i 4 o THE SCHOOL GARDEN BOOK 



the river road. Why not trees, greensward, and flowers 

 there for all ? The Superintendent of Streets promised Miss 

 Alden and her delegation of children that he would approve 

 and aid. An agent for a firm dealing in young trees agreed 

 to sell them three fine elms and some shrubs at half price, and 

 the money was raised in a few days. Two carpenters of the 

 street helped the boys make tree guards in advance. 

 When the street department ploughed up the triangle and 

 brought in more soil, the boys were ready to place the trees, 

 shrubbery, and the sod borders, under the direction of a 

 workman. River Street had a park. 



The home gardens had been advanced meanwhile. En- 

 thusiasm is contagious; the children caught it from Miss 

 Alden, their parents from them. Fathers recalled boyhood 

 days in other countries, or work years before on New England 

 farms. They took hold and showed how to spade up the 

 soil and how to work the fertilizer in; and when the boys got 

 tired their fathers often kept their courage up by working 

 with them after supper. Indeed, if any one thought the 

 work more than he had bargained for, he still could not give 

 up and let John next door do better than he. Mothers 

 remembered the flowers they used to love, and showed just 

 how to plant the seeds when the soil was ready. Every one 

 had a share in the work. 



Before enthusiasm thought of waning the judges came. 

 When these three gardeners from other neighborhoods 

 visited River Street with Miss Alden in early May they found 

 twenty-seven garden plots so far advanced as to deserve 

 awards. In ranking them, yard improvements were valued 

 as well as gardens, and whenever a boy or girl was shown to 

 have enlisted younger children of the family or neighborhood 



