The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-21
ADVERTISERS AMATEUR GARDENERS CONTEST
 AWAKENS CITY TO ACTION IN THE MATTER

At thi. season of the year the back yard is in it's most unsightly stage. When the frost is going out of the ground and the slush from recent rains is everywhere, the accumulation of winters untidiness and neglect are accentuated.
 Under such circumstances dirt that Hould hardly be noticeable in dry wealth CT. obtrudes itself upon the eye.
 < Whatever remnant of grass an uncared- for yard possesses is beaten down and seemingly nfeless Pools of water may nsnd in the low spots. Broken bits of wood, an island of ashes. and frozen md dscaying apple or potato at this eason will make back yard horror. 2 But this cleaning could be done. It has . seen done in other places. Not only have refuse heaps been carted away never to return. but back yards. back fences. out houses stables and the whole premises save been covereds with greenery through the long summer, making bower of hat which once was little more than a plague spot.
 community once awakes to the advan- taees of beautifying home promises. Day ton, O., frequently has been remarked by visitors and travelers.
 a end of Dayton was known as Slidertown. 1t was a section of small cottages, with neglected. dirty lawns, muddy streets. un. slightly lamp and telegraph poles. and having the general shiftless and ugly ap- pearance of the average manufacturing suburb.
 Within i've years the whole neighbor- hood was transformed. What was the beautiful residential suburb of South Park, and MT. Olmstead. the celebrated landscape gardener. walking along one of the little streets in what had been siss of the lots and the cost of the houses. 1t was the most beautiful street he had ever. seen.
 This transformation was brought about slidertown, who were first of all interest I'd in the planting of flowers and vines and the beautifying of their back and front yards. Their interest in such mat .of the best gardens. for-the best kept awns and for the most beautiful back and front yards.
 Soon after these prizes were offered a formed Its members pledging themselves 10 set an example in the way of keeping their lawns in order and in planting fiow- CTS and vines. As further incentive the company which offered the original mon ey prizes gave to the children who at- tended its factory Sunday School pack ages of seeds as pyizes for good work in the school. A little later an arrangement waE made by which the members of the Association were enabled to get seeds. shrubs. and nursery stock at the whole sale price. 5
 When the prizes for beautiful front and back yards were offered 1t was at once found that many people did not think 1t worth while to compete because, they lived in small cottages with narrow lots. It was at once explained that man who lfsro<f f,. t~s lot bod chance of winning the prizes with him whose lot had frontage of 100 feet. But few object lessons were necessary be- fore people. whose places are small, were persuaded to take an active interest in the competition. Once started, the idea proved to be contagious. A single place with vine-covered fences, blooming masses of flowers and shrubs and well .rimmed lawn spaces. had decided ef- 'ect on all the other places in the same 'ow. People who lived In the dirty and lnkempt places saw what their neighbor lad done and their pride, if nothing else ed them to improve their own surround ngs.
 The rivalry between householders for the winning of the money prizes offered also spread to an astonishing extent. The man who owned the .'prettiest back yard in South Park" was prouder of 1t than if he had won the Derby and next year he was certain to work harder than ever to hold the honor again, while all his neighbors did their best to outdo him. Each year more people were interested until the annual ceremony of awarding the South Park landscaue gardening prizes has come to be a function which attracts thousands of eager and even ex- cited people.
 It was soon found that the size of the yard had little to do with the beauty of the effects which could be produced. In fact. an extremely smali yard was found to be in many ways an advantage. A man could concentrate his efforts and needed to expend less time and money to make his premises equally beautiful.
 Perhaps the most astonishing transfor- nation wrought was the appearance of the back yards of the neighborhood When the work began they were, like the ordinary city back yard. dirty and up- slightly receptacles for all the trash and rubbish about the place. They were sep arsted from each other by high. unpaint- ed. and often broken down fences and glance along row of them was an of fense to the eye. One of the first things done was to plant some of the quick growing vines on either side of these division fences. Some of these vines will grow in almost any sort of soil and few cents will buy a large supply Of seed. Within few weeks the vines had