jor February. 1121 



471 



den clubs are not only educating thousands of their 

 ineniliers in practical planting of public and jirivatc 

 grounds, but. like the Woman's National Farm and 

 Garilen Association, are giving scholarships for the 

 training of women gardeners. For two Stunmers a 

 new departure has been successfulh- made by Mrs. 

 James Duane Livingston, who opened her place, 

 "Garden Home." at Barnstable, Mass., to young 

 women coming from such elaborate homes that the 

 multiplicity of gardeners and domestics prevents the 

 future mistresses of estates from learning gardening 

 and household management. 



Another opportunity for training is ottered by Airs. 

 Samuel T. Bodine of \'illa Nova, Pa., whose extensive 

 estate and eminent superintendent-gardener, Mr. 

 .-\lexander McLeod, have formed an exce])tional com- 

 bination. Young girls are received here for practice 

 and instruction, are partiall}- paid while learning, and 

 have model housing accommodations. JNIr. C. T. 

 Crane's estate, at Ipswich, Mass., has also employed 

 votmg women under the superintendent-gardener, 

 Mr. Cameron. An October conference at the Massa- 

 chusetts College of Agriculture is said to mark a new 

 epoch in the advance of women in agriculture and 

 horticulture. Boys have worked during the Summer 

 under Mr. Craig, superintendent for ]\Irs. Edward 

 Brandigee's Faulkner Farm, Brookliiie, Alass.. and 

 Mr. Untermeyer and Mr. Dupont have agreed to re- 

 ceive groups of boys on their ])laces. 



Should there be any question of adequate pecuniary 

 reward if gardeners are properly qualified? Cer- 

 tainly in few other professions is the laborer more 

 worthy of his hire. America cannot, any Ix-tter than 

 an individual can, live by bread alone, and never has 

 there been greater need of the spiritual refreshment 

 coming from the beauty of gardens which depend so 

 much upon the persons caring for them. In spite of 

 this. Miss Ellen Eddy Shaw, head of an educational 

 department of the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, states 

 that the most frequent c|uestion she receives is "How 

 little can a woman be secured for?" Not "How much 

 should be paid for the best woman ?" She believes 

 the profession of gardening owes itself suitable stand- 

 ards of salaries to ensure the respect of the public, as 

 well as to protect the workers from the deadening 

 economic pressure of vnider-pay. Furthermore, it 

 would not be justifiable to persuade intelligent per- 

 sons to enter a profession which would not furnish 

 a living wage. Here, it seems, is a case for educat- 

 ing the public to pay for value received, even though 

 the artist of the out-of-doors as well as the in-door 

 lields of literature, etc., receives a compensation in 

 happiness which is all his own, and maj- think first of 

 the work and last of the reward. Improvements in 

 housing and recreations may be counted on as addi- 

 tional inducements for the right persons to take up 

 gardening and apply trained intelligence to it. 



Finally, however, after the last word has been said 

 on education and salaries, the most delicate and diffi- 

 cult part of the problem remains — the adjustmerit of 

 temperament and point of view, the human relation- 

 ships. No matter how well laid out or flourishing 

 horticulturallv our land may be, it will be impossible 

 to achieve our heart's desire, the perfect garden, un- 

 less there is harmony between employer and em- 

 l)lo3-e. For instance, a certain owner wearied of the 

 ceaseless laments of her gardener, inconsolable for the 

 frost-blighting of his VVeigela hedge, the glory of 

 whose bloom illuminated a large part of his calendar. 

 Then, suddenly, she became sym))athetic as she real- 

 ized that, much as she loved her beds and borders, her 



disappointments found distraction in travel over the 

 entire globe, while the gardener's joys and sorrows 

 were intensified within his hedge-hemmed world. 



The cloven hoof of avarice occasionally leaves its 

 j)rints in a paradise, as when some artistic woman's 

 soul is starved and skimped for flowers for wdiich her 

 well paid gardener ever insists there is neither time 

 nor fertilizer, while vegetables are raised far in ex- 

 cess of the family needs, the surplus going to over- 

 fed emplo}-es. Another owner despairs of having 

 her favorite flowers, which her gardener insists are 

 not adapted to the soil wdiich, nevertheless, can grow- 

 all his favorite specialties for exhibitions. On the 

 other hand, an example of extremely friendly rela- 

 tions is aftorded by a gardener who walks miles, in 

 his spare time on Sundays, to aid in labor beyond the 

 physical strength of a former employer whom change 

 of circumstances had forced to let this man seek an- 

 other place. He refused all pay for his generoift 

 services, threatening never to return if money were 

 mentioned ! 



Mutual consideration is the true touchstone, and 

 Mr. Walter Wright, the English author and Kent 

 County-Council gardener, intimates that co-operation 

 in plans from the beginning will go far toward their 

 success, as the gajdener is then more interested in 

 assuming responsibilities with his employer. So 

 many problems occur, requiring both points of view, 

 that it may be worth while occasionally to hold 

 forums for employers and gardeners, where on a plat- 

 form of knowledge, taste and, sympathy, discussion 

 will promote complete understanding, witht)ut which 

 we can never attain the true definition of a garden — 

 "a delightful spot." — This article is reproduced in these 

 coliiiiins throui^li the courtesy of House & Garden. 



HARDY CYCLAMENS 



The various species and varieties of hardy Cyclamens 

 are among the choicest and most beautiful of hardy 

 plants. Their cultivation is not difficult, a free open soil, 

 mixed with leaf-mould, suiting them admirably. They 

 may be grown among short grass or under trees or 

 shrubs. About the rock garden in almost au}' position 

 they are quite happy, and the freest growers soon make 

 large clumps. Some produce the flowers before the 

 leaves, others produce flowers and leaves together. 



Proi)agation is best eft'ected by seeds, which in some 

 cases are freely produced. C. africanuin, C. rcpanduiu 

 and C. neapolitaniiin usually seed freely ; these, if sown 

 as soon as ripe, germinate in a fortnight or so, and as 

 soon as the seed-leaf is well developed they may be 

 picked ofl' into boxes, two or three inches apart, where 

 they may remain until the following year, when the 

 corms will lie sufficiently developed to plant out. 



The production of one seed-leaf only has been the sub- 

 ject of inquiry bv numerous botanists, the latest being the 

 Assistant Director at Kew. 



In a paper read recently before the Linnjcan Society 

 Major Hill showed conclusively that two seed-leaves are 

 really formed in the embryo as in dicotyledons generalh', 

 but that one of them becomes aborted and never develops. 



When [planting the corms the soil must be well broken 

 up and mixed with leaf-mould and sand; in some heavy 

 soils devoid of lime, old pulverized mortar rubble is an 

 advantage. The corms should be planted just below the 

 surface and covered at first with leaf-mould and sand. 

 'Ihe planting season varies for the different species: those 

 that flower in .\utunm must be planted when dormant in 

 Summer and those flowering in early' Spring may be 

 planted in early .\utunm. — Irish Gardening,. 



