448 TwENTY-FiEST Biennial Ebpobt 



more than from one hundred and fifty to three plants. 

 Those thirteen were not all of the best, six only being 

 good. Prof. Matthews, of the Agricultural College, very 

 kindly consented to grow enough to supply the lack, 

 which he did. 



Several conferences v'ith business men were had, 

 some business with the Fiscal Court attended to, some 

 lessons on bacteria given, and many small details at- 

 tended to. 



June was spent in cultivating our gardens and in 

 getting our tomato plants into the plats. 



The gardens were situated so far from the homes 

 of the children that I wonder any of them continued 

 until they were finished. Next year they are to have 

 them in their own back yards. 



I have found such an astonishing lack of good gar- 

 dens in the country, few have anything but the common- 

 est vegetables, and do not put up much for winter — there 

 is lack of variety. I even found some who bought their 

 tomatoes from the grocery store in summer. 



Instead of better equipment, the greater number of 

 kitchens I have been in need cleanliness (although they 

 need equipment, too) and management more than all 

 else. 



We did some work in preserving strawberries, also. 

 July was spent in canning, preserving and pickling our 

 garden stuff. A canner was ordered by the Pythian 

 Home, and several trips made out there to instruct them 

 in canning tomatoes. They attempted to can com in 

 gallon cans, and lost thirty-five gallons. We will have 

 a tomato club from the Home next year. 



August was a busy time during the first few days, 

 while we were getting our garden display ready for the 

 Blue Grass Fair. The children met me at the garden 

 at five a. m., and worked liked ' Trojans until the dis- 

 play was ready. We did not get a prize, because we were 

 up against too great odds. The city children had 1,063 

 plats in their own back yards, water at all times, a su- 

 perviser who did nothing else, and teachers and parents 

 urging and encouraging them all the time. Continued 

 rain, poor seed, sickness of a serious nature among our 

 girls, the development of rot and wilt in several plats, 



