102 WOMEN-GARDENERS 



out maplike before the visitor without dividing 

 hedges or breaks and devoid of the unexpected or 

 the mysterious. 



The new year has brought encouragement with 

 regard to the future prospects of women-gardeners, 

 for there has been decided recognition of their 

 worth in the opinion of practical men-gardeners 

 and the Royal Horticultural Society has at length 

 shown its approval by admitting women as well 

 as men to the competition for a Degree in Horti- 

 culture. Several times, of late, the Principal of 

 the College has been told by a capable and well- 

 qualified gardener, " We want you ladies now ; 

 we most fully realise this." It is not only the war 

 and consequent shortage of men that has brought 

 about this change. The reason is, that a type of 

 practical, energetic, fully competent woman has 

 come more to the fore, and this men quickly 

 appreciate. No longer does the amateurish, help- 

 less lady join the profession, for no School or College 

 that respects itself cares to admit her. She cannot 

 be a credit to her teachers, and in all honesty they 

 will be unable to recommend her for a good post, 

 so that it is wrong to encourage her to think that 

 she will be successful if she takes a course of in- 

 struction. 



There is another kind of student who will never 

 make a good professional gardener. Doctors at 

 first sent us semi-invalids recovering from some 

 illness, hoping that their patients would thus regain 

 an interest in life by watching garden operations, 

 but at length they have learnt that College life is 

 unsuitable for these ladies. Such cases can only 



