May 1907.] 



315 



Miscellaneous. 



prizes. It was decided, however, to try the experiment, and the number was increas- 

 ed to ten. When the entries were in it was discovered that we had over two hundred, 

 and we found we had made no mistake. 



We visited the home gardens as far as possible, and found it was very encour- 

 againg to the children to do so. We still feel that the children's home garden 

 movement is a very important one, and that local organisations and parents should 

 encourage the children to have them. We have increased the prizes for 1906 both in 

 number and in amount, and call special attention to the fact that girls receive the 

 same prizes as the boys. 



The two principal centres for home gardens this year were at Ayer and 

 Reading. Unfortunately the gardens at Ayer were not as well kept up as might be 

 desired, though some were very nice ; here again the dry weather discouraged the 

 young gardeners. In Reading the home gardens are encouraged by the Woman's 

 Club, and some very prettily gotten up reports were sent in. A larger number 

 entered than were reports received which brings out an important point, namely, 

 that a local organization can sift out the best reports from those entered for 

 our prizes and thus save us a good deal of trouble ; it also helps as they are 

 often better judges of the gardens. We want to see a great increase in this 

 work the coming year, and feel that our prizes are sufficiently large to attract com- 

 petitors. It is impossible for the committee to visit a very large number of home 

 gardens, but if those which are the best in any locality are selected, the chances of 

 visiting them increase and in this way the children are encouraged. 



Several letters from home garden prize winners follow. 



Children's Herbariums. 



Owing to the great number of herbarium sheets exhibited during 1901, it was 

 necessary to limit the number acceptable from any one child. As a result of this 

 better sheets were brought in, though fewer in number. While in 1901 there were 

 2,316 specimens received but 1,815 were awarded prizes. This year only 989 were sent 

 and 780 accepted. Of the 201 rejected 118 were improperly labelled, so that had our 

 rules been carried out by the competitors comparatively few would have been 

 rejected. We were also enabled to vary the amount of our awards according to the 

 value of the sheets which was impossible last year owing to the number of sheets 

 accepted and the lack of funds. 



The exhibition this year was held in the large hall, on account of the 

 Children's Garden Conference in the lecture hall on Saturdav morning. It occupied 

 two-thirds of the hall and was well staged. An exhibit of evergreens from the 

 Chrysanthemum Show added greatly to the appearance of the hall. Prize cards 

 were put on the exhibits at the openiug on Friday morning, and we believe that the 

 awards were in every way satisfactory to the children. 



Photographs from school and home gardens, collections of insects, and garden 

 reports we also put on the tables, making altogether the most interesting exhibition 

 ever held by our committee. We are very glad that our last exhibition of children's 

 herbariums proved so successful, and hope that our children's garden efforts will 

 produce as many horticulturists as the herbarium work did botanists. 



Native Plants. 



The exhibits of native plants, for no apparent reason, were fewer during 

 the year than last year. The exhibits themselves, however, were good and in every 

 way up to the standard, in some cases even better. It was recommended by your 

 chairman that the awarding of prizes for native plants be taken away from the work 

 of the committee, as it is so different from the children's garden work that the 

 committee became divided in interest, those caring for native plants not being 



