HOME GARDENS FOR SMOKY TOWNS. 363 



which children were admitted ; and he wished a similar 

 arrangement might be made in some of the squares in 

 crowded neighborhoods, such as Golden Square, and 

 especially in Lincoln's Inn Fields. There were lots of 

 children playing about in the streets, and he wished the 

 good example set by the Templars might be followed. 



Mr. Liggins, as an old member of the Koyal Horticultural 

 Society, felt a great interest in this subject. Among his 

 poorer neighbors in the district of Kensington, cottage and 

 window gardening had been encouraged for some years past, 

 prizes having been awarded to those who were most success- 

 ful, much to their gratification. This was a novel idea, but 

 he felt quite sure that it would enable those who adopted it 

 to obtain the crops which had been described. There were 

 many collateral advantages which it would bestow on the 

 working classes if largely followed by them, especially the 

 one mentioned by Mr. Williams, that those who devoted 

 their spare time to the cultivation of fruit and flowers would 

 not be so open to the attractions of the public-house. 

 When traveling through the United States some years ago, 

 he was much struck with the difference in appearance of the 

 houses in districts where the Maine liquor law was in force, 

 and soon learned to distinguish where it was adopted by 

 the clean, cheerful look of the workmen's dwellings, the 

 neatness of the gardens, and the presence of trees and 

 flowers which, in other districts, were wanting. He was 

 not a teetotaler himself, and was not advocating such re- 

 strictions, but he could not help noticing the contrast; and 

 he felt sure that in all our large towns great progress in 

 civilization and morals would be effected if such an attrac- 

 tion were offered to the working classes. He believed there 

 was so much intelligence and good sense among them, 

 that if they only knew what could be done in this way they 

 would attempt it; and when an Englishman attempted 

 anything, he generally succeeded. 



Mr. William Botly said they were much indebted to Mr. 

 Williams for having called attention to this important sub- 

 ject. He quite agreed with the observations of the last 

 speaker, for his own experience in building cottages showed 

 him that the addition of a piece of garden ground had an 



