesecloth over wire 
 mesh bottoms of trays to keep berries from 
 falling through. 
 
 It is not advisable to dry such fruits as red 
 raspberries, currants and strawberries, unless 
 no other conservative methods are con- 
 venient. 
 
 Start the drying at a temperature of 135 
 to 145 F. and raise it gradually toward the 
 end of the drying process to 150 to 155 F. 
 Properly dried berries rattle somewhat when 
 stirred and show no moisture when pressed. 
 
 Cherries 
 
 Pick over well and wash. Remove surface 
 moisture by draining. Spread unpitted in 
 thin layers. 
 
 Start drying at a temperature not above 
 120 F. and raise gradually to 150 F. Prop- 
 erly dried cherries are leathery. 
 
 Figs 
 
 Select ripe figs and pick over thoroughly. 
 Wash, drain well and spread in single layers 
 on drying trays. If dried in the sun, turn 
 daily, protect from insects by glass or netting, 
 and bring indoors at night. When applying 
 artificial heat, start drying at a temperature 
 of 120 F. and raise this gradually to 140 F. 
 When nearly dry, immerse figs for 2 or 3 
 minutes in boiling brine (Y^ pound salt to 
 every 3 quarts water, or 1 pound to 3 gallons.) 
 Drain, and finish the drying. 
 
28 
 
 HOME DRYING MANUAL 
 
 Peaches 
 
 Select fruit which is uniformly and fully 
 ripe. Cut open with a sharp knife and re- 
 move the pits. Peaches are not usually pared, 
 as the juice is lost by dripping if this is done. 
 To sulphur arrange in single layers on trays 
 with the pit surface up. Sulphuring will take 
 from 1-2 hours and is complete when the 
 juice collects in the pit. Care must be taken 
 when transferring trays to drier to prevent 
 loss of juice. 
 
 Start drying at a temperature of 130 to 
 145 F. and raise it gradually to 165 F. when 
 the process is nearly completed. 
 
 Properly dried peaches are pliable and 
 leathery. 
 
 Plums 
 
 Select fruit which is ripe. Remove pits by 
 cutting fruit open with a sharp knife. Ar- 
 range halves on trays in single layer with pit 
 cavity uppermost. 
 
 Treat with sulphur fumes 20 to 25 minutes. 
 When liquid collects in the pit cavity the 
 
 plums are sulphured enough, and are ready 
 to dry. Start drying at a temperature of 
 130 to 145 F. When the surface begins to 
 wrinkle increase slowly to 175 F. 
 
 Properly dried plums are leathery and 
 pliable. 
 
 Prunes 
 
 Prunes which are fully ripe and have fallen 
 from the trees are best for drying. Grade and 
 dip into boiling lye for 16 to 20 seconds. 
 Allow 1 oz. lye to 2 gallons water. When 
 dipped long enough there will be a slight in- 
 dication of cracking of the skin near the stem 
 end, but the skin will not be broken. Too 
 strong lye or too long a dip will cause the 
 skin to split and peel off. 
 
 Rinse thoroughly in cold water and then 
 spread on drying trays in single layers. Start 
 drying at 130 F. and when the surface be- 
 gins to wrinkle, raise the temperature very 
 gradually to 175 F. Properly dried prunes 
 show no moisture when cut or when pressed 
 between the fingers. 
 
 TABLE FOR BLANCHING AND DRYING 
 
 The following table shows blanching time for vegetables and the temperatures to be used 
 in drying by artificial heat. 
 
 Vegetables 
 
 Blanching 
 Time 
 
 Temperature 
 (Fahrenheit] 
 
 Beets 
 
 Minutes 
 2 
 
 Degrees 
 120 to 145 
 
 Cabbage 
 
 3 to 4 
 
 115 to 135 
 
 Carrots 
 
 2 
 
 120 to 145 
 
 Cauliflower 
 
 4 to 6 
 
 120 to 130 
 
 Celery 
 
 2 to 3 
 
 135 
 
 Figs 
 
 
 120 to 140 
 
 Garden peas . . 
 
 3 to 5 
 
 115 to 140 
 
 Green string beans .... 
 
 5 to 8 
 
 130 to 145 
 
 Lima beans 
 
 3 
 
 150 
 
 Okra 
 
 3 
 
 115 to 135 
 
 Onions 
 
 
 140 
 
 Parsnips. 
 
 2 
 
 120 to 145 
 
 Potatoes . 
 
 2 to 3 
 
 125 to 150 
 
 Prunes 
 
 
 130 to 175 
 
 Pumpkin and AVinter squash 
 
 3 to 6 
 
 135 to 160 
 
 Spinach 
 
 2 
 
 130 
 
 Summer squash 
 
 3 to 6 
 
 135 to 160 
 
 Sweet corn 
 
 8 to 12 
 
 130 to 140 
 
 Sweet potatoes 
 
 6 to 8 
 
 145 to 165 
 
 Tomatoes 
 
 1> 
 
 120 to 140 
 
 Turnips 
 
 1 to 2 
 
 135 to 165 
 
 Wax beans 
 
 3 
 
 150 
 
 Fruits 
 Annies 
 
 
 130 to 175 
 
 Apricots . .... 
 
 
 130 to 165 
 
 Berries 
 
 
 130 to 155 
 
 Cherries 
 
 
 120 to 150 
 
 Peaches 
 
 
 130 to 165 
 
 Pears . ... 
 
 
 130 to 175 
 
 Plums 
 
 
 130 to 165 
 
 
 
 
 The exact time for Drying cannot be given. Individual judgment must be used following the 
 directions in "Details of Drying," on page 22, and the directions on pages 25, 26, 27 and 28. 
 
DRY ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE DRIED 
 
 29 
 
 FERMENTATION AND SALTING 
 
 The use of brine in preparing vegetables 
 for winter use has much to commend it to the 
 household. The fermentation method is in 
 general use in Europe, and is becoming better 
 known in this country as a 
 means of making sour-crout 
 and other food products 
 which do not require the 
 containers used for canning. 
 No cooking is required by 
 this process. Salt brine is 
 the one requirement. The 
 product may be kept in any 
 container that is not made 
 of metal and is water-tight. 
 The vital factor in preserv- 
 ing the material is the lactic 
 acid which develops in fer- 
 mentation. An important 
 feature is that vegetables 
 thus prepared may be served 
 as they are or they may be freshened by 
 soaking in clear water and cooked as fresh 
 vegetables. 
 
 Sour-crout 
 
 The outside leaves of the cabbage should be 
 removed, the core cut crosswise several times 
 and shredded very finely with the rest of the 
 cabbage. Either summer growth or fall 
 cabbage may be used. Immediately pack 
 into a barrel, keg or tub, which is perfectly 
 clean, or into an earthenware crock holding 
 four or five gallons. The smaller containers 
 are recommended for household use. While 
 
 packing dis- 
 tribute salt 
 as uniformly 
 as possible, 
 using 1 
 po u nd of 
 salt to 40 
 pounds of 
 cabbage. 
 Sprinkle a 
 little salt in 
 the con- 
 tainer and 
 put in a lay- 
 er of 3 or 4 
 inches of 
 shredded 
 
 FIG. 23. Arrangement of cover on cabbage and 
 crock containing fermented products, pack down 
 Note the use of paraffin, board and gent ly w i tn a 
 
 wooden 
 
 utensil like a potato masher. Repeat 
 with salt, cabbage and packing until the 
 container is full or the shredded cabbage is 
 all used. Press the cabbage down as tightly 
 
 as possible and apply a cloth and then a 
 glazed plate or a board cover which will go 
 inside the holder. If using a wooden cover 
 select wood free from pitch, such as basswood. 
 
 FIG. 22. Articles used in fermenting vegetables. 
 
 On top of this cover place stones or other 
 weights (using flint or granite and avoiding 
 the use of limestone or sandstone). These 
 weights serve to force brine above cover. 
 
 Allow fermentation to proceed for 10 days 
 or two weeks, if the room is warm. In a 
 cellar or other cool place three to five weeks 
 may be required. Skim off the film which 
 forms when fermentation starts and repeat 
 this daily if necessary to keep this film 
 from becoming scum. When gas bubbles 
 cease to arise, if container is tapped, the 
 fermentation is complete. If there is scum it 
 should be removed. As a final step pour 
 melted paraffin over the brine until it forms a 
 layer from > to > inch thick to prevent the 
 formation of the scum which occurs if the 
 weather is warm or the storage place is not 
 well cooled. This is not necessary unless the 
 crout is to be kept a long time. The crout 
 may be used as soon as the bubbles cease to 
 rise. If scum forms and remains the crout 
 will spoil. Remove scum, wash cloth cover 
 and weights, pour off old brine and add new. 
 To avoid this extra trouble it is wise to can 
 the crout as soon as bubbles cease to rise 
 and fermentation is complete. (To can, fill 
 jars, adjust rubbers and partly seal. Steril- 
 ize 120 minutes in Hot- water Bath or 60 
 minutes in Steam Pressure Outfit at 5 to 10 
 pounds pressure.) 
 
 SALTING WITHOUT FERMENTATION 
 
 Preserving cabbage, string beans and greens 
 for winter use by salting is a method which has 
 long been used. To do this the vegetables 
 should be washed, drained and weighed. The 
 amount of salt needed will be one-fourth 
 of the weight of the vegetables. Kegs or 
 
30 
 
 HOME DRYING MANUAL 
 
 crocks make satisfactory containers. Put a 
 layer of vegetables about an inch thick on the 
 bottom of the container. Cover this with 
 salt. Continue making alternate layers of 
 vegetables and salt until the container is 
 almost filled. The salt should be evenly 
 distributed so that it will not be necessary to 
 use more salt than the quantity required in 
 proportion to the vegetables used. Cover the 
 surface with a cloth and a board or glazed 
 plate. Place a weight on these and set aside 
 in a cool place. If sufficient liquor to cover 
 the vegetables has not been extracted by the 
 next day, pour in enough strong brine (1 
 pound of salt to 2 quarts of water) to cover 
 surface around the cover. The top layer of 
 vegetables should be kept under the brine to 
 prevent molding. There will be some bubbling 
 at first. As soon as this stops set the con- 
 tainer where it will not be disturbed until 
 ready for use. Seal by pouring very hot 
 paraffin on the surface. 
 
 THE USE OF BRINE 
 
 This method is used for cucumbers, string 
 beans, green tomatoes, beets, corn and peas, 
 as these vegetables do not contain enough 
 water for a good brine using only salt. Wash 
 and put in a crock or other container within 
 3 or 4 inches of the top. Pour over them a 
 brine made by adding to every 4 quarts of 
 water used > pint of vinegar and % cup salt. 
 The amount of brine needed will be about y 
 the volume of the material to be fermented. 
 When fermentation is complete the container 
 should be sealed as detailed for sour-crout. 
 
 To Ferment Cucumbers 
 Unless the cucumbers are from your own 
 garden wash them carefully to insure cleanli- 
 ness after indiscriminate handling. Pack 
 them in a keg, barrel or crock, leaving space 
 at the top for the cover. Cover them with a 
 brine made by adding to every 4 quarts of 
 water used % pint of vinegar and ^ cup of 
 salt. The amount of brine needed will be 
 one-half of the volume of the material to be 
 fermented. Place a wooden cover or glazed 
 plate on top of the contents and press it down 
 by weighting it with a stone or other weight, 
 to keep the cucumbers under the brine. Fer- 
 mentation will require from 8 to 10 days in 
 
 warm weather and from 2 to 4 weeks in cool 
 weather. It is complete when bubbles cease 
 to rise when the container is lightly tapped or 
 jarred. When this stage is reached remove 
 any scum which may have collected, pour hot 
 paraffin over the cover and around the weight 
 and store in a cool place. 
 
 Green Tomatoes 
 
 The process for green tomatoes is the same 
 as that for cucumbers. 
 
 Beets and String Beans 
 Remove the strings from beans. Beets 
 should be washed thoroughly and packed 
 whole. Spices may be used, as with cucum- 
 bers, but these may be omitted if the vege- 
 tables are to be freshened by soaking, when 
 they are to be used. The method is the 
 same as with cucumbers. 
 
 PREPARING FOR USE 
 
 To prepare salted vegetables for use, soak 
 in 3 or 4 times their volume of cold water to 
 draw out excess salt. One or two changes of 
 water will shorten this process. They 
 should then be" drained and rinsed well, put in 
 cold water, brought slowly to a boil, and 
 cooked until tender. They may then be pre- 
 pared and served as fresh products are pre- 
 pared and served. 
 
 Fermented vegetables should be rinsed in 
 fresh water after removing from the container. 
 To retain the acid flavor do not soak in water 
 before cooking. 
 
 If cooked without soaking, fermented 
 dandelions, spinach, kale and other greens 
 will have flavor similar to that of the greens 
 in their fresh state. 
 
 Fermented corn should be soaked several 
 hours, with three or four changes of water. 
 During the cooking also there should be one 
 change of water. The corn may then be 
 used in chowder, pudding, omelet, fritters or 
 waffles. 
 
 Salted string beans should be soaked to 
 remove the salt and then prepared and served 
 as fresh beans are prepared and served. 
 Fermented string beans may be cooked 
 without soaking and served as the fresh 
 beans are served. Young and tender string 
 beans may be eaten raw. 
 
 PICKLING VEGETABLES 
 
 Pickling is an important branch of home 
 preparedness for the winter months. Pickles 
 have little food value, but they give a flavor to 
 a meal which is liked by many. They should 
 not be given to children. 
 
 In pickling, vegetables are usually soaked 
 overnight in a brine made of 1 cup of salt 
 and 1 quart of water. This brine removes the 
 
 water of the vegetable and so prevents 
 weakening of the vinegar. In the morning 
 the brine is drained off. 
 
 Alum should not be used to make the 
 vegetables crisp, as it is harmful to .the human 
 body. A firm product is obtained if the 
 vegetables are not cooked too long or at too 
 high a temperature. 
 
DRY ALL FOOD THAT CAN BE DRIED 
 
 31 
 
 Spices, unless confined in a bag, give a dark 
 color to the pickles. 
 
 Enameled, agate or porcelain-lined kettles 
 should be used when cooking mixtures con- 
 taining vinegar. 
 
 Pickles put in crocks should be well covered 
 with vinegar to prevent molding. 
 
 Instructions for some of the most com- 
 monly used methods are given herewith. 
 
 Tomato Catsup 
 
 4 quarts ripe tomatoes, boil and strain. 
 Add 4 tablespoonfuls of salt. 
 2 cups of vinegar. 
 
 1 level teaspoonful each of cayenne pepper, cin- 
 namon, cloves, allspice, mustard and black pepper. 
 
 Boil rapidly until thick. Pour into hot 
 sterilized bottles. Put the corks in tightly 
 and apply hot paraffin to the tops with a 
 brush to make an airtight seal. All spices, 
 except cayenne pepper, should be enclosed in 
 cloth bag and removed when catsup is done. 
 
 Chili Sauce 
 
 2 dozen ripe tomatoes (dip in boiling water to peel). 
 6 peppers (3 to be hot). 
 
 3 onions. 
 
 2/5 cup of corn syrup. 
 
 2 tablespoonfuls of salt. 
 
 1 teaspoonful each of cloves, nutmeg and allspice. 
 
 1 quart of vinegar. 
 
 Simmer 1 hour. Pour into sterilized jars 
 or bottles and seal while hot. 
 
 Chow Chow 
 
 2 pints cucumbers. (1 pint to be small ones). 
 
 1 cauliflower soaked in salted water for one hour. 
 
 2 green peppers. 
 
 1 quart onions. 
 
 Chop the above in small pieces. Sprinkle 
 1 cup of salt over them and let stand all 
 night. Drain well in the morning. 
 
 The sauce for Chow Chow is made as 
 follows: 
 
 2 quarts vinegar. 
 
 yi pound of mustard. 
 
 1 tablespoonful of turmeric. 
 4/5 cup of corn syrup. 
 
 ^ cup of flour. 
 
 Make a paste of the mustard, turmeric, 
 sugar, flour and a little vinegar. Stir this 
 into the warm vinegar and boil until thick. 
 Then add the vegetables and simmer for 
 }& hour. Stir to prevent burning. Put in 
 cans while hot. 
 
 Cold Tomato Relish 
 
 8 quarts firm, ripe tomatoes; scald, cold-dip and then 
 chop in small pieces. 
 
 To the chopped tomato add: 
 
 2 cups chopped onion. 
 2 cups chopped celery. 
 
 2 cups corn syrup. 
 
 1 CUD white mustard seed. 
 
 H cup salt. 
 
 4 chopped peppers. 
 
 1 teaspoonful ground mace. 
 
 1 teaspoonful black pepper. 
 
 4 teaspoonfuls cinnamon. 
 
 3 pints vinegar. 
 
 Mix all together and pack in sterilized jars. 
 
 Corn Relish 
 
 1 small cabbage. 
 
 1 large onion. 
 6 ears of corn. 
 
 2 tablespoonfuls of salt. 
 2 tablespoonfuls of flour. 
 \y^ cups of corn syrup. 
 
 2 hot peppers. 
 
 1 pint of vinegar. 
 
 1^2 tablespoonfuls of mustard. 
 
 Steam corn 30 minutes. Cut from the cob 
 and add to the chopped cabbage, onion and 
 peppers. Mix the flour, sugar, mustard and 
 salt add the vinegar. Add mixture to the 
 vegetables and simmer 30 minutes. Pour 
 into sterilized jars or bottles and seal while 
 hot. 
 
 Cucumber Pickles 
 
 Soak in brine made of 1 cup of salt to 2 
 quarts of water for a day and night. Remove 
 from brine, rinse in cold water and drain. 
 Cover with vinegar, add 1 tablespoonful 
 brown sugar, some stick cinnamon, and cloves 
 to every quart of vinegar used ; bring to a boil 
 and pack in jars. For sweet pickles use 1 cup 
 of sugar to 1 quart of vinegar. 
 
 Dill Pickles 
 
 To make dill pickles follow the directions 
 for fermenting cucumbers, page 30, using 
 alternate layers of dill leaves, whole mixed 
 spices and cucumbers. The top layer should 
 be of beet or grape leaves an inch thick. 
 
 Green Tomato Pickle 
 
 Take 4 quarts of green tomatoes, 4 small 
 onions and 4 green peppers. Slice the 
 tomatoes and onions thin. Sprinkle over 
 them >^ cup of salt and leave overnight in 
 crock or enameled vessel. The next morning 
 drain off the brine. Into a separate vessel 
 put 1 quart of vinegar, 1 level tablespoonful 
 each of black pepper, mustard seed, celery 
 seed, cloves, allspice and cinnamon and 1 cup 
 of corn syrup. Bring^to a boil and then add 
 the prepared tomatoes, onions and peppers. 
 Let simmer for 20 minutes. Fill jars and 
 seal while hot. 
 
 Green Tomato Pickle 
 
 Wash and slice tomatoes. Soak in a brine 
 of y^ cup of salt to 1 quart of water overnight. 
 Drain well. Put in a crock and cover with 
 vinegar to which have been added stick cinna- 
 mon and 1 cup of corn syrup for every quart 
 of vinegar used. Once a day for a week pour 
 off vinegar, heat to boiling and pour over 
 tomatoes again. Cover top of crock with a 
 cloth and put on cover. This cloth should 
 be frequently washed. 
 
 Mustard Pickles 
 
 2 quarts of green tomatoes. 
 
 1 cauliflower. 
 
 2 quarts of green peppers. 
 2 quarts of onions. 
 
 Wash, cut in small pieces and cover with 
 1 quart of water and ~% cup of salt. Let 
 stand 1 hour, bring to the boiling point and 
 
32 
 
 HOME DRYING MANUAL 
 
 PROLONG THE SEASON 
 
 The season for home canning and drying does not end with summer or early autumn. 
 Many things may be canned or dried in October and November. Among these are 
 turnips, spinach, squash, pumpkin, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, celery, beets, late corn, 
 kale, chard, salsify and tomatoes. 
 
 drain. Mix } pound mustard, 1 cup of 
 flour, 4 cups of corn syrup, and vinegar to 
 make a thin paste. Add this paste to 2 quarts 
 of vinegar and cook until thick, stir constantly 
 to prevent burning. Add vegetables, boil 
 15 minutes and seal in jars. 
 
 Piccalilli 
 
 4 quarts of green tomatoes. 
 1 quart of onions. 
 
 1 hot red pepper. 
 
 2 cups of corn syrup. 
 % cup of salt. 
 
 1*4 ounces each of mustard seed, cloves and allspice. 
 2 cups of vinegar. 
 
 Simmer 1 hour. Put into a covered crock. 
 Pickled Onions 
 
 Peel, wash and put in brine, using 2 cups of 
 salt to 2 quarts water. Let stand 2 days, pour 
 off brine. Cover with fresh brine and let 
 stand 2 days longer. Remove from brine 
 wash and pack in jars, cover with hot vinegar 
 to which whole cloves, cinnamon and allspice 
 have been added. 
 
 Spiced Crab -Apples 
 
 Wash apples, stick 3 or 4 whole cloves in 
 each one and cover with vinegar to which 
 
 have been added stick cinnamon and \% cups 
 corn syrup for every quart of vinegar used. 
 Cook slowly at a low temperature until apples 
 are heated through. These may be put in 
 jar or stone crocks. 
 
 Sweet Pickled Peaches 
 
 Wipe peaches and stick 3 or 4 whole cloves 
 in each one. Put in jars or crock and cover 
 with hot vinegar, allowing 3}i cups of corn 
 syrup to each quart of vinegar used. Every 
 morning for a week pour off the vinegar, heat 
 to boiling and pour over peaches again. On 
 the last day seal jars or cover crock well. 
 
 Table Relish 
 Chop: 
 
 4 quarts of cabbage. 
 
 2 quarts of tomatoes, 1 quart to be green. 
 
 6 large onions. 
 
 2 hot peppers. 
 
 Add: 
 
 2 ounces of white mustard seed. 
 
 1 ounce of celery seed. 
 M cup of salt. 
 
 6 cups of corn syrup. 
 
 2 quarts of vinegar. 
 
 Simmer 1 hour. Pour into sterilized jars 
 or bottles and seal while hot. 
 
 This manual was prepared by the Commission's experts and is based on their own 
 research and experience, supplemented by information procured from the United States 
 Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Colleges, Experiment Stations, and other sources. 
 
 The National War Garden Commission, wishing to do all within its power to aid the War 
 Industries Board in the very necessary economy in the use of paper, has limited the edition 
 of this book and asks those who receive it in quantity to make the most careful distribution 
 so that the book may reach the hands of none but those who will use it. IF THE INDIVID- 
 UAL RECIPIENT CAN NOT USE THIS BOOK IT IS URGED THAT IT BE HANDED TO 
 SOME ONE WHO WILL USE IT. 
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 CANNING 
 
 Advantages of Cold-pack Method 
 
 Arranging for canning 
 
 Blanching and cold-dipping 
 
 Botulism 
 
 Canning in Tin 
 
 Cold-pack Method in the South . . 
 
 Community canning 
 
 Containers 
 
 Equipment for Cold-pack Method 
 
 Page 
 
 . 5 
 
 . 8 
 
 7 
 
 . 14 
 
 . 14 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 Fruit canning, directions 13 
 
 Grading vegetables and fruits 7 
 
 High Altitudes 5 
 
 Methods of Canning 4 
 
 Steps in Cold-pack Method 8 
 
 Tests for jars and rubbers 6, 7 
 
 Time-table for blanching and sterilizing 
 
 Vegetable canning, directions 10 
 
 DRYING 
 
 Artificial heat 20 
 
 Blanching , 23 
 
 Community drying 19 
 
 DRYING (Continued) Page 
 
 Conditioning dried products 23 
 
 Details of drying 22 
 
 Electric fan 21 
 
 Fire prevention 25 
 
 Fruit drying, directions 27 
 
 Insects, protection from 23 
 
 Methods of drying 19 
 
 On top of or over stove or range 20 
 
 Oven drying 20 
 
 Preparing food material for drying 22 
 
 Storage of dried products 24 
 
 Sun drying 19 
 
 Time-table for drying 28 
 
 Vegetable drying, directions 25 
 
 Winter use of dried products 24 
 
 FERMENTATION AND SALTING. 29 
 
 FRUIT BUTTERS 17 
 
 JELLY MAKING 16 
 
 PICKLING 30 
 
 SOUR-CROUT 29 
 
UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION 
 
 Mobile, Alabama. 
 September 6th, 1918. 
 MR. P. S. RIDSDALE, Secretary, 
 
 National War Garden Commission, 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 Dear Mr. Rid sd ale: 
 
 I desire to tender my sincere thanks for the books which you have furnished 
 for distribution and use among the war gardeners of Mobile, and as encourage- 
 ment and assistance to others to take up this splendid work conducive not only 
 to increased supply of food products, but to the health and happiness of those 
 who wisely give Mother Earth the attention which just at this time she all the 
 more richly deserves. 
 
 It is needless for me to assure you that the books have been extremely 
 helpful. I consider them the most complete and serviceable ever produced; 
 and excepting only the family Bible, the foundation of all ethics and morality as 
 well as the common law, these books are of more vital importance to every house- 
 holder, in fact, good citizens throughout the land, than most printed matter 
 obtainable. 
 
 Your books on canning and drying are likewise of inestimable value, and 
 your splendid co-operation in the common cause of increasing and conserving 
 the food supply in, our present crisis meets with the heartiest appreciation. 
 
 Very sincerely, 
 (Signed)' HENRY A. FORCHHEIMER, 
 
 Federal Food Administration Board. 
 
 UNITED STATES FOOD ADMINISTRATION 
 
 Davenport, Iowa. 
 September 5, 1918. 
 MR. P. S. RIDSDALE, Secretary, 
 
 National War Garden Commission, 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 My dear Mr. Ridsdale: 
 
 We have found your publications of great value in our work in this State 
 and it gives me pleasure to thank you for your prompt and cordial compliance 
 with all of our requests. 
 
 Your book on War Vegetable Gardening and the one devoted to Canning and 
 Drying are filled with information of great value to the gardener and housewife. 
 
 It has been a source of great satisfaction to us to be able to distribute your 
 books in every County in Iowa and we have used care to place them in the hands 
 of people who need them and who are constantly calling for just the information 
 contained in them. 
 
 We feel that your co-operation has been of great importance. 
 
 Faithfully yours, 
 
 (Signed) M. L. PARKER, 
 
 State Merchant Representative, 
 
 Iowa Food Administration. 
 
After J. N. Darling, in New York Tribune. 
 
 NATIONAL WAR GARDEN COMMISSION 
 
 A Patriotic Organization Affiliated with the Conservation Department 
 of the American Forestry Association 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 CHARLES LATHROP PACK, President. 
 
 PERCIVAL S. RIDSDALE, Secretary. 
 
 LUTHER BURBANK, Calif. 
 DR. CHARLES W. ELIOT, Mass. 
 DR. IRVING FISHER, Conn. 
 FRED H. GOFF, Ohio 
 JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, Mass. 
 FAIRFAX HARRISON, Va. 
 HON. MYRON T. HERRICK, Ohio. 
 P. P. CLAXTON, U. S. 
 
 NORMAN C. McLouo, Associate Secretary. 
 
 DR. JOHN GRIER HIBBEN, N. J. 
 EMERSON McMiLLiN, N. Y. 
 CHARLES LATHROP PACK, N. J. 
 A. W. SHAW, 111. 
 
 MRS. JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN, 111. 
 CAPT. J. B. WHITE, Mo. 
 HON. JAMES WILSON, Iowa. 
 Commissioner of Education. 
 
THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE 
 STAMPED BELOW 
 
 AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS 
 
 WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN 
 THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY 
 WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH 
 DAY AND TO $1.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY 
 OVERDUE. 
 
 APR 30 Iiy43 
 
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY