CHAPTER IX 



PRIZE GARDENING FOR WOMEN 



Of the fortunate one hundred securing a prize, no 

 fewer than twenty-seven were women. Some of these 

 merely prepared the account, the actual gardening 

 having been done by male relatives, and such accounts 

 were nearly always attractive and complete. Other 

 women contestants did more or less of the work of the 

 garden. A few of them did everything, even to the 

 spading and carting of manure. Some of the best 

 gardens were planned, worked and managed by women. 



In most cases the gardeners of the fair sex made 

 a reasonable cash profit, but it is a noteworthy fact 

 that nearly every one of them mentions increase of 

 health and pleasure as a leading advantage from the 

 experiment. Women living on farms do not stay in 

 the open air and sunlight so much as might be sup- 

 posed, and some of them note with evident surprise 

 the benefit obtained from a daily bit of outdoor work. 

 Light gardening seems to be the one form of useful 

 exercise that can be depended on for good results 

 for women. 



One woman of seventy years took up the work 

 largely on account of her health and says the outdoor 

 exercise helped her more than all the doctors in the 

 land. Another says : " I have derived considerable 

 pleasure from my garden, a good deal of experience 

 and a little money. Of course I have made many mis- 

 takes, which another year I hope to avoid." 



The absurdity of the attempt to dose and drug a 

 sickly body to permanent health has been recently 



