SCHOOL GARDENS. 203 



program included an address of welcome, the announcement of 

 awards for school and home gardens, and seven ten-minute ad- 

 dresses covering various phases of the work. Ample opportunity 

 for discussion followed. A unique feature was a model garden bed 

 illustrated by a practical exercise by a boy gardener and teacher. 

 The Conference was held at Horticultural Hall, Saturday, Decem- 

 ber 2, at 10 o'clock. 



Your chairman called attention to the fact that our Society gave 

 encouragement and financial assistance to the first school garden 

 in the country, which was started in Roxbury as an experiment. 

 We may therefore consider ourselves leaders in the movement. 

 He briefly reviewed the present conditions, told of the aims of the 

 committee, and asked for the cooperation of all interested in order 

 that the work might be carried on to the best advantage. After 

 announcing the awards he introduced the first speaker. Miss Esther 

 F. Hallowell. She spoke in place of INIiss Anne Withington who was 

 unfortunately obliged to be out of town. Other addresses followed 

 and nearly every side of the children's garden movement was dis- 

 cussed. As many valuable points were brought out the speakers 

 were asked to furnish abstracts of their addresses and these are 

 given in connection with this report. 



School Gardens. 



There were twelve entries for prizes for school gardens this year 

 and all but two sent in reports. This is a gain of nine over last 

 year and the largest number ever entered in one year. The season 

 opened up dry and some of the gardens were very discouraging in 

 the beginning, but picked up later, and in most cases gave satis- 

 factory returns. 



It is well to call your attention to the classes of school gardens 

 which we find. One connected with the public schools and usually 

 in a dormant and weedy condition during the summer, to be revived 

 again with the opening of school in September. Another, not con- 

 nected with a regular school, which begins with the opening of 

 spring or as early as possible without interfering with the regular 

 school work of the children and continuing through the summer 



