Milkweed Campaign Success Highlighted

Milkweed is best known for its connection to the monarch butterfly, whose larvae feed exclusively on the plant's leaves. Without milkweed, monarch populations cannot survive the amazing migrations for which they are famous. For the monarch, milkweed is a lifesaver. During World War II, milkweed saved lives in a very different way. When Japanese forces captured Java, an island in Indonesia, the U.S. military lost access to an important resource. Java had been the primary supplier of kapok, the waxy inner fibers lining the kapok tree's seed pods. Because kapok is so buoyant-able to float objects * times its weight-it was used as filling in life vests. Now the supply had been cut off. American sailors, soldiers, and fliers still needed life vests, but existing stores of kapok were not sufficient to meet the demand. A substitute had to be found, and quickly. Fortunately, milkweed floss has similar properties to kapok, though it is not quite as buoyant. Milkweed grew plentifully in many parts of the United States and Canada. The question was, how could the necessary millions of pods be collected? The government turned to an unexpected source of help-children. A pamphlet issued in April * urged, "Schoolchildren of America! Help save your fathers', brothers', and neighbors' lives by collecting milkweed pods." The pamphlet told how to find and pick milkweed pods. The timing was tricky. Pods needed to be harvested in the fall, just as the seeds inside were turning brown but before the pods opened enough for the floss to fly away. The pods were then placed in open-mesh bushel bags (like large onion bags). The pamphlet gave detailed instructions about how to hang up the bags for drying. ("A simple way of hanging up bags is to tie the tops of two of them together and saddle them over the fence. . . . On barbed-wire fences, single, firmly tied bags can be hooked on the barbs.") Collectors would receive about * cents for each bag delivered to designated drop-off spots. American and Canadian children and their families rallied to the cause. By November 1st, more than *.* billion milkweed pods had been sent to project headquarters in Petoskey, Michigan. Workers there sorted the pods, extracted the silky lining, and removed the seeds. Enough floss was obtained to stuff an estimated *.* million vests. The milkweed campaign was a huge success. What about the monarchs that depended on that milkweed? Fortunately, by the time the pods ripened, the larvae had already eaten their fill and gone on their way. Those milkweed plants in * actually saved lives twice! Which sentence BEST supports the idea that the milkweed campaign was a success? a "Enough floss was obtained to stuff an estimated *.* million vests." b "Milkweed grew plentifully in many parts of the United States and Canada." c "American and Canadian children and their families rallied to the cause." d "Fortunately, milkweed floss has similar properties to kapok, though it is not quite as buoyant."