Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-06
WOMEN AS GARDENERS
SCHOOL OF HORTICULTURE AND
LANDSCAPE GARDENING.
The Object is to Teach Women to
Help Themselves-Experi-
ments Near Boston

From the Boston Advertiser.
Thirty-ffve miles from Boston. IN the
town Of Groton. there opened about six
weeks ago a school of horticulture and
landscape gardening for women the only
one Of exactly its character in the country,
although for two years in New York work
along somewhat similar lines has been
done. So little is known of IL that II came
as rare treat when yesterday Miss Louise
Miller. one of its faculty and the practical
head of the institution. told the visitors at
the fair something of its aims and plan OF
work.
The object of the school is to help women
to help themselves. Women have made a
the past. 1t is true, but have felt the need
Of training, which is as urgent in this oc-
cupation as in any other. There are few
occupations, said Miss Miller, which give
more delight intellectually and otherwise.
besides being most healthful. than that Of
horticulture and given the right sort and
amount of training. there is no reason why
a woman should not make a good living at
Ii IL she wants to.
Studies in the. Course.
The course includes horticulture. agricul-
ture. botany. greenhouse work and work
in the flower. fruit and vegetable gardens,
economic entomology and ornithology, ag-
| ricultural chemistry. plane and solid ge-
| ometry, surveying. free-hand and mechan-
ical drawing, landscape gardening and gar
den design The course is two years Of two
terms each.
winter with course of lectures, owes It's
existence to the generosity OF Mrs. E. c..
Low who dedicated her house and estate,
Lowthorpe to the institution. In this house
most Of the students live, the others finding
place in the village near by. Tuition is a
little less than at the ordinary woman's
college, and there is scholarship for the
woman who feels that she cannot meet the
necessary expenses of the course.
Although still in its infancy, the school
has already done much practical work.
Last spring a village Improvement associa-
ton was organized under Its auspices, and
much has been done to arouse the interest
Of children. and older people well. A
school garden was started, which was q
great success
Chance for Trained Women.
There are many openings for the women
who complete the course, as the success OF
those who have got training in this direc-
ton through courses at existing institu-
lions abundantly testifes. Many teachers
who have undertaken gardens In their
schools feel their lack OF professional train
ing in this branch, and glad to work
under expert. Here Is an opening for
the trained woman. In rural districts and
In small villages people will be glad to pay
her for telling them how to beautify their
premises and to care for their gardens in
the best way. A woman working from
April to December can earn enough to keep
her the rest of the year.
Chicago University is saving fine posi-
ton for a first-class woman horticulturist,
when one is found ready to fill 1t; and the
model farm al the St. Louis exposition will
include horticultural section, which will
probably be in charge of a woman.
In New York there are many women who
are making a good income by devoting
themselves to cultivating some one spc-
cialty, as violets. or carnations, roses.
One lady made 50 700 a farm which she
bought unimproved and then sold. y Miss
Miller who got most of her training at
Cornell, is we'll known as superintendent
| of nature in the schools of Detroit, and has
also prepared a course of nature study 20
| be used In the schools of Pennsylvania.
| She one of the lecturers at Chautauqua
| last summer. and Is everywhere known as
a woman of exceptional ability.