148 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



means, exhaust a large amount of enthusiastic vitality, and it is a very 

 easential quality to have an abundance of. 



In our societies women are taking an active part, aad doing good 

 work. I can hardly see how it could be otherwise. Oar local meet- 

 ing are a series of "experience" discussions, and whoever does prac- 

 tical work has something practical to talk about. A large number of 

 my sex are natural born horticulturists, and many now do practical and 

 successful work in this line, and many more will be added to this num- 

 ber when we have an opportunity to get to look at this work in its 

 proper light. Nearly all women plant and caltivate something under 

 the domain of horticulture. 



What we sometimes term "society" presents some obstructions^ 

 to the full desires of many women in this line of work ; but does it 

 not seem strange that this same "society" will oftea praise the woman 

 who prepares the soil for her tiowers with a butcher-knife, and culti- 

 vates them with a kitchen fork, but with uplifted nose pass by on the 

 other side of the street, should that same woman take hold of a com- 

 mon spade, and dig, plant and train a few apple trees f She might 

 raise a few flowers ; she is nearly certain to grow a good maay apples, 

 and I leave it to you which is the hardest work. Kotthat 1 would dis- 

 courage the growing of flowers in each and every home, but if the 

 flowers I prefer grow upon apple and pear trees or blackberry bushes, 

 it is certainly just as easy to raise those, and I shall lose none of my 

 womanly dignity by doing so. 



Perhaps the greatest advantage of this work for my sex is that it 

 does not take us away from our homes and home duties. Those of ua 

 who need or desire some work outside the line usually given over to 

 us, work that is healthful, taking us out into the sunshine, filling our 

 thoughts with the beauties of nature, and makiug us forget many of 

 the darker sides of life, should choose horticultural work. 



Possibly best of all, is the opportunity while we work of teaching 

 the little ones, and directing their rapidly expanding minds along na- 

 tural lines. 



Diverse studies we must have in modern horticulture. The 

 sciences are not to be left out by any means. Botany and entomology 

 are studies we cannot be too familiar with, Vegetable physiology and 

 many other lines must be studied and closely followed. We have 

 reached an age when we must market the results of skill, and they are 

 the product of education. Every individual who grows fruit should 

 be a member of a local horticultural society. They can here do the 

 most good, reach the largest number of people — for this is a common 

 interest. This is the one place of all others where our farmers, with 



