The morning times., 1896-04-19
WOMEN'S GARDENS.
Some Devoted to Commerce and
Others Cultivated for Beauty.

The new woman found for herself a
most congenial and charming employment
recently, in culdvating truck or flower
garden. Just as her individual tastes in
cline to utility or beauty.
The money-making possibilities in rails
ing yioiets for the city trade gave the first
impetus TO this feminine farming, which has
grown so strong that one woman b as found it
worth her while 10 fit herself for the duties
or laying out grounds and gardens in pro-
fessionaI way. Her engagements for land
scape improvements were this year allmade,
and the work set in train long before the
February SHOWS were off the ground and her
most valued patrons are women who, for
the money and profit or for pie asure purely,
are going in vigorously and earnestly for
flower and vegetable culture.
Naturally enough said this expert,
flowers are the chief attraction "a nd it was
Mrs. Edward Leavtt, a Southern woman,
possessing shrewd head for business fo1
allthat, whofirstshowedhe her sex that flowers
are meant for something more than TO
wear and spend money on. She is the head
just now of the most perfect and scientific
cally arranged gardens / know, having
given up the most fertile acres Of her Con-
necticut farm to the cultivation of but
three sorts OF blossoms. Violets, carnations
and roses are her specialties, and beauty is
everywhere sacrificed to utility, TO ugly
glass houses, cold frames, huge square
beds that are the nurseries of thousands of
little plants.
This is Il garden run solely for the money
that is in Il, and it is safe to say that
this lady clears a comfort able income from
her winters sales of flowers alone. Under
almost miles of glass, she boasts OF raising
yiolets sbig as silver dollars, and carnations
the size of roses. With the true zeal OF the
practical grower, she is up often at 4
O'Clock in the morning to see the blossoms
gathered, studies fertilizers and plant dis
ed SEES with deep enthusiasm, and believes
that next after human beings flowers are
the most interesting OF creations. But it is
only the flowers raised on scientific princi-
pies and abnormal in size that she cares for,
and walking over her property one would
never take Mrs. Leayitt for an up-to-date
enthusiast. In her greenhouses she wears
the dantiest Of little flowered bonnets a
dotted veil, smart tailor frock and ini-
maculate gloves. In her employ are expert
worknlen who do everything under her di-
rection, and, literally, she believes she
could conduct Horticulture as Won Moitke
did his battles. by telegraph.
Now, very different type of gardener
is Mrs. George Stanton Floyd Jones OF Loug
Island, who, few years ago, took charge
OF the old colonial gardens lying about her
husbands house, with a view to making
them pay. She has never allo wed modern
innovations to destroy the old-fash shioned
charm Of this. flowery domain and by TAX
ing series of lessons from capable old
German, she has learned not ouly how the
earth should be prepared for violet settings
but with set of good rakes, hoes and
shovels, can turn in and, with her own fair
bands, make a barren bed blossom like a
rose She understands the art OF pruning,
making cuttings, repotting aud fertilizing,
and for the sake OF looking after her flow
ers prefers to spend her winters in the
country.
In connection with violet and rose grow
Ing, Mrs. Floyd-JoneS raises for market
sales the finest Strawberries, raspberries
currants, and melons. They are as beauti-
full and decorative in q garden, she says,
as flowers themselves, and almost as
profitable as market sales, and like Mrs.
Charles Wetmore, another Long Island
gardener, Mrs. Floyd-Jones always wears
about her work practical, yet becoming
costume. The chief charm of this outfit
is its perfect comfort and suitability. Very
thick-soled high-laeed boots, frleze skirt
barely reaching the ankles gingham shirt
waist and wide straw hat are its chief
features. But the lady gardener Is always
careful to don heavy, loose gloves and
those who are ardently interested in the
enterprise, either for love or money, in
sist ON knowing how TO WELD hoe, spade,
and pruning knife.
One eau never presage, however, what