202 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



few of the older gardens. In order to bring our work before the 

 pubHc four articles were written, one on each phase of the work, and 

 published in the Boston Transcript. We also sent out a large 

 number of our circulars to superintendents of schools and others 

 likely to be interested. The results of this canvas were most satis- 

 factory as seen by the increased interest in our work and in the 

 number of entries for prizes. 



In order to become better acquainted with the children's garden 

 movement and that we might carry on our work more successfully 

 your chairman visited nearly all the gardens entered for prizes. 

 In this way it was possible for him to better understand the existing 

 conditions as well as to talk with the garden workers. A number 

 of other gardens were also visited; among these were the School of 

 Horticulture at Hartford, Conn., and the School Gardens of Hart- 

 ford and Amherst, ]Mass. The great lesson learned was that 

 children's gardens are successfully carried on when under the 

 leadership of an experienced garden director or teacher. Xo mat- 

 ter how enthusiastically the work is undertaken, without a proper 

 understanding of gardening it is usually a failure, and the move- 

 ment likely to be given up. In all cases during these visits your 

 chairman was cordially welcomed and usually a conference resulted 

 which was helpful to both. There is a crying need for an institution 

 in this state similar to that at Hartford, Conn., where school garden 

 work can be taught, and it is hoped that such an institution will be 

 started in this vicinity at an earlv date. 



Children's Garden Conference. 



With the hope of bringing together those interested in the move- 

 ment a conference was planned in connection with our Children's 

 Herbarium Exhibition in December and it proved a great success. 

 Invitations were sent out to a number of prominent children's gar- 

 den workers asking them to come and take part in the exercises. 

 It was very gratifying to find that these invitations were heartily 

 accepted and the success of the conference was assured. A printed 

 announcement was sent out two weeks in advance and suitable 

 reading notices were kindly printed by the leading papers. The 



