1fn mew England 



land in the immediate suburbs are rented 

 and divided up into separate gardens. A 

 spirit of rivalry exists among them as to 

 who can raise the best crops, and when a 

 cottager takes any particular fruit, flower, 

 or vegetable in hand as a hobby, he is 

 bound to show something creditable, 

 even when cultivating it under the most 

 adverse circumstances. This spirit of 

 emulation is kept up, in a great measure, 

 by the almost universal practice of hold- 

 ing periodical shows in all parts of the 

 country. Some of the more enthusiastic 

 growers will travel many miles previous 

 to the time of holding their own show, 

 just to keep posted on what their rivals 

 are doing, and to learn how the pet speci- 

 mens of others compare with their own 

 products. It was remarkable that some 

 of the most successful growers were those 

 who followed an entirely different calling 

 for their daily bread." l 



The hints thus given might well be 

 introduced into our own country. 



1 Samuel Henshaw, Staten Island, N. Y. 

 163 



