INDIANA HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



2l9 



a little. Mrs. Meredith is simply giving the girls a hope of a chance, 

 that is, we who are able to send to college. I believe this matter ought 

 to be taught in the public schools, in the rural schools, to a certain degree. 

 That Is one thing that is being neglected. The rural schools are not what 

 they should be, and I believe we shoulcl have help in that line, although 

 the matter, as it is being worked up in the colleges, is a great thing; but 

 those who are not able to go to college are left somewhat in the darlv. 



Mr. Fess: Some years ago, not very long ago, my wife became ac- 

 quainted with a couple of young ladies in Grand Rapids who had some 

 special training along the line that Mrs. Meredith has indicated from 

 Philadelphia. She invited them to come out to our place and give us 

 a talk on cooking. They consented to come out, and there was a gath- 

 ering of ladies of the neighborhood to listen to them, and they talked 

 along the line of the preparing of certain special dishes, and on bread- 

 making. Of course, we thoiight that everybody knew everything about 

 bread-making that was necessary, and it was generally supposed that you 

 ought to -keep bread standing about as long as you could to make it good. 

 They said this was a mistake, that you ought to get the bread out of 

 the way as quickly as possible, to take plenty of yeast and hurry up your 

 bread-making. Well, this was only one thing; they learned that afternoon 

 a great many things; and not long ago I heard one of those ladies say 

 that she was certain that the little education they got from those trained 

 cooks was worth more than a thousand dollars to the women of that 

 neighborhood. This is the way it worked up an interest in them; they 

 didn't stop at just what tliey learned that afternoon, but it set the ball 

 a-rolling toward advancing things in many ways, and I have been sur- 

 prised to see the advance made. To me it is a lamentable thing today 

 that so many young ladies commence housekeeping that haven't any 

 more education along that line than a last year's bird's nest. 



Mrs. Robertson: I have this to say, that if our girls are to be home- 

 makers, this is just the sort of an education thej^ ought to have, just the 

 kind of an education we ought to give them, and I can think of no other 

 or better place than in the agricultural colleges. I have given the subject 

 no previous thoiight, whatever, before coming here, and so have nothing 

 more to say at this time. 



Lady Member: We certainly want that kind of an education for the 

 girls. I have no girls, but I am interested in that kind of an education 

 for girls, because I have four sons who will want wives after a while. 

 (Laughter and applause.) 



Professor Latta: It would please me to have more of the women 

 say, "I want my daughter to have that kind of training." We" have 

 got to have the second specimen in Indiana, for that kind of training. 



