Miscellaneous. 



322 



[May 1907. 



they werejrequested to bring the products of their gardens to school, and prizes were 

 awarded. Over 250 specimens were brought in and prizes of from 25 to 50 cents were 

 given. The effect of these gardens on the neighbourhood was wonderful, as 

 neighbours became interested iu the work of the children, and gradually turned to it 

 themselves, thus changing the whole appearance of the neighbourhood. 



Then the Dartmouth street school did something similar in giving out seed 

 to the children. Before the close of school I went up there and talked in three 

 different rooms, where the grades were doubled up. Tne teachers had the children 

 bring their crops to school, and there was an exhibition in the school corridor, where 

 the flowers and vegetables had been arranged on long tables. I questioned the 

 children to see if they knew the names of the different specimens, and asked how 

 they grew the things. The classes came up one at a time, and we had a sort of an 

 object lesson. Several times after this various exhibits of the best were taken and 

 seut to the Worcester County Horticultural Society's Exhibitions, where they 

 were given prizes of money, which was used in embellishing the school rooms. 



The Worcester County Horticultural Society had considered various pro- 

 positions for encouraging children, but they never am ounted to anything until this 

 year, when the society appropriated $50 for two children's exhibitions. A schedule 

 of premiums was made and sent to the various school children and others interested 

 in the work throughout Worcester county, offering $1, 80 cents, 60 cents, 40 cents, 

 and 20 cent premiums for the best collection of vegetables and for the best 

 collection of flowers grown from seed, and prizes for various specimens of vegetables 

 and different kinds of flowers of 50 cents, 40 cents, 30 cents, 20 cents, and 10 cents. 



Any child under If years of age was entitled to exhibit ; the work from the 

 planting to the harvesting of the crop to have been done by the child itself. We had v 

 two exhibitions, one in July, and one in August, which resulted in our having 35 

 exhibitors at one time, and 37 at the other. While nothing had been said regarding 

 gratuities, the committee decided to give a gratuity of 10 cents for every exhibit 

 which did not take a prize. The enthusiasm and interest shown by the children was 

 simply marvellous. One of our most earnest workers was Roger Newton Perry who 

 took our first prize for home gardens. He was one of our largest exhibitors, and did 

 some splendid work. 



A feature of the exhibitions was that the children were paid their premiums 

 on the spot. I believe that when you tell a child you'll do something, in doing it, and 

 right away, too. Immediately after the show we paid the children just what we 

 owed them, and every child was happy because everyone got something. I received 

 several letters from some of our young exhibitors afterwards, thanking me for the 

 good time the society had given them. 



These exhibitions were so successful and were received so favorably that the 

 society has appropriated double the amount of money to have similar exhibitions 

 next year. 



SCHOOL GARDEN NOTES. 



(By Prank M. Marsh, Superintendent of Schools, Fairhaven, Mass.) 



After listening with you to the many interesting phases of the work with 

 children's gardens which have been presented by the speakers this morning, I shall 

 not attempt to add anything new, but I am constrained to ask you for a moment, by 

 way of review, to consider one or two points that may be open to discussion. First, 

 children's gardens should not be begun without careful plans and preparation on the 



