CHAPTER XVI 



PRIZE FLOWERS AND FRUIT 



The flower bed was an important annex to many 

 family gardens in the contest, yet the floral portion of 

 the garden received comparatively little attention in 

 the majority of accounts. Although many expressed 

 admiration and appreciation of flower products, the 

 majority were contented with the simplest methods of 

 growing them, as described in the various accounts in 

 other chapters. 



Those who took special pride in the aesthetic side 

 of gardening and with the same care and skill that they 

 would employ with the money crops, prepared and 

 cultivated their plots of seedlings, using choice seed, 

 forcing with hotbeds and high culture, produced results 

 which caused many a country estate to resemble a 

 choice section of the garden of Eden. The grounds 

 of a New York state gardener, R. N. Lewis, were at 

 first comparatively bare and unattractive, but when 

 the skillfully managed flower beds were in full bloom, a 

 scene of beauty appeared of which a faint idea may be 

 obtained from the accompanying picture. 



One of the few who made anything like a specialty 

 of flowering plants was B. S. Higley of Ohio, the first 

 regular prize winner. His very thorough and success- 

 ful methods for sweet peas, begonias and dahlias are 

 given nearly in full : 



Sweet Peas. — When the peas are ready to climb, 

 I prepare a trellis in this way: The end posts were 

 well braced when set. I nail to each post, crosswise of 

 the rows, three pieces of two by four-inch pine, twelve 



