ROOT Landscape Garden Series LANDSCAPE GARDEN GLEN G. MOSHER X. THE HOME AND THE CITY PRESS Davenport, r LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA PRESENTED BY Glen G. Mosher GLEN G. MOSHER Fig. I — An attractive residence street LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES^ THE HOME AND THE CITY BY LEONIDAS WILLING RAMSEY, B. S. THE GARDEN PRESS DAVENPORT, IOWA Copyright, iQ2r BY I.. ;r. RAMSEV CONTENTS I. THE HOME AND THE CITY. 5 II. ORGANIZING FOR TOWN IMPROVEMENTS 13 III. APPENDIX — - 19 More to Conduct a Yard and Garden Contest. Printed in I \ S. A. CHAPTER I THE HOME AND THE CITY ON entering a city we at once form an impression. If the city be one of attractive homes, tree-lined streets, with neatly kept and vine-covered cottages, the impression will surely be a good one, for such a city is a grateful contrast to the many towns and cities where this air of homelikeness and neatness is notable for its absence. The individual home owner who maintains a well-kept lawn, tastily displayed shrubs and flowers, with such features of personal charms as a rose-cov- ered arch, bird baths and possibly a productive vegetable garden, is certainly making a contribution to the city's' beauty. Every city should have a city plan just as every home should have a definite plan of development; and yet if the homes, the units which make up the city, are not made attractive, the city is sure to fall short of its aspirations. Plan as we may for beautiful boulevards and attractive streets, to which we assume that contiguous buildings and grounds will conform automatically, it still remains in the power of the individual to spoil the effect of the whole scheme by building any kind of monstrosity he chooses or by developing his grounds in the most in- harmonious manner, thus preventing a satisfactory working out of the scheme. "The exterior of your house is not private property," says Ruskin, and this we should all realize; and in planning our places we should have the welfare of the entire street in mind. To assume that there would eventually be a regulation of housing architecture is too remote for conjecture, and yet one cannot help but wish that such regulation were possible. Often when a portion of a street or certain districts are developed by the same company, the houses are built in a uniform type of architecture, study having been given to the street or section in order to produce a harmonious and thus a pleasing effect. That these devel- opments win the admiration of all who see them is proof that a cer- tain amount of regulation is desirable. Some, however, should be left for personal expression. Good architecture should be a characteristic not alone of the larger and more expensive home, for the small house can be designed in just as pleasing manner as the larger one. Can anything be more beautiful LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES Fig. 2 —Before. A home without planting detracts from the city's beauty than a small place properly designed and embellished with shrubs, vines and flowers? The government housing projects in various parts of the country, and the many attractive living districts sponsored by industrial concerns are fine examples of what can be accomplished when the small home is given due consideration. Too little thought is given to our smaller homes; they are built to sell as cheaply and as quickly as possi- ble. Someone has aptly said that "we are passing through the carpen- ters' renaissance" and surely many of the small houses built today have little to recommend from the standpoint of structural beauty. Although the architecture of a home has much to do with adding to or detracting from the beauty of a street; flowers, shrubs and trees are harmonizing agencies and can be depended upon to soften bad architec- tural lines and to tie the individual places together, making an attractive street. Thus it is the individual home owner's duty to the city to plant his place in an attractive manner in order that the street may present a continuous, pleasing development of buildings and shrubbery. The beauty of a whole street where every home is well handled in- dividually is exceeded in beauty only by one in which all of the homes have been handled collectively in a community planting scheme. (See III). Often in such developments the planting where the walks and drives enter the property, and at the corners, is omitted along the whole street, and at other times a hedge can be planted along the front of all THE HOME AND THE CI IT Fig. 3 — After. A home planted with trees, shrubs and flowers is making a sure contribution to the city's beauty the places. The thought might occur that such a scheme might be monotonous, but the opposite is the case, for instead of the usual scat- tered effect an harmonious ensemble will result. The fundamental principles have been laid down in another book- let, for planning and planting the home grounds. These principles may be summed up in the following general instructions: 1 . Plant in masses. 2. Avoid inharmonious lines. 3. Leave open spaces. 4. Soften with shrubs the line between the building founda- tion and the lawn. There are a few additions which might be added to assist the home owner in properly conforming his place to the street in whch he lives: 1 . Never plant shrubs and flowers upon the parking unless it is the policy of the entire street to do so. 2. Do not plant heavily at the corners, when such planting might obstruct the view of automobile drivers. LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES 3. Give attention to the alley and other portions of your prop- erty unseen by the public, for upon this may depend the health of your neighbor. 4. Plant trees upon the parking which conform with the others on your street. Upon the consideration given to the last of these general principles, depends, in a large measure, the beauty and welfare of our cities. The ancient city had no street trees, for the streets were narrow and trees were seen only in public places and a few private grounds; while in the modern city trees are universal, and none of us would like to live in a city which had none. The progressive city is giving much consideration to the planting and care of street trees, and the one which is not giving thought to this important question is behind the times. Mr. J. J. Levison, in discussng the increased interest in street tree planting, says: *"The impetus for this wide spread interest can be traced to several sources; first to rapid increase of cosmopolitan environment with the __ FIVE: "_BddM--r --C-OT-TAQE'— — MOU3INQ DCVCLOPMCNTS AT BOCK. ISLAND. MOLINC •- CAiT MOUHt, I fOR. THt UNITtD 5TATt3 MOUSING CORPORATION. TLOOK. PLAN Fig. 4 — A small home can be designed in as attractive manner as a larger one * American City Pamphlets No. 106, by J. J. Levison, M. F. THE HOME AND THE CITY Fig. 5 — When the homes along a street are designed in uniform manner, the result is certain to be pleasing corresponding decline of street trees; second, to the recent rise of the forestry movement in this country, and third and most important, to the new understanding of the value of the street tree. Everyone now knows that a tree planted in front of a man's house means more than- mere out- ward appearance, means better health, greater civic pride and the in- stallment of a true fondness tor nature and all that is beautiful." It is regrettable that although we all admire a street planted with beautiful trees, few cities give them the care and protection that they should have and some give them no consideration whatsoever. It is for this reason that the home owner should be instructed as to his duties to the community, when the city government accepts no obligations along this line. It would seem far better for the street trees to be under con- trol of the city, for they should be considered as public property rather than private. When insect pests attack the trees it is easier for the city forester to combat them in a systematic and scientific way than for each property owner to attempt the matter independently. Then, too, the uniformity of planting, which is essential, is possible only under munici- pal control, apart from the great saving which could be made in pur- chasing, spraying, etc. Regardless of the points in favor of municipal control, the fact remains that in the majority of cases this important work is left to the judgment of the individual. Often the individuals upon a street or section cooperate in the work of planting and caring for the trees in this particular section of the city. 10 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES The property owner when selecting trees for planting in the park- ing in front of his property should be governed in a large measure by the kinds of trees which have been previously planted along the street. Only in this way can we ever expect to secure any uniformity in our street tree planting. In selecting a tree for street planting one should be selected which fills definite qualifications, and not one which just happens to appeal to the reader in a nursery catalogue. A street tree first of all should be sturdy to maintain itself, in the face of the city's smoke, drought, heat and dust. A definite outline and symmetery is desirable in the street tree, for the street is of more or less formal character, and the tree seems to fit in with its surroundings better when it repeats the general character of its environment. A proper amount of shade is a prerequisite in selecting a tree, and although abundant shade is highly desirable, a tree which is too dense in foliage, shutting out the sunlight underneath, should not be used. Although there are few trees which do not have a particular enemy among the insects and diseases, we should select one which is fairly immune. The fast growing trees are short lived, while the trees which attain the greatest age, are the slower growers ; in making our choice we should strike a happy medium and select a tree like the elm, hard maple or pin oak. Although the elm is considered the ideal street tree in certain portions of the east, it has been subject to severe inroads by insect pests. In placing the tree in the parking it should, of course, line up with the other trees upon the street, if others are already planted ; if not, it should be planted in the parking equidistant from the street and the sidewalk. Do not attempt to plant too many trees in front of your property ; elms, for instance, should be at least thirty feet apartt and forty feet would be better. Of course, in spacing the trees in the park- ing it would be well to place them so that they frame the view of the front portion of the grounds. The same principles governing the planting ing, pruning and subsequent care of other trees, apply when planting trees for the parking. A protective guard of either wood or metal placed around the tree is desirable until it is large enough not to need protection. Although we should realize the value to the city in having our front yards planted and well taken care of, we should not neglect the private portion of our grounds, nor allow the portion of the alley im- mediately behind our property to remain filled with ashes and rubbish. Spring house cleaning should not be confined to the house alone, but should be extended to the grounds and every portion of the property given a thorough cleaning and touching up. *"Clean Up and Paint * " How to Start a Clean-Up and Paint-Up Campaign." booklet by the National Clean-Up and Paint-Up Campaign Bureau. THE HOME AND THE CITY II ~T .CtlZVIMu... HORJI • '• AKMITtCTa. FIVE R.OOM MOUSE — — .ttl.t. HOUSINO DEVELOPMENTS ki Eoc». ISLAND. MOLINE t- CAST MoLiut. ILLINOIS FOR. THE OMITED STATES MOUSING COR.POR.ATION. PORCH TIR5T PLOOR PLAN. 5KOND fLOOR Fig. 6 — A well designed small home Up Campaigns," although offering only a temporary relief are highly commendable, and there is hardly any city that would not profit by a campaign of this kind. A program for a "Clean Up and Paint Up Week" follows: Sunday — Special sermon in all churches. Monday — Fire Prevention Day. Clean your basements and attics of rubbish, greasy rags and waste paper. Tuesday — Front Yard Day. Cut lawns, plant flower beck, clean walks and gutters. Salt cracks in sidewalks, exterminate ants. Business House — Cleaning win- dows and replacing old awnings. 12 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES Wednesday — Weed Day. Rid lawns of dandelions, trim bushes and gardens. Rid city of weed pests. Thursday — Paint Day. Paint up, inside and out; porches, fences, wood-work and porch chairs. Friday — Back Yard Day. Clean alleys, repair fences and sheds, screens, garbage cans. Put fly traps on garbage cans. Put on screen doors. Saturday — Vacant Lot Day. Children clean vacant lot, re- move tin cans, paper and brush. As a budget for a week's endeavor in cleaning the face of a com- munity, the above program would seem admirable. Surely, if this program were carried out, the community could approach the spring with a clear conscience. CHAPTER II ORGANIZING FOR TOWN IMPROVEMENTS YARD improvement, like the measles, is contagious. When the home owner develops his grounds attractively, he not only adds to the city's beauty by doing his share as an individual home owner, but extends his influence beyond the home, even beyond the section of the city in which he lives. Often when a community is made attractive by some unusual character of planting, the home which served as an inspiration is not hard to find. The individual should not be content merely with having an at- tractive home, even though its influence be of great good, but should also be active in the crusade for making the city in which he lives a better and more attractive place. One should become a part of that mighty army, "marching as to war", in the crusade against the ugly and debase.* Many of the improvements which have been accomplished in towns and cities can be traced to the zeal and foresight of some one person. Often an individual stands single handed in a fight for civic improve- ments, and by perseverance and an indomitable will overcomes all Fig. 7 — The progressive city is giving much consideration to the planting an care of street trees * Charles Mulford Robinson — Improvement of Towns and Cities. 14 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES obstacles and secures improvements of inestimable value to the city. I have in mind a small city in Iowa where a lawyer, with a vision of improvements which would mean much to his city, secured, after years of labor, the completion of a number of projects which will be of un- told value to future generations. Although often discouraged, he fought on until much of his dream has been realized, and his fellow citizens, though lukewarm to the undertakings in the beginning, are now the strong- est in their praise. What this man has accomplished can be accom- plished by others, if there is a will to accomplish and faith in the out- come. Every citizen should familiarize himself with the details of his city's plan and work for its accomplishment. If there is no city plan, no greater step can be taken for the good of the city than the creating of sentiment leading to the procuring of such a plan. By writing to the National Conference in City Planning, 60 State St., Boston, Massa- chusetts, information can be secured as to how one may go about organizing with a view to securing a city plan. Although individuals may accomplish much, when citizens organize for accomplishment each gains from the zeal of the others, and such organization gains dignity and strength in proportion to the number en- rolled. Organizations are often formed for the promotion of some one improvement, generally a local improvement in the city's program of development. By organizing in the section which is vitally effected by such an improvement, there is a means of dealing with city officials in a more forceful manner, and often sufficient pressure can be brought to bear upon the proper authorities, accomplishing much more than could be accomplished where each citizen works alone. Local Improvement Societies and Neighborhood Clubs often do much in maintaining a high standard of cleanliness and beauty in their locality. Such societies can do much good, as they give that additional touch to their neighborhood which makes it stand out above all others. To form such a society is an easy matter. Often two or three of the people most interested in maintaining an orderly and attractive neigh- borhood, talk the matter over in an informal way. Upon deciding to organize, others are called in and the particular problems of their sec- tion are discussed. The matter as to how an organization can assist in maintaining or accomplishing certain improvements may also be taken up. Enough to make organization possible are then asked to become charter members. A name and the objects of the organization are de- cided upon, officers elected and committees are appointed and set to work. Funds are often secured by levying an assessment upon every resi- dent of the district, the amount varying in proportion to the size of the individual's holdings. Such funds are used, in some cases, for1 em- ORGANIZING FOR TOWN IMPROVEMENTS 15 ploying a man or men to keep up the parking space, remove refuse from alleys and to cut the weeds upon vacant lots. When work is done upon private property which affects the district as a whole, but should have been done by the individual, the home owner is charged for the work. For instance, if there is a vacant lot upon which weeds are allowed to grow, the weeds are cut and a statement is sent to the owner of the property for the cost of the work ; in this way the embarrassment of asking the individual to clean up his property is avoided. Town Improvement Societies have been most successful in towns and small cities, where they have been one of the most powerful influ- ences in America for civic improvements. The Laurel Hill Associa- tion, of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is one of the first permanent or- ganizations of this kind in America, and through its work has trans- formed Stockbridge from the ordinary kind of village into one of the prettiest and best ordered villages in New England. "The Safest, the Healthiest and the Most Beautiful Community in the United States," is the aim of the Merion Civic Association, of Merion, Pennsylvania. Colonel Roosevelt is quoted as having said that Merion is "model in civic affairs." *"The Association lists forty-two of its achievements in its year book. They range all the way from police whistles placed in the homes of member? to the artistic street lights, of which one hundred and forty-seven have been erected. These lights were not chosen at ran- dom. They were selected from many designs sumbmitted to the Asso- ciation, and have been pronounced by experts and architects to be the most beautiful and practical lamps in use in any community. In addi- tion, each of the roads is marked with artistic name signs, ninety-eight of which have been erected solely at the expense of the Association, and there are also five boundary signs and fifty-four cast-iron danger signals." "Out of the funds contributed by its members the Association pays three special policemen, in addition to those furnished by the township. This accomplished more than the prevention of burglary; it forced down insurance rates. Similar means were used to reduce fire insur- ance. There is not a house in Merion more than seven hundred feet from a fire plug. The Association contributes to two volunteer subur- ban companies. And it takes no chances on a last minute search for the scene of the fire. Each of these companies and all the nearby Philadelphia stations are provided with up-to-the-minute maps of the community, showing the location of every house. "The Association supervises even such minor things as the collec- tion of ashes and garbage. Since the owners and drivers of ash-carts know that the Association will prosecute all offenders under the town- *The House Beautiful, December, 1920. 16 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES Fig. 8— A city of such well-kept small homes could not be other than attractive ship ordinance prohibiting the throwing of ashes and litter in the streets, the roads of Merion are always scrupulously clean. But beauty is not the sole object of the Association. It employs chemical experts to make analysis every month of the water and milk supply. No resident of Merion will purchase milk from a dealer who cannot show a certificate fiom the Association." "Work among its own members, instilling the community spirit, un- doubtedly has been the most constructive phase of the Association's effort in the last seven years. But, perhaps, by reason of the united public opinion so obtained, it has had remarkable success in its con- tact with outside organizations. Its first real triumph came when the Pennsylvania Railroad capitulated after a three-year fight, tore down the archaic wooden station at Merion and constructed a building in hamony with its surroundings. Then the Association contributed $1,356 to get from the government the right kind of a postoffice build- ing, on the opposite side of the track from the station." Societies could do much good by sending out seasonable reminders or by calling city officials' attention to the value of sending out such literature, and by assisting them in its publication. "Spring Remin- ders" which was published in a small triple leaf folder by the Village ORGANIZING FOR TOWN IMPROVEMENTS 17 of Winnetka, Illinois, is a fine example of the kind of extension work which societies could do when they are not blest in their city with city officials as wide-awake as the Winnetka officials. *The Athenian Oath is printed on the first inside page, and on the pages appear the following paragraphs of important information: 1. Indiscriminate picking of flowers and multilation of trees and shrubs by automobilists and others is prohibited by Village ordinance. Cooperate by calling the Police Department when viola- tions are observed. 2. Do not plant shrubbery on parkways. They are public property and under Village control. Parkway shrubbery tends to increase automobile acci- dents. 3. Private shrubbery and trees should not be allowed to* ex- tend over the sidewalk so as to obstruct traffic. Now is the time to trim them back. 4. Private shrubbery at street corners should be kept low so that view of cross street auto traffic is not obscured. 5. Call the Village Forester (Winnetka 1294) if you be- lieve the parkway trees in front of your property need attention. If you wish to plant trees in the parkway he will issue permit and will render all possible assistance. Trimming or removal of trees on parkways, with- out a permit from the Village Forester, is strictly prohibited. Do not engage a so-called "tree expert" with- out consulting the Village Forester. He has a list of competent men and firms. Irreparable damage has been done by incompetent "experts." 6. Economize by making necessary sidewalk repairs promptly. The Superintendent of Public Works will be glad to give information and advice. 7. Driving across curbs, sidewalks or parkways, without a permit providing for proper protection is strictly prohibited. Permanent driveways must be built under supervision of Public Works Department, under permit. 8. A building permit must be secured before starting con- struction of all buildings or building alterations. This includes private garages. * American City Magazine. May. 1920. 18 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES 9. Don't dump rubbish on vacant lots. Your village will collect free of charge if you will call Winnetka 860. 10. Co-operate with the Fire Chief by cleaning up rubbish accumulations in the basement and attic. Fires are spectacular but expensive, both to you and to the Village. A "Yard and Garden" and "Clean Alley" contest is one of the most effective ways of creating a civic pride, as it stnkes directly at the home and it interests a large number of people from every walk in life. Such campaigns are a sure way to arouse a civic consciousness and encourage a spirit of cooperation among those who are interested in the work. Such campaign may be inaugurated by men's clubs, commercial clubs, women's clubs, civic improvement societies, newspapers, schools, or any other unofficial civic agency which is directly interested in the home. Such a campaign is sure to succeed if the right organization accepts full responsibility in the matter and gets squarely behind the campaign. One man should be made chairman of the work and the direction of the campaign left largely to his judgment. The unselfish incentive back of such work is a great factor making for its success. Of a considerable number of these contests carried on in different parts of the country, those held by the Rotary Club of Davenport, Iowa, have been the largest and probably the best organized contests of this kind. One cannot estimate the value in dollars and cents of such a contest to a city, and surely no better work can be undertaken by any organization. The statement of the plan, the purpose and accomplishments of this "Yard and Garden Contest" follows, in order that those who wish to inaugurate such a contest may profit by the experiences of the Daven- port Rotary Club.* *See Appendix. APPENDIX A STATEMENT OF THE PLAN, THE PURPOSES AND ACCOMPLISH- MENTS OF THE HOME, YARD AND GARDEN CONTEST OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF DAVENPORT, IOWA. OUR PURPOSE This was three-fold: FIRST— We desired to create and stimulate in the average man and woman an appreciation of the pleasure, the satisfaction and the value in dollars and cents of an attractive yard. We knew that the yards of our laboring class were often bleak, barren, desolate and very unattractive. We desired, if possible, to have them made more inviting, to bring into diem some order, some cheer, some beauty. We believed that environment is a potent factor in the development of character — that a child who grows up in an environment of tin cans will not be the equal of one who grows up in an atmosphere of grass, shrubs and flowers. We appreciated that our city never could be considered attractive until the units — the homes which went to make it up — were made so. We wished to make ours "The City Beautiful." SECOND — We desired to aid our civic authorities in creating and maintaining a clean city. We felt that there was a direct and vital connection bet\N-een the cleanliness of our city and the health of its people. We have ordinances with relation to ashes, garbage and refuse, which were all that could be desired, but their provisions were not in many instances lived up to. We desired as far as we could to co-operate and aid our authorities in making Davenport a cleaner, healthier, and therefore, a happier city. THIRD — We aimed to awaken interest in vegetable gardens as one of the reasonable, common-sense and practical solutions of the problem of the high cost of living for the workingman. 20 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES Fig. 9 — A yard and garden contest will do much to arouse the owneis of hum- ble homes to the amenities of attractive grounds PEOPLE INTERESTED. Davenport is a city of fifty thousand people. We have approxi- mately eight thousand homes which have yards, not including flats and dwellings which cover the entire property. In 1913, the first year of our contest, one home in every twenty was entered ; the second year, 1914, one home in every six, and last year, 1915, one home in every five was entered in the contest. In 1913, the first year of our contest, there was not one home in fifty in Davenport where any particular effort had been made to make the home yard attractive. Today it is the exception to find a yard occupied by an owner where some attempt has not been made to beautify it. Although our movement was intended primarily for the workingman, we found the interest so strong that we created classes for those who did part of their own work and for those who maintained hired men. We succeeded in interesting every class from the poorest man to the millionaire. We had four hundred and ten entries in 1913, fourteen hundred and seven in 1914, an sixteen hundred and twenty-two in 1915. APPENDIX 21 In our 1915 contest the entries were divided between the different classes, as follows: Class One, eleven hundred and eighty-four entries; Class Two, four hundred and twelve; Class Three, twenty-six. The families in Davenport average about five persons each. As nearly as we can estimate we interested two thousand people in 1913, seven thousand in 1914 and eight thousand in 1915. VEGETABLE GARDENS. In 1 9 1 3 we had one hundred and ninety-eight entries for our vegetable garden prizes; in 1914, two hundred and forty, and in 1915, six hundred and ten. The value of the produce from the gardens of certain of the prize winners, based on the current retail prices, ran all the way from fifty to one hundred and nine dollars. On an acreage basis the value of the produce varied from four hundred to six hundred dollars. A hundred dollars to a workmingman is a big lift. It is very often a choice of a vegetable garden or very few fresh vegetables. Then, too, it insures freshness, a quality that one who relies on the corner grocery cannot always obtain. RULES OF THE CONTEST. The rules of the contest were very few and simple. There was no entry fee. The contest was absolutely free. Rule 1 . Anyone could enter, man, woman or child, but only one entry was accepted from each family. Rule 2. If an alley adjoined a property it was required to be kept neat and clean and the City ordinances with relation to garbage and refuse strictly complied with. Rule 3. No person was permitted to win in any one year or series of years more than twenty-five dollars in the contest. The entries were divided into three classes: Class 1 — Those who did all their own work. Class 2 — Those who did part of their own work. Class 3 — Those who maintained a hired man. Cash prizes were awarded only to Class 1 . Honor prizes were given only to entries in Classes 2 and 3 — five prizes to Class 2 and two prizes to Class 3. We divided the entries into the three classes so that the working- man would not compete with the millionaire. PUBLICITY. One of the greatest factors in the success of our contest was our publicity. 22 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES After the rules of our contest had been determined upon, we called a meeting of representatives of all our local newspapers. We laid our plans before them. We laid especial emphasis on the fact that the movement was a public-spirited one. We asked them for their support. They gave it gladly. It is remarkable what support an un- selfish movement will get from the newspapers of today. Our news- papers gave us hundreds of dollars' worth of space absolutely free, and, best of all, gave it with a spirit that made their support doubly helpful. ENTRIES. We accepted entries in the contest for one month, March 15 to April 15. During this time our newspapers ran an entry coupon in each issue. All that was necessary in order to enter was to clip out a coupon, fill in the name and address and mail it in. The following is a copy of the coupon: ENTRY COLJF»O1M IN THE ROTARY CLUB CITY BEAUTIFUL CONTEST $400 in Cash Prizes Absolutely Free "You Win if You Lose" Glass I-Cash Prizes Vegetable Garden Prizes Kindly enter my name in the Yard Kindly enter mv name in the Vegeta- Prizes. I agree to do all my own work. ble Garden Prizes. I agi-et' to do all my own work. Name Address— Address — Class II-Honor Prizes Glass III Honor Prizes I agree to doa portionof my ow n work I maintain a hired man, Name Name A d dress A ddress "Make Your Neighbors Sit Up and Take Notice" Clip Out This Coupon and Mail to CHAIRMAN CITY BEAUTIFUL COMMITTEE LANE BUILDING DAVENPORT, IOWA ENTRY CARD. We also had thousands of entry cards printed. They were prac- tically a duplicate of the entry coupon except in different form. Each member of the club interested his friends and neighbors. We had entry cards placed in every package delivered from every grocery store APPENDIX 23 in the city for the period of one day. At another time for the period of two days we had an entry card included in every loaf of wrapped bread delivered from our largest bakery. WINDOW CARDS. For window display we had the following phrases printed in black type on large red cards. These cards were distributed in practically every retail business house in Davenport. FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS IN CASH PRIZES ABSOLUTELY FREE JOIN THE CITY BEAUTIFUL CONTEST 11 YOU WIN IF YOU LOSE" SLOGANS. We found slogans to be very effective in our publicity campaign, and especially one, which we emphasized at every opportunity: "You Win if You Lose." For each individual was increasing the value of his property whether he won a prize or not. We had two other slogans almost as effective: "Be it Ever So Humble, But Make it Attractive." "Make Your Neighbor Sit Up and Take Notice." MOVING-PICTURE-HOUSE PUBLICITY. As our movement was purely a public-spirited one, we had no Fig. 10— An English garden village Photograph by Garden City and Town Planning Association, Londoi 24 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES hesitancy in soliciting free publicity. We approached the managers of all of our leading moving-picture houses and requested that they run slides advertising our contest. They gave their consent with a smile. The following are a few of our most effective slides: "Flowers are the Sweetest Things God Ever Made and Forgot to Put a Soul Into." "How Many Have You in Your Yard?" "Join the City Beautiful Contest." "We Believe the Boys and Girls of Davenport Should Raise Vegetables and Flowers Rather Than 'Cain'. Do YOU? If So, Join the City Beautiful Contest." "A Yard is an Expression of the Character of its Occupants. What is Your Yard?" "Tin Cans or Flowers? Help Make Davenport the City Beau- tiful. Join the Contest." "Your Yard. Be it Ever So Humble, But Make it Attractive. Join the City Beautiful Contest. It Costs You Nothing." "Have You a House or Have You a Home? Is it Four Bleak Walls or Has it an Attractive Setting of Flowers and Shrubs? Help Make Davenport 'The City Beautiful'." We changed our slides in each moving-picture house twice each week during the month we accepted entries. INTERVIEWS. We obtained interviews with a number of the prominent people of Davenport. We made a special effort to obtain an expression from the more prominent workingmen, among them the officials of the lead- ing labor unions. We also included, however, leaders in all lines — lawyers, doctors, dentists, and certain of our prominent club women. We obtained letters of indorsement from ex-President William H. Taft, Samuel Gompers, John Mitchell, Governor Clarke and other men prominent in public life. Not one, but all commended our plan. ARTICLES IN THE PAPERS. We had articles printed in the daily papers on matters pertaining to yard improvement and vegetable gardens. These articles gave ideas and suggestions as to how to lay out a yard, and what shrubs, vines and flowers to plant. The articles on vegetable gardens were aimed to assist the owner of property in his vegetable-garden problems. APPENDIX 25 LIST OF ENTRIES. At least twice each spring we had published a list of the entrants in our contest. We found this contributed to the interest. PICTURES AND SLIDES. When the entry list closed we had pictures taken, post-card size, of the worst feature of each rear yard. We placed the emphasis on the rear yards, for we felt if they were attractive the front yards would take care of themselves. When the judges had made their selection of the prize winners we took a second picture of each prize winning yard from the same point of view. Slides were made and at the time of the awards the two were flashed on a screen. JUDGES. We secured a non-resident judge for both the vegetable gardens and the yards. We desired an absolutely impartial award, and we felt that a non-resident judge, a man who was not acquainted with those competing, would give the best satisfaction. MAINTENANCE OF INTEREST DURING THE SUMMER. In order to maintain the interest during the summer we offered special prizes to boys for vegetables and to girls for flowers grown in the home yards. The prizes were divided into five sets, aggregating twelve dollars each. First prize to a boy and a girl, each three dollars ; second prize, two dollars each; third prize, one dollar each. The winners were notified by letter and invited to luncheon with the Rotary Club. They were then presented their prizes. This gave us publicity in the newspapers at least once a month during the sum- mer. The flowers were later sent to our local hospitals and the vegetables to our Board of Charities. EXAMINATION OF YARDS AND GARDENS. We kept the date of the examination of the yards and gardens by the judges a secret. In the event that the date of their visit had been known it would have been possible to prepare for their coming. We desired to have both yards and gardens properly maintained through- out the summer, and our plan worked admirably. BASIS OF AWARDING PRIZES. The judges in making their awards considered, first of all, the provement as shown by the comparison with the first picture, and, im- picture, and, sec- 26 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES ond, as to whether or not a man had developed all the possibilities in his yard. In this way the judges were able to pass fairly both on yards where improvement was made for the first time and also on those yards where some effort had been made prior to our contest. The judges wherever possible made suggestions for improvement and called attention to defects and shortcomings. ASSISTANCE FROM OUR STATE COLLEGE. Our State Agricultural College learned of our movement, in- vestigated it and gave us every assistance in their power. From the faculty of the school we obtained not only valuable suggestions but we obtained the judges for our contests as well. They have considered our plan and its results so favorably that they have published a bulletin with relation to it. This may be had free of charge upon request to the Extension Department, Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. THE AWARDS. We were just a little skeptical in our first year as to the interest that would be shown at the awards. We engaged the Burtis Opera House, our largest auditorium, for the awarding of our prizes each year. It was crowded at each award. Our cash prizes were given in gold currency enclosed in chamois bags. In addition we gave each Fig. 12 — Yard and garden contests are influential in causin interest in attractive grounds ide-spread APPENDIX 27 prize winner a certificate. And a number of certificates have been framed and hung on the walls of some of the modest, attractive little homes of our city. The following is a copy of one of our certificates: DAVENPORT ROTARY CLUB \Iurit unit Okiritru (Cmitrat /./• /// u,,,, . Fig. 13 NAMES OF PRIZE WINNERS KEPT SECRET. We kept the names of our prize winners secret. No one knew until his home was flashed on the screen or until his name was called that he was included in the list of prize winners. In the awarding of the prizes we commenced at the bottom and worked up — that is, the last prize to be awarded was the first prize for yards in Class 1 . In this way we maintained the interest. THE CASH-PRIZE WINNERS. As the awards of cash prizes were made only to those who did all their own work cash prizes went to the working class entirely. We cannot describe the surprise, the pleasure, the pride, that showed itself in the face of a young colored woman when she was given a well-deserved prize in 1915. A quiet, unassuming Bohemian who transformed an ugly hollow into an attractive garden, won first prize for vegetable gardens this year, and a gnarled, stoop-shouldered old Irishman, eighty-two years old, was a close second. 28 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES We wish you might have seen a little widow, the mother of five children, who without any help other than her little family, spaded up a plot of ground one hundred and fifty feet square, and won a well- merited prize for a vegetable garden. The enthusiasm was so widespread that we succeeded in interesting even the residents of certain of the shanty boats on the Mississippi. Two of them were awarded prizes, one for a vegetable garden and the other for yard improvement, the latter's yard being a portion of the right-of-way of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company. A modest little woman, upon whose property the city ordered the weeds cut just one year ago, was awarded first prize in 1915 for yards. Fhe second prize went to a little slip of a German woman. Her yard was a model. It was a garden of old-fashioned flowers with scarcely a blade of grass out of place. COST OF THE CONTEST. The cost of our contest this year was eleven hundred and seventy- ei.ght dollars and seventy-eight cents, distributed as follows: Eighty-three prizes $ 400.00 Pictures and slides: Pictures of each entry before improve- ment, at 25 cents each. Slides of prize winners before improve- ment, at 25 cents each 451.00 Slides of prize winners after improve-, ment, in colors, at 50 cents each. Clerical Help 25.00 Printing entry cards, etc 50.97 Expense of judge for approximately three weeks; no charge for his time 1 13.01 Certificates for awards 77.00 Programs for awards 15.00 Stationery 9.25 Postage and multigraph work 1 7.44 Incidental expense 20. 1 1 Total $1 ,1 78.78 DIVISION OF PRIZES. The four hundred dollars in cash prizes was divided into eighty- three cash prizes, as follows: A first prize of twenty-five dollars, a second prize of fifteen dollars, six prizes of ten dollars each, twelve prizes of seven dollars and a half each, twelve prizes of five dollars APPENDIX 29 each, and twelve prizes of two dollars and a half each. The vegetable- garden prizes were divided as follows: First prize, fifteen dollars; second and third prizes, ten dollars each ; two prizes of seven dollars and a half each; three prizes of five dollars each. These prizes, together with the thirty-one special prizes aggregating fifty-five dollars, given the boys and girls for vegetables and flowers during the summer, make the total of four hundred dollars. OUR ORGANIZATION. The organization of our contest was very simple. A so-called City Beautiful Committee of five members had the matter in charge. We divided the duties and responsibilities among the members of our committee as follows: The first member was given exclusive charge of receiving the en- tries. The names of all entries were checked with the city directory and a card index made. The entries in the different classes were placed on different colored cards. Each entry was given a number. The duty of the second member was to take charge of all publicity. If possible he should be a newspaperman. He obtained interviews, had articles prepared on planting and arranged for the placing of the slides in the moving-picture houses. The third member of the committee was given charge of the tak- ing of all the pictures and the preparation of the slides. At the time before the pictures were taken the number of the entry was photo- graphed into the picture. This did away not only with a possibility of confusion in the pictures, but simplified and lessened the clerical work as well. This was done by means of a simple little device made of sheet iron. The upper portion was a slot into which numbers could be placed. This was attached to a single-pointed support which was pushed into the ground. Our photographer carried a series of separate numbers on cardboard, from one to twenty, and changed the number each time to correspond to the number given the entry. The fourth member was held responsible for the inspection of the yards and gardens. He also arranged for the judges. The fifth member had exclusive charge of the awards, the obtain- ing of the speaker and the printing of programs and certificates. The results of the contest can be appreciated only by a view of the before-and-after slides. And even then the pictures do not do the homes justice, for only one portion of the yard can be shown, and a slide cannot show the tone of a rose or the shadings in a bed of iris. The results are not shown alone by improvement in the yards of the contestants. Yard improvement is contagious, it's catching. As nearly as we can determine every entry has stimulated improvement in 30 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES at least one other home. So, in fact, we reached and influenced not one home in every five but two homes in every five, or better1 than one- third of all the homes in Davenport. Even the corporations caught the spirit. At least twenty of these improved the property surrounding their plants. One institution whose plant covers approximately four city blocks plowed up all the vacant space around its entire plant and planted it in trees, flowers and shrubs. Our Commercial Club, inspired by the results in our contests, in- augurated a so-called "Window-Box" campaign and as a result seven thousand, two hundred and sixty feet of window boxes were installed in one week throughout our business district this year. A CLEAN CITY. Our contest has been of very material assistance to our city officials in the maintenance of clean alleys. Our ordinances with relation to garbage, ashes and refuse are more nearly lived up to. Certain of our state officials insist that Davenport is beyond question the cleanest city in Iowa. There are four substantial reasons why a City Beautiful Contest is worth while, all of them being reasons that should appeal to every business man: First — A City Beautiful Contest pays in dollars and cents. Our contest has demonstrated beyond question that every dollar invested in shrubbery within reasonable limits, where care is exercised in the selec- tion, planting and maintenance, will add three dollars to the value of the property within three years. Three dollars in value for one is with- out question a good investment. And this is leaving out of considera- tion the pleasure and the satisfaction in an attractive yard that money cannot measure. Second — A City Beautiful Contest is a potent factor in the mak- ing of a clean city — cleanliness and health are twins. A clean city means a healthy city, and health and happiness also akin. Third — A City Beautiful Contest stimulates interest in home own- ership. It emphasizes one of the many advantages of the ownership of a home. Beyond any question a city where the majority of homes are owned is the superior of one where the majority of homes are rented. Fourth — A City Beautiful Contest is a potent factor in the devel- opment of a civic pride, one of the important factors in the development of a civic consciousness. And a civic consciousness is a very decided factor in the success of some cities. A spirit of co-operation, an ability and a willingness to pull together, has contributed much to the develop- ment of some cities over their less fortunate rivals. APPENDIX 31 OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER CITIES. Any other city can accomplish what Davenport has done, for we are not exceptional. The next time you walk down town just make a mental note of the attractive yards in your city. Unless your community is exceptional you will not find one in fifty. Is a contest needed in your city? Our experience is your's for the asking. WILL You MAKE YOUR'S "THE CITY BEAUTIFUL P" F1NIJ- THE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW. Illlllllllllllllllllll