38 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



table school gardens, were kept by a class 

 or grade in the school. The individual plot 

 is probably the preferable one, as thereby 

 each pupil has a proprietory inierest in his 

 bed, and is likely to take more interest in it 

 than if the ownership was only a common 

 one. 



WOODSTOCK ENTERPRISE. 



In Woodstock we made a beginning three 

 years ago of improving our school grounds 

 by making a large bed of plants and flowers 

 in front of the Central school. Last year the 

 annuals were very satisfactory, and attracted 

 a great deal of attention and favorable 

 comment. In the autumn 1,200 tulip bulbs 

 were planted in the same bed, and their 

 appearance in the spring with their rich and 

 varied colors (four varieties) was extremely 

 efl^ective. It did much to create public opin- 

 ion in favor of this movement. And later in 

 the season, in addition to the bed being 

 replanted with tropical plants and showy 

 annuals, the School Board at the suggestion 

 of the Horticultural Society, planted a con- 

 siderable number of shrubs and evergreens 

 along the fence at the rear of the fine 

 grounds. These have thrived well during 

 the summer, and, with a little time will add 

 greatly to the attractiveness of the grounds. 



Similar action followed on the grounds of 

 the Collegiate Institute, and also on those of 

 the County Buildings, both of which have 

 been thereby improved in appearance. 



In addition to this the Horticultural So- 

 ciety has tried to do something in another 

 direction to encourage the school children 

 and citizens in the direction of floriculture 

 and horticulture. Last year they off"ered 

 money prizes for the best kept flower and 

 vegetable gardens, and also for the best 

 kept lawns and boulevards — competition be- 

 ing open to citizens having )^ acre or less of 

 ground. There was considerable competition 

 and it excited a general interest throughout 

 the city. The Society also off"ered prizes for 

 the best kept home plots to be planted and 



attended by pupils of the city schools. This 

 competition was also fairly satisfactory. 

 It is interesting and satisfactory to note 

 that a flower garden competition has also 

 been held in Ottawa during the past two 

 years at the suggestion and through the 

 generosity of Her Excellency the Countess 

 of Minto, who contributed therefor valu- 

 able gold and silver medals. The latter 

 have been eagerly competed for and won, 

 among others, by several millionaire resi- 

 dents of the capital. Thus has Her Excel- 

 lency of Government House been doing 

 something practical towards making our 

 Canadian Capital City the Washington of 

 the North. 



But the Horticultural Society this year 

 adopted a somewhat diff"erent plan. They 

 distributed to three pupils in each depart- 

 ment of the Central and public schools a 

 number of plants and flowers, such as asters, 

 zinnias, phlox, petunias and geraniums. 

 These were distributed free, the only con- 

 dition being that flowers from them should 

 be exhibited-and a large number of bouquets 

 were exhibited by the children as stipulated 

 at the fall exhibition of the Society. In this 

 way from eighty to one hundred pupils 

 received plants and flowers, and had little 

 gardens of their own at their several homes 

 during the summer. I have reports from 

 them all, and they are alike interesting, amus- 

 ing and appreciative. Here are some of them : 

 "Right in every way." 

 "The geraniums are like bushes." 

 "I gathered beautiful flowers from them." 

 "Thank the Society for giving them tome. " 

 " I picked flowers every day and put them 

 in a vase in the dining room." * 



"One day I cut three dozen asters off my 

 plants and they were very large. The ger- 

 aniums also were large and bloomed all the 

 time. I gave a great many bunches to my 

 friends." 



"Slips have been taken for another year 

 from the geraniums." 



