UNUSUAL CAREER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22145, 26 June 1935, Page 4

UNUSUAL CAREER

STUDY OF ALPINE GARDENS NEW ZEALANDER ABROAD [ lIV TI'W.KOHAI'II —OWN CORRESPONDENT] WELLI.XGTON, Tuesday With an armful of flower pots, their precious contents carefully swaddled in straw, Miss Erica Baillio stepped off the Monowai yesterday afternoon — iioino again after 15 months spent in England in the study of alpine gardens. As a career, this type of work has not so far been taken up by women 111 New Zealand, and Miss Baillie has all extremely interesting tale to tell of her experiences. For part of her stay in England she worked in a nursery and lost no opportunities of visiting every important flower show and of inspecting many of the notable gardens there. " i was very fortunate," she said, " in finding work at the nursery of a well-known London firm who specialise 111 dahlias. They also have a good Alpine department. I was taken on for general work, but I had special previleges in that I was allowed to wander round and see what was being done, and could also take time off to attend any flower show that was being held in London. The Royal Horticultural Society stages a show every fortnight, and besides this the special societies, such as the National Rose Society and the Alpine Garden Society, the Rhododendron, Carnation, Delphinium Societies, etc., each has one or more shows a year." At the nursery, Miss Baillie worked under a head with two young men in the Alpine department. She also took notice of the general work of the nursery in which .'3O men, and during busy seasons, five girls, also were employed. " Dahlias were a very big concern in England," she remarked, " and they flowered all the year round—forced In spring, of course." The firm she worked for were used to sending them by air as far afield as Italy. Miss Baillie's description of the ilower shows of London would make the proudest horticulturist in New Zealand gasp with amazement. 'J lie ordinary fortnightly meetings," she said, " are decidedly larger than any of our shows, and, of course, Chelsea is out 011 its own. I started out there early in the morning and reached the grounds at about 8.30. I came away very tired at about 7 p.m., knowing that I had not seen nearly all there was to bo seen. I also had a peep at the preparations that were necessary for big shows. I visited one of the great carnation growers in December and was shown 0110 huge house containing plants that were being grown especially for Chelsea."