THE AMATEUR GARDEN 



The ceremony of award began with the lowest 

 cash prize and moved steadily up to the second 

 and first, these two being accompanied by bril- 

 liantly illuminated diplomas, and as each award 

 was bestowed, the whole gathering of winners 

 and non-winners — for no one could be called 

 a loser — sounded their congratulations by a 

 hearty clapping of hands. They had made the 

 matter a public, concerted movement, and were 

 interested in its results and rewards as spiritual 

 proprietors in a common possession much wider 

 than mere personal ownership under the law. 



This wider sentiment of community, so valu- 

 able to the whole public interest, was further 

 promoted by the combining of nearly two hun- 

 dred of these same gardens in "neighborhood 

 garden clubs" of seven or more gardens each, 

 every garden in each club directly adjoining an- 

 other, and the clubs competing for prizes of so 

 much a garden to the best and second-best clubs. 



Yet none the less for all this, but much more, a 

 great majority of the multitude of home garden- 

 ers represented by this gathering were enjoying 

 also — each home pair through their own home 



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