The Otta^va Garden Competitions' 



THE effect of the garden competitions in the 

 city of Ottawa has been beneficial, both 

 from an educational and an ornamental 

 standpoint. The city has improved in 

 appearance. These competitions were inaugur- 

 ated by Lady Minto in 1902. The objects that 

 Lady Minto had in view were the encouragement 

 of neatness and order in the keeping of grass 

 plots and flower beds in the private homes of 

 the citizens, especially where fronting the street; 

 the encouragement of flower growing, and 

 their tasteful arrangement in beds or borders; 

 and -to awaken increased interest in horticulture 

 in general, so that the gardens and lawns 

 entered in the competition might be object lessons 

 to the rest of the citizens. It was hoped also 

 that the presence of a well-cultivated and pretty 

 garden in every part of the city would shame 

 the owners of neglected gardens into improving 

 them. A general and uniform neatness would 

 bathe result. 



JUDGES AND JUDGING 



Three gentlemen prominent in horticulture 

 and amateur gardening were appointed by Lady 

 Minto to act as judges for the 3 years, 1902-03-04. 

 These were Mr. R. B. Whyte, Ottawa's leading 

 amateur gardener, chairman; Mr. W. T. Macoun, 

 Horticulturist, C.E.F., Ottawa; and Mayor 

 J. A. ElUs of Ottawa. The gardens were 

 visited four times during the season, about the 

 last week in June, July, Aug., and Sept. Points 

 were given monthly for neatness and order, 

 floral display and general effect. 



COMPETITORS 



The competitors were divided the first year 

 into 2 classes, those employing professional gar- 

 deners or outside help during the season, and 

 those who did the work themselves or with the 

 assistance of members of their immediate 

 household only. Amateurs were allowed to 

 employ outside help before and on May 24, but 

 not after. The city was divided into 2 districts. 

 Prizes were awarded to the three best gardens 

 in each district. The remaining competitors 

 received no rewards. The prizes consisted of 

 gold, silver, and bronze medals, suitably en- 

 graved. The 2nd year, 1903, the percentage plan 

 was introduced. In the professional class three 

 valuable medals were presented In the amateur 

 class, all competitors scoring over 75% received 

 $15 cash, and those scoring under 75% and 

 over 60%, $10 in cash. In 1904, the gardens 

 were judged together, no distinction being made 

 between professional and amateur. As some 

 competitors did not care to receive cash prizes, 

 Lady Minto substituted medals and certijicates 

 of merit, signed personally by Her Excellency. 

 A competitor's experience 



During the first 2 years of the competition, 

 1 personally was not successful in winning a 

 high prize, but I gained experience. Each 

 month, immediately after the judges' rounds, 

 I visited the first 3 gardens on the list. There 

 I took notes of value for use in my own garden. 



When the competition opened in 1904, I 

 catered to the judges' taste in regard to group- 

 ing and blending of flower colors. My reward 

 was one of the first prizes. Beside the honor of 

 winning the first prize, many other advantages 

 were mine. The garden always was scrupulous- 

 ly neat. We had more bloom of better quality 

 than ever before. Flowers from my garden 

 won more prizes at the Hort. Soc'y's shows than 

 in former years. I had gained a broader knowl- 

 edge of and a keener enthusiasm for horticul- 

 ture. 



A JUDGE'S experience 



With the termination of Lady Minto's stay in 

 Canada ended the garden competition under 

 her name and direction. After the lapse of a 

 year, the scheme was revived by Lady Grey. 

 The judges appointed by Her Excellency are 

 Mr. W. T. Macoun, chairman; Mr. H. N. Bate, 



• A paper read before the convention of the Ontario 

 Horticultural Association recently held in Toronto 



S. Short, Ottawa 



chairman of the Ottawa Improvement Cora- 

 mission; and myself, Pres. Hort'l Soc. Mr. 

 Bate acted as referee or consulting member, 

 and did not visit the gardens with the other 

 judges. In addition to giving 20 points each 

 for cleanness and order, floral display and gen- 

 eral effect, the judges this year have given 20 

 points for labor and enthusiasm. This would 

 give new beginners a chance to compete with 

 experienced gardeners. 



On the whole, the different competitors kept 

 up their enthusiasm during the summer, some 

 of them remarking to the judges that they were 

 determined to win a high prize, evidently 

 being quite satisfied with their work. It would 

 have been better for them had they visited some 

 of the leading gardens in their neighborhoods 

 and'made observations for improving their own 

 places. I am afraid they will be disappointed 

 when the scores are announced. 



One garden that scored well is situated in one 

 of the poorer districts of the city, renting for 

 probably $6 or $7 a month. All the houses on 

 that side of the street are alike. About the 

 middle of the block is situated the house and 

 garden entered into the competition. The 

 house is the home of an English family; the 

 mother and children — chiefly girls — are all lovers 

 of flowers. Their efforts in flower growing 

 were very successful and somewhat pathetic. 

 The garden consisted of a little plot about 5 ft. 

 wide and 10 ft. long in front of the house and a 

 little alleyway leading to the back yard. The 



An Old Man's Good AA^orh 



I have obtained 15 subscribers for The 

 Canadian Horticulturist. Had I re- 

 ceived the agency sooner I flatter myself 

 that I could have more than doubled the 

 number, for this is a wholly rural section. 

 The farmers here take other farm papers 

 that are hard to oust. Yet I have done it 

 a little. 



To get the 15 subscribers I had to walk 

 an average of 2}^ miles per subscriber. 

 I am an old man, 86 years old. In doing 

 this I have done what I desire. I have 

 introduced in my locality the best horti- 

 cultural paper in Canada. — S. P. Morse, 

 Lowville, Ont. 



flowers were giown in flower-pots,, home-made 

 hanging baskets and old iron vessels, painted 

 green. Fuchsias, geraniums, calceolarias and 

 other house plants formed the collection used to 

 ornament the little verandah. During the long, 

 dry summer these plants were beautifully fresh, 

 always in bloom and exceedingly attractive, 

 so much so that they drew the attention of the 

 passer-by from the broken gate and unpainted 

 fence which we were told the landlord promised 

 to repair in the fall. In the alleyway, spiraeas 

 and ferns flourished, and in every available 

 comer of the back yard the different annuals 

 bloomed to perfection, showing daily attention. 

 The little yard was divided up, each little girl 

 having a portion. Keen rivalry seemed to 

 exist and when the judges praised an individual 

 bloom its owner showed intense satisfaction. 

 This garden and the happiness that the family 

 derived from it are object lessons to their neigh- 

 borhood. 



The best garden this year is owned by a middle- 

 aged civil servant who looks after it himself. 

 The garden is evidently his hobby. It is the 

 back-half of a city lot that runs through from 

 one .street to another. The garden scoring 2nd 

 place was one of the largest entered. A pro- 

 fessional gardener was employed. The third 

 garden is owned by an amateur and is situated 

 on the side of a steep hill. 



The judges were instructed to consider the 

 circumstances of each competitor and the size 



ef each garden. In judging a small garden we 

 expected a higher degree of excellence than from 

 a larger. In gardens with wealthy surroundings 

 we expected choicer varieties ofi,flowers thanjin 

 those of humbler circumstances. 



EffectJof competition 



The inauguration^ of the competitions by 

 Lady Minto awakened a new era of horticultural 

 enthusiasm in Ottawa. A short time afterwards, 

 the Ottawa Improvement Commission was 

 appointed by the Dominion Govt, and given an 

 annual appropriation of $60,000 to be spent in 

 improving the driveways and beautifying un- 

 sightly spots about the city. Membership in 

 the Ottawa Hort'l Soc. rapidly increased. This 

 year the membership is the largest of any society 

 in the province. Larger entries and better qual- 

 ity of exhibits were a feature of the society's 

 shows. Flowers seeds and printed instructions 

 on how to grow them were distributed to the 

 school children of Ottawa by R. B. Whyte and 

 other patriotic citizens, who donated also 

 prizes in the autumn for flowers grown from the 

 seeds distributed. School trustees sodded and 

 ornamented grounds around schools that before 

 were ugly and bare. 



A love for flowers has been developed among 

 the citizens in general. Florists' establishments 

 have doubled in number during the last four 

 years. Market gardeners, who formerly grew 

 only small fruits and vegetables, are now growing 

 large quantities of flowers, chiefly sweet peas and 

 asters, to sell at the market at a greater profit 

 than the vegetables. On the whole, the com- 

 petition has worked wonders in Ottawa. The 

 scheme commends itself to the benevolence and 

 public spirit of the citizens of any city or town, 

 no matter what the size Philanthropy can 

 find no better channel 



Horticulture in ScKools 



Rev. P. C. L. Harris, Guelph, Ont. 



Five years ago, the Guelph Horticultural 

 Society began its work among the school chil- 

 dren. The first year's distribution was geranium 

 plants.- About .300 of these were given out. The 

 exhibition in the early fall was very fine, but in 

 the distribution several varieties were used, and 

 this resulted in a lack of uniformity. Some 

 plants were free bloomers; others were §low, 

 etc. The second year, and in 1905, we distrib- 

 uted the seed of Semple's Branching aster. The 

 first time about 500 packets were distributed, 

 while in 1905, about 926 packets were given to 

 the boys and girls of the public and separate 

 schools. The exhibition in 1905 was not pro- 

 portionately as good as that of the year before, 

 which was exceedingly fine. Last year geran- 

 iums were again distributed, all of one variety, 

 and about 500 pots in all. 



It is very difficult to estimate the results of 

 the work : that can be better done after further 

 trial. There are, however, some evidences of 

 good accomplished. The prizes given for these 

 competitions have been mostly bulbs, and many 

 of the children are beginning to take a good deal 

 of interest in the growing of bulbs of different 

 varieties and are succeeding well. 



Such competitions will inspire a love for the 

 beautiful in plant Ufe, both for the house and 

 garden. "The full results will be seen after 

 many days. It pays. 



Have you a friend who you think would 

 like to take The Canadian Horticulturist? 

 Send us his name and we will gladly send him a 

 specimen copy. "The More the Merrier!" 



I renew with pleasure my subscription to The 

 Canadian Horticulturist, which I have taken 

 for the past 20 years. Throughout these years 

 I have learned many useful things from its pages, 

 and expect to learn more as the magazine grows 

 in size and importance. — Walter N. Turnbull, 

 Gait, Ont. 



