February, i p i6 
31 
In the spring the official 
photographer goes about the 
city taking pictures of the 
worst features of the yards 
and gardens entered in the 
contest. He is accompanied 
by the judges, who usually are 
members of the staff of the 
State Agricultural College and 
take this opportunity to gather 
the data needed later in the 
awarding of the prizes. Later 
in the summer, when vegeta¬ 
tion of all kinds is in full 
bloom, the photographer 
makes a second trip about the 
city collecting pictures of the 
yards and gardens of every 
contestant. 
Then comes a lull of several 
weeks until the judges can 
render their decisions, and 
the officials are given time to 
prepare for the announcement 
of the prize winners. The 
largest auditorium in the city 
is. hired for that purpose, ad¬ 
mission being restricted to 
those persons holding tickets. 
Even this method does not 
prevent the overcrowding of 
the theater each year by the 
eager, summer-worn contest¬ 
ants and their families. The 
prize winning yards are shown 
on a screen by the aid of 
colored slides, the judges mak¬ 
ing their comments on each 
yard and garden. Then fol¬ 
lows the awarding of the cash 
prizes by the ten members of 
the “Beautiful Davenport” 
committee. 
The large German popula¬ 
tion has made the work of the 
committee much easier than 
had been expected. No long 
arguments were needed to in¬ 
duce them to enter the con¬ 
test, as most of them had been 
conducting contests of their 
own from year to year. It is 
to this section of the city that 
most of the prizes have gone, 
though the contests have be¬ 
come a vital factor in the life 
of every section of the city. 
Aiding the Family 
Scores of families which 
had supplied their larder with 
vegetables through the agency 
of the grocery stores soon be¬ 
gan raising their own vege¬ 
tables. The average garden 
raised practically all the vege¬ 
tables the family could eat in 
the summer, and many raised 
enough potatoes to last them 
through the winter. 
Medium sized back yards 
have become valuable agencies 
in contributing to the support 
of many poor families. In all 
sections of the city, trees have 
been trimmed, grape arbors 
started, and clinging vines and 
shrubbery planted about the 
houses. 
(Continued on page 78 ) 
