4 PRIZE GARDENING 



One novel feature of the contest was the emphasis 

 placed upon the story of the work ; not upon the yield 

 or profit of the garden. The management wisely pre- 

 ferred to secure practical and helpful accounts clearly 

 and attractively presented, rather than to encourage 

 stories of great returns, with the accompanying possi- 

 bility of exaggeration, and results which at best are 

 not more helpful to the average grower than are the 

 monstrous and pampered specimens of fruit and vege- 

 tables so often awarded premiums at the agricultural 

 fairs ; the trouble and expense in such cases are out 

 of the question for the practical gardener. The 

 methods described in the prize accounts are for the 

 most part those which anybody can follow with profit 

 under similar conditions. 



As might be expected, a majority of the best 

 accounts were evidently by the best gardeners ; men 

 and women of good general ability, having a thorough 

 understanding of the best methods and being able 

 therefore to present them clearly. Their work, both 

 on paper and on soil, showed to good advantage. 

 Some, evidently highly skilled and intelligent garden- 

 ers, were unfortunate in various ways, but in most 

 cases good accounts, good methods and good gardens 

 went together. Thus, although the prize accounts, if 

 sufficiently good, might have described gardens which 

 failed to pay, the fact was otherwise, as a general rule, 

 and despite a drouthy season^ most of the winners 

 obtained large and valuable crops. 



