Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-09-23
GARDENING IDEA
Satisfactory Results From
Scheme to Beautify Towns.
GREAT BENEFIT TO CHILDREN

GREAT BENEFIT TO CHILDREN
Encourages Cleanliness and Thrift anc
Develops Artistic Taste-How Life
Can Be Made Worth Living For
Home Loving Employees.
A scheme of prize awards as an in
centive for greater care of yards and
gardens by house jewellers has been
adopted by Il business firm in Neenah,
Wis, for the Improvement of Niagara.
II of the paper mill towns on the
Menominee river, in northern Wiscon-
sin.
This plan, which can be followed by
any town, marks another step in the
movement for we'll kept gardens Us a
civic necessity. Milwaukee also benc,
fits by such Il movement, and lshpc-
ming, Mich. r~ejoiccs in Il prize con-
test held annually by in iron company.
In the Niagara plan the village has
been divided into sixteen districts.
Prizes are offered on Il yard improve
mcnt contest to cover cleanliness.
| Sightlincss and neatncss of the prem
iseS. The company in Ncenah will APP
point three men out Of town, who.
with two resident judges. will mako
| three inspections during the season. \.
r,rs;vn uf1l 1, ;,-n, no flN ", ,I -, n,nI,
of the sixteen districts showing the
greatest Improvement during the sum
mer. To the best of the sixteen dis
tricts Il prize winners prize will be
offered. In addition to the first prize.
there will be given Il cash prize to
every family residing in the neighbour
hood which shows the greatest i'm
proyement.
Seeds. plants, shrubs and trees are
being sold to the contestants at cost.
Much of the natural beauty of the lit
tie town, which is situated attractively
between high bluffs. was shorn by
lumbermen and jobbers, who cut ev-
cry tree from the hills and valley.
leaving stumps and ~Slashings as they
passed through.
Ever since the inauguration of the
yard Improvement plan stumps and
brush have begun to disappear rapidly.
Fencing. grading and the removal of
ro:k are doing wonders in the way of
appearance. and thousands of plants.
shrubs and trees are being set in.
Promising lawns already take the place
of riot Of weed and Canadian thistle.
The women and children have benefit,
ed in health by the out of door eNer-
else attendant on the garden work.
and men find recreation and interest
in working about their homes.
Nia@ara'S army of willing beanti-
1iers promise to make their village a
rival Of IShpeming. With its annual
prize contest under the auspices of an
iron company. The prize contestants
there are persons occupying land own
ed by the company. and Il number Of
classes are posted under which they
may compete. Prizes are offered for
the best kept premises. vine planting,
window box planting and vegetable
gardening. The company issues an at
tractivn booklet with instructions in
the care Of the garden and planting.
The pamphlet issued by the IShDcm-
ing company speaks editorially on the
subject of garden care.
1--WE find that the children in the
homes where much regard is given to
making and keeping it as attractive as
n0Ccih1n o,n ipo1ionJ tn ln ,,,ro I,,,,
loving and more easily interested in
the best thing" 1t says. "A boy can
have no better training than that of
knowing how to cultivate the soil.
Many vegetable and flower gardens
have been brought to our notice show
ing the value of the work done by
boys and girls through the long sum-
mer holidays. Many a boy and girl
have thus been able to earn their first
money and acquire a habit of industry
in this work which has been a help to
them throughout their lives. There is
no question about the benefit to the
home or the home life having such i'm
proved surroundings
AS q result Of this work the city OF
lshpemins presents a pleasing con-
trast to the coal mining and foundry
towns of America and Europe. 1t en-
joys the distinction of being the best
kept of any in the long mining list.
1shpeming has responded enthusiasts
tically to the company's invitations for
general improvement.
The prizes. which are cash. aggre-
gate several hundred dollars annually.
There are several first. second. third
and fourth prizes in each class. These
are for the tenants of the company.
Besides these the president of the com
pany gives prizes Of money to the boys
and girls of the public schools who
make the best showings in flower and
vegetable gardens.
The company has a fine nursery and
greenhouses. from which it supplies its
tenants at low cost.
Missionary work in the cause of gar.
Ter has been carried ont with eo+ic-