GARDENING FOR WOMEN

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, 1 December 1904, Page 217

GARDENING FOR WOMEN

jo^XJITE a unique production is .V Ol the " Woman's Agricultural ■ 'Mvjj Times/ 7 a Quarterly edited , c. / by Lady Warwick, and sold "^ at a modest price. Its arrangement is 'business-like. So, too, is the scheme for company for-

mation by which all women are invited to 'become shareholders. From its pages I make some extracts taken from an article entitled. " How to live in the Country," by M. Millarcl. This " Daughter of Ceres " gives a conversation held with a proud mother, who has been

relating with pride the fact that her daughter " does not care a bit for town life — has so many country interests." "My daughter is never dull. She gets lots of croquet in the summer and hockey in the winter, and she fills up her time with exercising- the dogs and practising on her banjo. Then she has the flowers to arrange."' " I enquired no further/" remarks the Daughter of Ceres. "It was a harmless existence, but entirely

without a reasonable stimulus. She only followed the dreary round of nine girls out of ten. Yet numerous opportunities remain of leadingbusy, active lives at home in the country. The cleverest, most capable, girls of a family go, often without any decided talent, to study art or music merely as a vent for their active brains and bodies, and with no lasting- satisfaction to themselves. And how many small country houses I know with neglected gardens. " An educated person organising

and assisting in the work of the garden will mal-e all the difference in the world. Then, what untidy,, ill-kept poultry-yards one meets with — 'because things, especially over-feeding, are left to the ' odd ' man. The small dairy, too, could be managed better by the daughter of the house than by the cook in her spare time. Bee-keeping, too, is eminently suited for ladies. There is absolutely no heavy work, or even, that which the most delicategirl need fear. The initial expenses

need not exceed £5, and there ispractically nothing more to pay, as the bees feed themselves. 1 have heard of £5 per hive being cleared by a clever manager in one season. " I would advise beginners to> avoid starting on too large a scale.. .Begin with a few hens or one hive,, get everything good of its kind,, stock or appliances. And strike out for yourself instead of migrating to the city, or else ' loafing ' at home/ In the advertisement columns is notice of a lady's intention to retire. She desires a manager to have

whole profits from her poultry and garden farm. She charges thirty shillings per week for use, but the manager is to have all profits, 'board and residence, only supplying the table with fowls, eggs, fruit and flowers. Again is a notice of a recent book in which the author states that woman is the " cause of pretty well all the misery in the world. She is not beautiful, she cannot manage house or servants, she does not

know how to dress. She talks too much, shops too much, reads only vulgar or sentimental rubbish. If she writes she is an offence in the sight of Olympus, and men go down like Hies before the temptation to supply the demand for rotten novels read 'by women. She is only fit for a bun-shop or a baby-linen counter. She cannot be happy without man." Needless to say, the article deals with the writer of the above in anything but a mild manner.

Yet another article quotes from an article written by a male authority on gardening, who warmly praises women's work in this direction. And a most interesting account is given by the secretary of her first visit to the local produce auction sale. Interesting, too, is the advertisement of the formation of the Marmalade-Conserve Company, for which many ladies work, as also some details of life at Studley,.

where training and residence may be had for" £80 a year. But there is too much to dwell on, and 1 can only advise readers to see the production for themselves ; and will be glad if T have interested any in the work of the women gardeners at Studley Castle. And here, may 1 hint to women with a little capital to start it, that " Alma '" knows of some land not far away whose owner might be. induced to allow women to farm his property.

SYNOD AT AUCKLAND The Anglican Synod of the year -exercised itself about giving Church franchise to women. To an uninterested one, it appears that if any one takes any interest in Church work, women certainly do. One need only look at the congregation any Sunday to believe it. Yet we let them vote in politics, and the Synod has excluded them from doing- so. That the Synod may see more light !_ Bishop Nelig&n remarks that '*' woman's suffrage in the Colony does not appear to have conferred the benefit anticipated, nor to have materially improved the position of women in the Colony." St. Mary's Homes, at Otahuhu, as established under the present Bishop, are praised by him. His Church is " leading the van " both in rescue work and in trainingladies for nurses. And great, too, is the gratification that a regular system was planned there before the

Donkeys on the Beach at Sumnsr.

Premier's issue of the memoir iinda relating to these branches of women's work. The Diocesan School for girls is likewise commended. But is it true that there is no room for the daughters of tradesmen ? If so, one would think this an error of judgment, seeing that Auckland society is in so large a measure composed of tradespeople. One only hopes that rumour in this case, lies. For if it does not, the school will tremble financially for a very long time.