The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-04-22
AGRICULTURAL.
aardanine Tor Women.

Gardening for Women.
At this season of the year, when all nature
is awakening from its wintry sleep, every
one feels stir of life, desire to go forth
and enjoy the fresh bracing air, and to assist
in the work of adornment in the lawn
and garden, rather than to stay in the warm
apartments, and attend to the reverend
ing work of making, repairing and preparing
the regular meals for the household.
Every housewife requires the change OF
occupation which gardening gives her, and
if she will raise a few sweet, bright mowers
she will sweeten her own life and that OF
her children. There are many women to
whom pleasing occupation wou Id be OF
great assistance, and if they possess small
plat of land on which they can raise 10 wers
and vegetables, these may yield them agood
harvest For instance, if they live within
easy distance of railway junction, where
cars stop to change passengers or to dine,
a ready sale for small bouquets at five or ten
cents each could be effected during The
spring and summer months. There are
many stations in New-E England where little
barefooted boys sell small punches of arbu-
tus, and long trailing stems of pond lilies in
the spring and summer; and often realize
enough money to clothe themselves in
winter.
Gardening is an operation particularly
well adapted to women, as 1t offers heal
thy, cheerful employment, in which delicaey
of touch, Judgment, calculation and expec-
tation, are all exercised without an undue
amount of bodily labor. Nature must be
waited upon, encouraged, directed ana
watched to produce a full development of
her powers; and there is a growing tendency
to elevate the work of the gardener, and to
present an attractive and interesting field
for women's skill and enterprise in this
direction. There are many ladies VINO
devote their time in spring and summer 10
the cultivation of flowers and ferns in the
garden, and in winter take great deal OF
interest in their Conservatives or green
houses, in directing and overseeing their
gardens, or take all the charge themselves,
and find great enjoyment, as well as health,
in the occupation. This pursuit surely
presents many attractions to those who are
forced to depend upon the work OF their
own hands for subsistence; and it would
be far more desirable than constant sedentary
employment, such as sewing.
There are many women who spend their
DAYS in the close atmosphere OF shop, VINO
would be Mortified at the thought OF digging
in the garden and sowing seeds, planting,
wedding and raking ooh, mol Such an oc-
cupation could not be thought of for me:
why, it would place me on level with day
laborer,' one exclaims. ''Not at all"
would reply, "but it would give you fresh all
and healthful toll, and brace up your mus
Giles and nerves, and take away the rag-baby
look they now possess"
With the flowers, early vegetables could
also be raised and sold to advantage. In the
vicinity of cities and towns, market tol
such commodities can always be found; the
supply rarely exceeds the demand 1t has
been said that flowers will grow better under
the kindly care of women, and lonely lady
with a small amount of money could invest
part of it In bedding out plants, ANIMALS
vegetables and small fruits and with the as
sistance of boy of all work, make quite q
tolerable support. Most women to whom
such a life would be agreeable and desirable
possess enough strength to attend to thu
work of experimenting and directing mat
tiers, and the boy could do the digging, weed
ing and watering. In England there are al
ready hundreds of women at work in nurse.
ries and greenhouses, and they do all the
grating, budding and reporting OF plants,
with quite as much skill in the handling oil
them as the male operatives possess.
At the present time flowers are more
sought after than ever before, and if women
would become skilled in Horticulture, they
would soon find large field for their labors
the gains of women gardeners would DE OF
more account than those ofseamstresses ano
shop g1rlss VI course There Is Work III ie'
have yet to see the occupation that pays
which does not demand head or hand labor
But the work can be so arranged as to leave
the hottest hours of the day for rest and leis
ure.
1t is really surprising that this branch Of
labor has not been adopted by women fol
profit long ago, as so many ladies devote Sc
much of their time to it for their own graft
fication. In Germany and Switzerland WON
en- are now taught the culture of flowers as
profession, and many women are earning
their living as gardeners, not only at thell
own homes, but also in the employment Of
others. Doubtless there are many young
girls who are anxious to find some work fol
their hands to do this coming summer, anc
in the garden they cannot only tend roses.
but also cultivate them on their cheeks
Cor. Country Gentleman.