PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION 51 



tiny unit in the world's history, yet we are greatly 

 affected by the war. It has hit our small colony of 

 women workers, as it has made itself felt amongst 

 each family throughout England. All requisites, 

 manures, food-stuffs are doubled in price, sales of 

 produce have dwindled because the consumer is 

 economising, men-gardeners have gone to the 

 front, and only boys or men past the age for re- 

 cruits are left to work, and the result of all these 

 numerous difficulties is felt even in additional 

 degree by the practical market-gardeners who 

 come to lecture and demonstrate work to the 

 students. Consequently, we are forced to have 

 lectures only at such times as these busy workers, 

 who are now handicapped by a shortage of labour, 

 can be spared from their own gardens. 



The Principal of the College believes in practical 

 demonstration as a means of teaching women 

 gardeners, and this is why to-night all hands are 

 now employed one way or another in assisting to 

 earth up a long line of celery that runs between 

 baby apple trees in one of the market-garden 

 orchards. Some are told to attend to the foot- 

 lights and place them so that a convenient light 

 is cast upon the line of celery. Others with a fork 

 ease the earth upon either side in order that the 

 lecturer may demonstrate how with one hand all 

 the leaves of a celery plant are held firmly, whilst 

 the other hand pats a bank of earth right up close 

 to the leaves of the plant. There is no tying, but 

 some knack is required when the leaves of the plant 

 are transferred from one hand to the other so that 

 the same patting up of earth can be resorted to 



