CHAPTER XV. 



*A FLOWER GARDEN COMPETITION 



'TTHF, Carnegie Flower Garden Competition of North- 

 *■ ampton, was started by the President of the Home- 

 Culture Clubs, now the People's Institute, in 1899. Be- 

 ginning with only a score of competitors, the interest in 

 the competition and its wonderful results has steadily 

 grown until over one thousand homes (a fourth of the 

 homes in the city) are competing for the prizes offered 

 each year. 



The work has grown so that the city is divided into 

 seven different districts (ward boundaries) and in order to 

 distribute the prizes more evenly, each district receives 

 three prizes. The amazing numerical growth of the com-, 

 petition shows the enthusiasm of the competitors and the 

 general interest throughout the city. But this awakened 

 interest, wonderful as it may seem, is overshadowed by the 

 astonishing results accomplished. 



Many garden competitors started in the competition 

 with their lawns merely grassless yards or a waste of sand 

 and weeds. Now in place of these, unsightly yards are 

 beautiful, well kept lawns with appropriately planted 

 shrubberry. This is done not only by persons who are 

 well to do, but by persons working in mills, who are 

 simply tenants in the places where they live. 



So silently and gradually has this work been done, 

 that many fail to realize the wonderful changes that have 

 taken place until other cities are visited or pictures taken 

 ten years ago, and now are contrasted. One visitor in the 

 city after riding for two hours through the factory section, 



*The Carnegie Flower Garden of Northampton Mass., has been carried on 

 for a decade with so much success; the rules so carefully worked out, and suc- 

 cesses obtained when the same rules and methods have been adopted else- 

 where, that they are here given in the hope that they may prove helpful to 

 others interested in beautifying homes in other communities. 



