Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1918-05-31
Nail Your Colors To Your Garden
Tools.

The ways in which the average civilian
can help win this war are so few that he
should welcome the privilege of being
able to do any work that will entitle him
to chum with a soldier On anything like
terms of equality. The openings for real
day-after-d service which the millions of
non-combatants in this u. S. A. can per-
form are few, indeed.
When you contribute-as you should
to the Red Cross you feel legitimately good
all over But the act of signing up and
Smelling out takes but moment and after
awhile the feeling of satisfaction over
duty well done wears off and you wonder
what else there is to do.
When you buy bonds to furnish the sim
ews Of war, you naturally swell up with
patriotic pride. But after the act of con-
tribution is past it is the Government. and
not you. that does the work. Your passive
part is to receive good interest on the best
security in the world.
Naturally, you want something that you
can keep on doing. Why not raise vege-
tables and help insure the Allies against
the food shortage Germany is up against
II you can't grapple with the foe in France
get to grips with the Hun in your back
yard. That is what Herbert Hoover urges
you to do. And all the time you are
welding the spade or the hoe you know
you are helping the Sammies keep their
rifles to their shoulders. You will find
your whole being suffused with patriotic
glow while in the years to come you will
not be prey to mean and vain regrets.
And, very incidentally. it will yield rich
returns to your pocketbooks and your
well-beine.
Maryland is the scene of the biggest
war-earden contest ever staged on this
continent. There are almost five hundred
honorariums for the fellows who have the
war-winnlns spirit to get busy on their
backyard or farm garden. The fellows"
may be men, women or children. for the
contest which the State Food Administra-
ton and the Agricultural College are con-
Quoting is absolutely wide open. A royal
welcome is extended to every Marylander
who is strong enough to toddle. There is
no conflict with any other organization
whatsoever. for you are placed under no
obligations Of any kind. It costs nothing
to enter and the same amount let's you out
II some terrible calamity should compel
you to quit this voluntary job.
The object of the donor Of this splendid
array Of prizes is to create surplus Of
foodstuffs next winter. so that nothing
shall then cause shortage in Maryland.
What you eat during the summer natu-
rally will not be available later on. should
the trains get tied up or anything Of that
sort As the proverb says, you can't
eat your cake and haveit. And, anyhow,
the directors Of the contest could discover
no way in which the judges could keep
track Of the produce that goes straight from
the patriotic-patch to the kitchen. This
contest, mark you. is for quantity rather
than quality. 1t is not a food show. 1t is
the yield per square yard that counts. So.
in computing that yield. there was nothing
to do but rule out that amount Of produce
of which there was no feasible way Of
keeping tab.
Everybody. however. will be on the some
footing. For nobody will be able to resist
the temptation Of eating share Of the
luscious vegetables he raises. II isn't hui
man nature Don't worry about that con-
dition. Just keep record Of what you
sell and be ready to show the judges what
you have dried. canned or stored when
they come around.
The judging in each locality will be con-
Quoted under the supervision Of the County
Agricultural Agent and the County Food
Administrator, so don't hold back your en-
tries for fear Of some snag that cannot
crop up. Hurry up your entry along to the
Maryland Food Administration, 700 Equi-
table Building, Baltimore. and be enrolled
as one of those home patriots who are do
ing the biggest bit they can this side of
France. Make it plain to all that. figura-
lively speaking. you have the Star-Span-
eled Banner indelibly emblazoned on your
heart.