Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-10-18

usual in these days-a rose garden.
with all the bushes strong and healthy
and full of roses in late September.
Only those who have tried to grow
roses can appreciate the loving care
and constant work that went to the
\ making and maintaining of that gar
den" continued Miss Buehler.
There were so many beautiful
! yards that the committee advised the
! giving of two additional third prizes
which the Telegraph kindly consented
| tc do. The other two gardens. were
beautiful in arrangement and showed
perfect care; no little work this year,
with the damage caused by the August
storms.
But after all. these yards. beautiful
as they were, did com paratiVely little
| toward making Harrisburg beautiful.
1t was the other three classes that
! made a real difference in the looks of
the town.
Porches Made Beautiful
''Porches included also the narrow
strip in front that is all that most Har-
risburgers can call front yard. The
three prize winners not only made the
most of their space, but showed un-
usual skill in design. 1t was here and
in the window boxes that the example
vas followed. After all. most Ameri-
! cans like to follow a better way when
they see it.
1T is to the window box that the
central part of the town must look for
its greenness and growing things in
the future. Harrisburg houses are
pinned together too tight as the
small boy explained when he tried to
say why he didn't like Philadelphia
These three prize boxes are
specially good and all show constant
care. Though the one that took the
J second prize has had the damage
| caused by wandering automobile
p.ost successfully repaired.
There are the hope of future green
ness for Harrisburg. Already the
| lesson is working, for our visitors
found whole block decorated, though
only one was entered in the contest.
| The others had followed suit because
ii looked so pretty
In the nonresidential buildings only
one-Bethany Chapel-persevered to
the end. The others entered were dis
couraged and relaxed their efforts.
Most Creditable Showing
But altogether for the first year.
Thanks to the generosity and public
spirit of the Telegraph. a good many
parts of the town are brighter, and
good many people have had their
attention drawn to one of the most
fascinating of occupations There is
nothing that makes a more instant
appeal to all sorts and conditions of
men-and especially women and chill
dren-than growing flowers
Suggests General Plan
The following letter was sent to-day
to the president of the Civic Club by
the president of the Telegraph COM
pany:
October 1s. 1915.
Mrs. William Henderson.
% North Front street,
Harrisburg, Pa.
My Dear Mrs. Henderson-We are
glad to have been able to cooperate
TO some extent with the Civic Club
during the present season, especially
in the planting of flowers and shrub
berry about the homes of the CITY.
Harrisburg has made such splendid
progress In every department of
human effort during the last few years
that it seems comparatively easy now
to interest our people in the esthetic
as well as the practical.
Let me assure you, and through YOU
the Civic Club. that the Telegraph. will
continue to support every worthy
movement having for its purpose tho
betterment of living conditions and
the improvement of home environ
ment.
If I may he permitted az this time.
I should like to suggest that your or
| ganization, with the general CO.
operation of the community, might
! perfect during the winter an asso-
citation or league for the promotion
of window and porch box planting.
| This could be done through a large
number OF committees, each with its
| chairman and secretary. and with a
| given territory allotted to each. For
instance, the territory bounded by
Market. Front. State and the west side
of Second street might be considered
as sufficient territory for the work of
one committee. the purpose being to
| interest all property owners in the
placing and planting of porch boxes
under some general plan of CO.
operation. OF course. the secretary of
each committee would report to the
main committee of the Civic Club hav-
ing charge OF this particular branch
of the clubs activity.
My thought is that some such move
ment would interest hundreds of
people In improving the esthetic fea-
| ture of the city and It would undoubt-