Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-04-18
FARM AND GARDEN WORK FOR WOMEN

ubW lDE WIZ
old che made over. The old-time gardens
of our grandmothers are out OF exist
ence, and about 20 years ago gardening |
was at it's lowest ebb, but has revived |
until there is now mania for it, with |
the growth of suburban life and the OPP |
portunity Of obtaining beautiful plants |
from all over the world, tut knowledge |
has not kept pace with zeal. Why |
should there not be- in every town a |
place where persons could take the |
simplest lesson in the art OF gardening,
how to plant and transplant. 20 start
cuttings and bud plants, aud learn
which are suited to the climate and
conditions and so add TO the beauty
OF their grounds at small expense? a
florist who should undertake. such work
would surely find pupils. l believe the
Lord must regret ever having made
hydrangea grandihora, not because "
is not beautiful, but because it will
stand hard treatment and keep alive, aud
therefore when ciump of IL has been
planted ON the front lawn 1t is left to
take care OF itself and tho gardening
spirit is satisfied. You have good con
ditions in Delaware. climate suited
to both northern and southern plants
You might make wild gardens, the
simplest, most interesting and charm
ing OF outdoor work. With some shi uhs
as nucleus take up any wild plant
| with plenty OF its natural environment
of earth and rock, not the smooth rich
earth Of a garden bed. Plant roots
have delicate tins charged with an
acid secretion that breaks up rocks and
makes food OF them. Mr. Clement A.
Griscom OF Philadelphia, bought a
| place on which was an abandoned
| quarry that was a Disagreement, but is
now dream Of beauty with l,200
native plants, each fitted into its ap-
Iropriste niche, until it looks rs though
| designed by nature, Instead OF by a
skilled landscape gardener.
A woman IN New England not only
made beautiful her own surroundings,
but developed in her neighborhood a
spirit of protection for plants aud trees.
1t is this awakening that is needed,
| thought and caro- for the beauty Of
neighhorhood and for those who come
after us. AT summer re'ort young
girl came in with Ter hands full of
the rare fringed gentian. did not
leave one, " she exclaimed. "Then you
have destroyed them; there will he
none TO propagate" said bystander.
"Oh, we'll, I'm not coming rack next
year," she replisd. In New England
flowers are protected by law arrest
and heavy fines await one gathering
climbing fern or arbutus. Prizes are
offered for the best school collection
and in its grounds one school has $50
species that bloom from early spring
till late fall. OF its yearly prize of
Sl5, 50 is spent for compost and $40
given to the janitor for its care during
vacation. Ask your Congressman for
copy of the Special Consular Report
OF School Gardens in Europe, Vol. Xxx,
part 2, and sae the work women have
done there. In Pennsylvania good ia
done by sending nature libraries to the
rural schools There is work every
whore to do, to show those who live in
ugly places how to beautify them with
the means around them, to protect
trees and beautiful roadside places.
Nearly every club that starts village
improvement begins with an effort to
have clean streets and dispose of waste
and rubbish. In Europe they have
reached the point where clean streets
are matter Of course, the outskirts
are free from unsightly and unssyory
objects, and one passes direct from
well-kept streets along well-kept roads
right into the country. With theil
highway officials roadmaking is an
actual business aud not a gathering
together of few congenial neignbor'
who cast sod ir the roads under the
impression that they are improving
, them. Next the clubs undertake tree
planting, but women do not know
enough yet about what trees are suit
, able. nor their care, so their money II
largely wasted. In New England road
, side trees are under the care of the
State. No man owns even his own ant
! the State prunes and cares for them.
i Miss Dock was informed that in Will
mington the telegraph and telephone
I men are the tree trimmers with result
only too visible.
In 1899 Miss Dock was delegated b,
i the State Federation of Pennsylvania
! Women and the Parks Association I,
represent them at the International
Congress of Women, and the Depart
ment of Agriculture, recognizing he
special fitness for the work reauestet
!. her to extend her trip and make obser
a yations of rural school grounds, forests
a park and Fairgrounds. Women from 3
Il nations attended the congress who wer
! engaged in gardening, bee keeping
4 diaries, &c. She said: Traveller
abroad who have only time to see AM
enjoy, without opportunity 10 investi
eating the origin of the clean streets
parks and recreation grounds, usual
u carry away al impression that tn
a "governInent' is in some mysteriou
: way responsible for a delightful stat
of affairs that we can never enjo
because our government is so differen
aud We arc 60 young and new. But th
great civic improvements abroad wer
= generally originated, not by govern
i ment, but by public spirited citizens
!, and are OF recent origin, their Iru
. jectors still living to enjoy the results q
q their fol esight. In business and manu-
featuring communities it is recognize
n that where there is a crowded poptlla
o tion there is need OF park and pa
grounds. swimming baths and othe
!, healthful amusemeuts. The Londo
Public Gardens Association has con
t:ibuted greatly to health and happi
ness they have stopped the destruotio
= of trees, provided resting places for tn
. aged and breathing places for all
y opened AZ parks. Like New York the
secured old burial places, whore tn
y ground cnce oonsecrated to the dead
y dedicated to the service of the living
. With their millions of inhabitants the
q realize that for this frightful aggregat
: of humanity they must have breathin
. places. They improve private propert
'' with the understanding that the owner
will keep it in order. They erected i
! the most crowded part of Loncon
! loggia to commemorate heroes IN hun
!, bic life who have done great deeds
!, They buy valuable property on tn