War Gardens: A Pocket Guide for Home Vegetable Growers — A Reader’s Guide

A Gardener’s Voice, Not a Theorist’s

Free writes in the first person plural, aligning himself with the reader: “We have the stuff and may as well eat it.” This colloquial directness appears throughout, as when he advises that fresh vegetables are “more appetizing than shop-worn products.” He avoids botanical jargon where possible, preferring plain instructions. For instance, when discussing clubroot in cabbage, he notes the first sign is “the sudden wilting of the plants”—a symptom any grower would recognize. His sentences are short, his paragraphs compact. The book’s 111-minute reading time reflects this efficiency. Free’s authority comes from experience, not abstraction: he mentions “the writer’s varied experience with back-yard and vacant-lot gardens” to ground his advice. This voice makes the guide feel like a conversation with a knowledgeable neighbor rather than a textbook.

Pests and Diseases: A Practical Arsenal

The chapters on insect enemies and plant diseases reveal Free’s pragmatic approach. He recommends specific remedies: Bordeaux mixture for leaf-spot on beets, potassium sulphide for mildew on peas, and formalin to disinfect seed potatoes against scab. He warns that “infected seeds should never be planted” for bean anthracnose, and advises cutting off corn smut swellings “before they burst.” The tone is urgent but not alarmist. Free treats spraying as “a form of insurance” for potatoes, acknowledging that crops can be obtained without it. He also notes practical constraints: Bordeaux mixture “will not keep, but should be applied the same day,” while stock solutions of copper sulphate and lime “will keep indefinitely if they are not mixed together.” These details show a writer attuned to the realities of home gardeners who lack commercial facilities.

Wartime Economy and the Home Plot

Free repeatedly ties gardening to larger wartime goals. Home vegetable raising “stimulates the consumption of vegetables, thus releasing staples, such as wheat and meat, for the use of our soldiers and the Allies.” He also emphasizes the reduction in the cost of living, noting that purchased vegetables are “quite a considerable item in the household budget.” Yet he does not ignore labor costs: “if labor is figured in the cost of raising vegetables,” the savings may be less. This balanced view keeps the guide credible. The book’s title—War Gardens—is not merely decorative; it signals that every chapter is shaped by the constraints of 1918: limited land, inexperienced gardeners, and the need for immediate results. Free’s advice on planning the garden, choosing crops, and storing harvests all serve the goal of maximum yield from minimum space.

Readers approaching War Gardens today will find a document of its era—a snapshot of how ordinary Americans were asked to contribute to the war effort through their own back yards. But the book also offers enduring practical wisdom: clear instructions on soil preparation, pest control, and crop rotation that remain sound. Free’s insistence on adapting to local conditions and his distrust of theory in favor of experience make this a useful companion for any gardener working with limited space. The guide rewards a slow reading, with attention to the small details—like the warning not to work among wet bean plants—that reveal a lifetime of observation.