THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



881" 



until the time of the fall festival, at which time all con- 

 testants were required to bring at least some of their 

 products for competition in classes which provided for all 

 the indivitlual items which had been seen in any quantity 

 grovvny in the several gardens. Here, too, there were 

 two general divisions in the arrangement of the exhibits. 

 The vacant lot gardeners exhibiting their products to- 

 gether, and the home gardeners exhibiting their products 

 in classes provided especially for them. 



This festival was held in one of the city parks on a large 

 lawn where a bog tent was set up, open on all sides. 

 Long tables were placed throughout the tent on which 

 were arranged all the exhibits that represented a veritable 

 country fair without the animals. There were beets, 

 tomatoes, onions, potatoes, corn, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, 

 turnips, wax beans, string beans, lima beans, parsnips, 

 cauliflower, kale, Swiss chard, egg plants, red peppers, 

 cucumbers, peas, pumpkins and squash displayed on 

 cardboard pie plates and properly labeled. In a number 

 of cases as many as forty entries were made in several of 

 the undivided classes, and the competition was most keen. 



Plans for the continuing of the work for 1914 have 

 already been well worked out, and a very much greater 

 interest manifested even than was shown last year. One 

 of the leading banks in the city undertnok td jiav for the 



( )ne other nnjjorlant fact has become apparent, many 

 of the vacaiu lots handled in this way last year are no 

 longer available. The changed ai)])earance and condition 

 of these lots has invariably resulted in a demand for their 

 use as homesites. 



.\ PRIZE WINMNG PAIR— BROTHER .-\XD SISTER. 



A PROUn V(TL'Xi"; PKIZF. WIXMNi, ii\kli|MK' 



publishing of the official bookelt, and in addition fur- 

 nished $1,000 towards prizes and expense of conducting 

 the movement for this year. 



Arrangements have been made to provide a number of 

 garden talks throughout the season ; these talks to be 

 given in some particular garden in a given community 

 on a stated afternoon. These talks will lie given by men 

 familiar with garden work, and will include such sub- 

 jects as have a direct bearing on the preparation of the 

 ground, the selection and planting of seeds, the best crops 

 to grow and general cultural directions. 



It would be impossible in a brief article of this sort 

 to enlarge on the success obtained by many of the ama- 

 teur gardeners, and such figures as might be given by the 

 writer would seem almost incredible were the facts not 

 absolutely known. The good resulting from a movement 

 of this sort cannot be computed alone in the dollars and 

 cents which it invariably means to manv of those who 

 engage in this work. There are the further facts of im- 

 proved health conditions; the transforming into beautv 

 spots of what formerly were public dum])s that were not 

 only unsightly but frequently a menace to public health, 

 and the providing of profitable recreation for those who 

 formerly were found wandering aimlessly on the streets, 

 or engaged in some form of amusement that was neitlier 

 profitable nor helpful in any way. 



JUDGES .'\T A PRIZE WI.\.M.\G GARDEN. 



ifr. John Boddy. icho is city forester, of Cleveland, Ohio, has 

 generously eontribiitcd this article at our solicitation. It is pub- 

 lished toith a rieip of arousinij a xoidrsprend interest in the vacant 

 lot fiarden projrct. in the communities uhire it has not yet been 

 undfrtakcn. — /Editor. 



THE APRIL CHRONICLE 

 Will contain many seasonable articles devoted to out- 

 door planting. 



