ard in the garden to win it," said Mr. Blake.
"And, mind you! I may get my own prize, for I am going to work in the
garden, too. We will each choose some one vegetable, and whoever raises
the finest and best crop will get the prize."

"What made you think of this game for us?" asked Hal.

"Well, everyone is making gardens this year," said Daddy Blake. "You know
we are at war, and in war time it is harder to get plenty of food than
when we are at peace."

"Why?" asked Hal.

"Because so many men have to go to be soldiers," his father answered. "The
farmers and gardeners--thousands of them--have been called away to fight
the enemy, so that we, who never before helped to grow things from the
earth, must begin now if we are to have enough to eat and to feed our
soldiers.

"That is why I am going to have a garden--larger than we ever had before.
That is why many others who never had gardens before are going to have one
this year. All over vacant lots and play-fields, and even some beautiful
green, grassy lawns, are being turned into gardens. They will take the
places of many gardens that have been turned into battle fields. We must
raise more vegetables and fruits and we must save what we raise."

"Why do we want to save it?" asked Hal, "Can't we eat it?"

"We will eat all we need," his father, "But you know that gardens and
farms can only be planted, and fruits vegetables can only grow when the
weather is warm. Nothing grows in the cold Winter. So we raise all we can
in Summer and save what we need to eat when snow is on the ground."

"How are we going to make our garden?" asked Mab.

"And what am I going to plant?" asked Hal.

"Well, we'll begin at the very beginning," answered Daddy Blake. "The
first part of any garden is getting the soil ready. That is the dirt, in
which we plant the seeds, must be dug up and made soft and mellow so the
seeds will grow."

"What makes seeds grow?" asked Mab.

"And why can't we plant 'em anywhere?" Hal wanted to know.

Daddy Blake laughed.

"You're going to have a lot of questions to answer about this garden
game," said Uncle Pennywait. "You'll be kept busy."

"Yes, I guess so," agreed Daddy Blake. "Well I'll answer all the questions
I can, for I want Hal and Mab to know how hard it is to make even one bean
or radish grow from a seed. Then, when they find out that it is not easy
to have good vegetables, when the bugs, worms and weeds are fighting
against them, they will no