Who Grew the Prize Strawberries? 



SOON after the Hillcrest Grammar 

 School was presented with a flag by 

 the Grand Armj' Post, there was 

 great increase in the interest taicen in the 

 appearance of the school grounds. Flower 

 beds and shade trees appeared. These 

 were followed by the starting of a school 

 garden. Then the school board an- 

 nounced that it would offer two prizes of 

 twenty dollars each; one to the girl who 

 cultivated the most artistic display of 

 flowering plants; and one to the boy who 

 grew the best crop of strawberries. 



It seemed at first as though every boy 

 in school had determined to become a 

 grower of prize strawberries. When 

 October arrived, however, and it was time 

 for setting out the plants, the zeal had 

 somewhat diminished. Sixteen boys 

 finally entered the contest, were assigned 

 their plots of ground and received their 

 supplies of plants. The transplanting 

 was undertaken under the direction of 

 Miss Avery, the nature teacher. 

 This transplanting raised a question 

 which was referred to the superintend- 

 ent. Seth Newton insisted that his 

 father, a successful market gardener, 

 advised matted rows. It was decided, 

 however, that fair competition, with 

 equal numbers of plants necessitated 

 single rows. 



Though the real contest could not 

 begin till the opening of the growing 

 season in the spring, the boys en- 

 thusiastically gave their plots the 

 care needed for a proper start. The 

 beds were carefully watered and cul- 

 tivated to encourage rooting. By 

 the time the ground was thoroughly 

 frozen well-developed dark-green 

 plants marked the rows. Then came the 

 December snows. The scene of the 

 strawberry contest disappeared beneath a 

 protecting mantle, to remain until spring 

 sunshine should call the dormant plants 

 to life. 



Late April again saw the strawberry 

 beds the center of attraction. Soon the 

 whole community was interested in the 

 contest. It became evident that nearly as 

 many theories of strawberry culture were 

 to be tested as there were boys competing. 



Animal fertilizers, mineral fertilizers, 

 fertilizers mixed and separate; level cul- 

 ture, pruning and mulching were eagerly 

 discussed. With the appearance of the 

 first stray blossoms it seemed that Seth 

 Newton would have but one dangerous 

 rival. Leonard Carter now appeared in 

 that character. He was the son of a 

 physician who devoted his leisure to a 

 small farm, where he dared the criticism 

 of neighbors who avowed contempt for 

 his "book-farming" while surreptitiously 

 copying some of his improved methods. 

 The boys carried the differences of 



By H . E. Stockbridge 



principle and practice to the second gen- 

 eration, though the rivalry continued 

 friendly. When Seth good-naturedly 

 chaffed Leonard on book-methods, the 

 latter retorted that brains made an excel- 

 lent fertilizer. When the son of the doc- 

 tor insisted on the value of science, the 

 son of the gardener replied: "Practice 

 makes perfect." The boys soon became 

 the leaders of opposing factions, which 

 the superintendent facetiously named the 

 "Heads" and the "Hands," as one or the 

 other of these members was supposed to 

 dominate the methods of the two leaders. 

 Seth's bed showed the most advanced 

 plants, but the careful individual treat- 

 ment of the other boy had resulted in re- 

 markably even development. Seth began 

 to show uneasiness. A week of delayed 



rains prevented all work in the garden. 

 That week wrought a remarkable trans- 

 formation in the appearance of Seth's bed. 

 Half the plants were white with bloom, 

 and many stems already bore clusters of 

 tiny berries. 



Miss Avery was the first to discover 

 the marked change. "See here, boys," 

 she called, "just look at the bloom, and 

 those little berries on Seth's bed. He 

 must have put steam pipes under his 

 rows. 



The boy flushed and stooped over one 

 of the noticeable hills. 



"Tell us the trick," begged the super- 

 intendent, as he came up with several of 

 the other contestants. 



"'Twasn't a trick, only practical sense," 

 retorted the boy. "They've had good 

 cultivation, plenty of fertilizer, and the 

 rain has brought 'em out. 



"I didn't mean quite that. I only 

 wanted the secret of your successful prac- 

 tice," answered Mr. Chapin, looking 

 closely at the boy. 



"Leonard'll have to sit up nights with 



Page 201 



his bed now," laughed one of the others. 

 "Needn't do any watchin' on my ac- 

 count. He'll find that strawberries need 

 more workin' than nursin', I guess. 



Though placed at some disadvantage 

 by the sudden spurt of the "Hand" ber- 

 ries, the leader of the "Head" faction 

 was not discouraged. He spent fully as 

 much time as formerly with his crop, 

 which maintained steady and beautifully 

 even growth. As the berries began to 

 set in profusion, Leonard was seen to re- 

 sort again to the sprinkling pot. The 

 boys who gathered around to enquire in- 

 to this new treatment found that mere 

 supply of water was not its object. A 

 handful of mineral fertilizer had been 

 added to the contents of the sprinkler. 

 This called forth scornful comment from 

 Seth. 



"Givin' 'em spoon-victuals, eh.? 'Spose 

 you could improve the rain of Heaven by 

 addin' a little salt?" 



"No! But if the fertilizer has 

 to be dissolved before the plant can 

 use it, why not give it in solution 

 ready for use? 



"Ain't there plenty of water al- 

 ready in the ground for all the dis- 

 solvin' needed, after all these rains?" 

 "I don't know, do you? Besides, 

 don't Miss Avery say that plants al- 

 ways drink, and never eat? 



Notwithstanding the apparent con- 

 fidence of Seth, so close an observer 

 as the superintendent could not fail 

 to notice that his show of satisfaction 

 was artificial. The boy fell into 

 moody spells, quite unlike his natural 

 self. He often stood near his own 

 or Leonard's patch so absorbed 

 in musing as to be oblivious to the com- 

 ments or actions of his comrades busy on 

 other beds. Once or twice he called on 

 Mr. Chapin at his office, with no ap- 

 parent reason, and soon withdrew with 

 faltered excuses. 



The man concluded that this conduct 

 was simply the result of regret for the 

 result of rivalry which seemed to separ- 

 ate friends, and therefore exerted himself 

 to eliminate personal feeling from the 

 contest. 



Meanwhile the fruit grew, blushed and 

 ripened. Every berry was zealously 

 watched by eager contestants and friends, 

 as it turned from green to pink and then 

 reddened. The earliest berries were ripe. 

 Seth would have the first picking. 



The whole school gathered one morn- 

 ing to witness the gathering and grading 

 of the berries which Seth proudly picked 

 in the presence of Mr. Chapin and Miss 

 Avery. No other boy could even show 

 a single berry of acceptable ripeness. The 

 weighing of his first fruit, therefore gave 

 Seth a lead of two pounds and three oun- 



