The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-07-31

- AANA al fashionable FEM
ininity sat in the gossiping corner
on TIE front piazza OF a hot hotel and
RECALLED itself with scandal and soda
Is almost passed. Now every woman.
single CT married. seems to have her
own country retreat, be it only a log
cabin or a tent; and. with it. like foam
on the soda. goes always her garden
rot the expensive. Fancy garden Of the
millionaire amateur. but a real garden
that yields peas and potatoes, as well
as roses. Tor the table all summer long.
To have a sarden. enc must have one
Of two thinrs-either gardener or
plenty Of time. preferably the latter.
II one is addicted 10 indigestion or a
salloU complexion or a bad temper. or
the mopes or even 10 laziness. a gar
den without d gardener is the best
tonic in the world. 30 other sport or
amusement offers such wonderful on
portunities for developing muscles for
clearing away liver tints. for brighten
ing eyes. for making waists slender
and chests high and strong. The cir;
who successfully raises a garden dur
ing one single summer gets more OF
the right kind OF physical training
than she could possibly acquire in
many winters work under the OK
pensive tuition Of a foreign fencing
master and a Boston health culturist-
more than she could ever set in the
best gymnasium built
That is why SO many women are now
"h0eins their own row" and il is
quite the smart and proper thing To
be caught. rake or trowel in hand and
sun-bonnet on head. in the midst Of
your garden patch. at the rear Of your
colonial. summer mansion.
Gardening is the feminine sport Of
the hour II is a physical training par
excellence. because every movement
and every breath is < JOY. frau-ht with
Interest and excitement and intense
pleasure. Every physical culture
teacher VII tell YOU that 10 be sue
cessful a system of exercises must con-
tain q thought and z purpose. That is
what gardening does contain. In her
intense desire To SEE the slender green
things srrout the fashionable gar
deress works with double vigor. Her
muscles are not driven by duty. They
expand and contract unconsciously
and thereby become straight ana hard
and Fun OF power. After the vigorous
tussle with rake ard hoe, with weed
and plant her rest is ten times more
blssful and benehcial. She fiings her
SIT down % sleep with complete relax
alton and abandon. or sits down 10 cat
Uirh the trJA appetite OF a farmer.
SO instructor in physical culture is
equal 10 "a good, old-fsshioned rake.
To make the exercise doubIy beneficial
when raking let the little gardener
keep IN mind few OF the simple rules
~ the physical culturist. The most
important 90 these Is q don't" Don [
bend from the shoulders. Grasping your
rake firmly IN both hands and holding
The body perfectly erect. swing out
with broad. free stroke and draw the
dried grass Of the freshly mown lawn
toward you as you would draw back
an car when rowing. II you must bend.
bend slightly from the waist with each
movement. raknE first TO one side and
then the other. This rotary motion
VIII give -ou the best possible exercise
for the muscles Of the torso and Is
an excellent cure for chronic indiges-
ton with each movement draw in
deliberately sfterwar Raking and
hocinE, If properly done. are without
an equal as exercises for the muscles
Of the forearm They also have q ten
deny 10 develop the muscles across
Inc back and 10 give a breadth OF
shoulder which can &c acquired in no
other way. But to be beneficial they
must be carried on in the correct way.
or, instead OF learning TO carry your
self like the military man, you viii
fan into the unbecoming and unneces-
sary stoop of the farmer.
The woman " no has the temerity to
nov her own Lawn has discovered the
exercise Of all exercises for the biceps
and the legs. one little woman gets UP
very early every morning and DOMINIC
her bathing suit creeDs down the stairs
and out on the terrace in front OF
her sumner cottage. drags the creak-
iEg lawn mower from its accustomed
place and determinedly pushes it up
and down the green stretch, up and
down the terraces and across every
grass-groWn SPOT until her muscles feel
fine and vigorous. her face is glowing,
her gardener is offended and her neigh
bors are her mortal enemies. She has
discovered a wonderful chest exercise,
however, and considers that worth all
the wrath she may incur. Standing on
the top Of the terrace and grasping the
handle b. one hand she lets the lawn
mower slide down as far as she can