COTTAGE GARDENS ASSOCIATION. 529 



the pocket of the rich, the taste of the epicure, or the skill 

 of the educated gardener, but would hardly be a wise 

 economy on the part of the cottager. A committee, or 

 some members of a committee, might reasonably be sup- 

 posed to know which were best or most suitable, and willing 

 to use their knowledge for the advantage of the cottager. 

 Such a committee or sub-committee, recommending or 

 supplying seeds and trees at cost price, would be likely to 

 render him an essential service, by securing for him the 

 most suitable articles at the smallest cost. But of course it 

 should be optional on the part of the tenant whether or no 

 he avail himself of the offer. 



Let us endeavour to show how this might be worked 

 out. Suppose the committee offer to do this on condition 

 that the cottager send in a list of his wants by a certain date, 

 specifying quantities, and varieties also, if he prefer doing 

 so. These lists when collected should be sent to a reliable 

 nurseryman or seedsman, who would likely sell a quantity 

 at a lower price than he would charge the individual for 

 the small quantities he would require to purchase. Cash 

 payments would of course be required in this case. 



I have already mentioned that one cottager with whom 

 I am acquainted admitted taking no less than 10 in 

 prizes at one show. 



COTTAGERS' SHOWS of vegetables, fruit, and flowers 

 are very useful in stimulating the cottagers to exertion, 

 but they should be so managed that no one exhibitor can 

 take all the leading prizes, and they should draw the 

 cultivator as a friend. The exhibitors should be divided 

 into three classes (i) Cottagers whose ordinary occupation 

 is other than gardening ; (2) cottagers who are employed in 

 nurseries or private gardens ; and (3) shopkeepers or small 

 tradesmen, separate and distinct prizes, being offered to 

 each class of exhibitors. No person should be eligible to 

 compete for prizes who rents a cottage at more than 8s. 

 a-week. The largest number of prizes should be for 

 vegetables, the next for fruits, and the next for flowers. 



2H 



