458 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



foods to your family. If an organisation of 

 influential housekeepers speaks clearly upon 

 this point, glass-covered boxes will be 

 quickly provided that will show the goods 

 quite as well. 



How about your dairy supply ? In a 

 certain town a shocking infant mortality was 

 traced to the milk. A body of indignant 

 women making a protest against an incom- 

 petent dairy inspector was told by the poli- 

 tician, of whom the inspector was a protege, 

 that they were going outside their sphere 

 when meddling in politics. He was quickly 

 answered that "women's sphere was not 

 only outside the home but inside the baby." 

 A weekly or fortnightly visit by a committee 

 from an improvement association would have 

 a deal to do with wholesome dairy premises. 

 No educated woman of this age dares to 

 be indifferent as to the source of the food 

 with which she supplies her family. Beauty 

 and health are synonymous terms — \ou can- 

 not have one without the other. 



Have you parks and open squares as 

 breathing places for the people ? Have you 

 public playgrounds for your children ? This 

 one matter of public playgrounds in all towns 

 is of vital importance. When the influence 

 upon the character and morals of children 

 of healthful play under the care of a watch- 

 ful, high-principled man or woman is fully 

 understood, no money will be spared to pro- 

 vide such playgrounds, and a new profession, 

 that of pla}' professor, will be among the 

 honorable and well-paid callings. 



The possibilities of such playgrounds are 

 almost unlimited. What mother would fear 

 to send her boys to the public playground if 

 she knew that awaiting them was a man 

 who could teach or oversee them in their 

 games and athletic sports, noting and re- 

 pressing evil tendencies in speech and man- 

 ner ? On occasion such a man would take 

 them on fishing and swimming trips and ex- 

 cursions through field and forest. The 

 woman teacher has charge of the girls' plays 



and games, and teaches to both sexes — 

 without seemingto teach — botany and nature 

 study and kindness to birds and beasts, un- 

 til even boys will see a bird, or cat, and a 

 stone in juxtaposition without desiring to 

 pick up the one and throw it at the other. 

 This is not a fevered dream of mine. In a 

 modified way these playgrounds are being 

 tried in various cities, with the happiest 

 results. 



Are there any provisions for public baths 

 in yoLlr town ? If there are none please ob- 

 serve on the following pages what Brookline, 

 Massachusetts, off"ers its citizens. Interest 

 the young men of your town in this matter. 



Have you casinos where the social life of 

 your town may find expression ? Have you 

 a public library ? If not, and your town is 

 too small to support one, there are ways of 

 obtaining traveling library cases. If your 

 state library has no provision for distributing 

 to the people the books your taxes so ex- 

 pensively house, petition your legislature 

 until these books reach the people who need 

 and want them. 



The disfigurement of streets and land- 

 scapes b}" bill-boards and advertisements is 

 a nuisance that is attracting the attention of 

 many of the best men, both at home and 

 abroad. 



Fig. 2174. The Same Road After Being 

 Improved ky the Local Society. 



