The suburban citizen., 1900-01-27
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| WOMAN'S WORLD.
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FARMING FOR WOMEN.
How Our English Sisters Are becoming
Scientific AgricuIturlsts.

How Our English Sisters Are becoming
Scientific AgriCuIturists'
The advanced" English woman does
not hesitate to carry out many kinds
of work, which are not yet popular
with her American sisters. Among
other things she not only farms with
a vim and energy very astonishing to
non English women, but she regular
ly and scientifically qualities herself
for farming by course at one OF the
agricultural colleges for women, which
thrive in England. The best and
most favorably known of these, per-
haps, is the Lady Warwick Hostel at
Reading. The Countess Of Warwick,
formerly Lady Brooke, and the
"Babbling Brooke" of semifacetious
London swelldom, stands at the head
of this institution, and also edits the
Womans Agricultural Times, the
monthly magazine published by the
college authorities. Practical Hor-
ticulture for Women" Bookkeeping
for Women" and "The Keeping of
Milch Goats as an Occupation for
Women" were among the subjects
treated in recent number OF this
periodical, and the manner of treat
ment was extremely plain and practi-
cal in each case The linen indus
tries, poultry culture and keeping,
and the work of the various techical
schools for women, which are under
the special patronage of the Princess
of Wales, also occupy much space in
most numbers. The whole tone of
the magazine is one of study and SER
iousness, even the jokes and witticisms
which adorn its columns occasionally
are solemn, and have an agricultural
flavor.
The students at the agricultural
colleges come from almost all grades
and ranks of society, and the educa-
ton provided for them is both thor
ough and varied. All about flower,
fruit and vegetable growing, butter
and cheese making, mushroom, bee
and tomato culture they learn, and
they must be we'll up in both theory
and practice before they are entitled
to the college certificate. A large
majority Of the graduates devote
themselves to specialties of various
kinds, it is said, and the masculine
farmers of England are rapidly learn
ing to respect both their learning and
prowess, and to regard them as for
midable rivals.
The cost of taking thorough course
at one Of these agricultural colleges,
with board or residence" ranges
from $3.50 and upward for each year,
and the length of time spent in study
varies according to the quickness and
capabilities of the students themselves,
as we'll as of the number and intricaoies
of the branches undertaken. The
roster OF students is usually a gen.
erous one, and occasionally applicants
are obliged to wait some time before
arrangements for their matriculation
can be made.
The students, according to the pub
lie announcements sent out by the
college, are not expected to perform
the heaviest or laborer's work upon
the college lands, which are theirs to
experiment upon under proper direc-
tion, but it would seem from a report
lately published by the warden OF the
Lady Warwick Hostel, Miss Edith
Bradley, that at this establishment at
least the students, all of them women,
do "till the ground" literally as we'll
as metaphorically.
"Since the term ended in the last
days of June, " says this parsonage,
"our regular students have been leav-
ing in small detacbments, as the weeks
of the practical work came to an end,
The last to go were some four or FIVE
who were intrusted with the making
of an outdoor mushroom bed. Turning
the manure occupied three weeks, and
tnen the spawning could not be done
until the proper temperature was
reached A careful record will be
kept of the time and expense incurred
in making this bed, which will be
put against the amount realized by
the sale OF the mushrooms. In this
way the students will gain practical
experience in one of the most profit
able of the lighter branches of agricul-
ture, with a view to specializing in it
Oter."