106 WOMEN-GARDENERS 



rewarded for the uphill task they have had to 

 perform. Unbelief, dark and impenetrable as 

 the primeval forest, has first to be cleared ; 

 especially formidable is this obstacle where " the 

 land " is connected with a future profession for 

 " women." It would seem that the fact of coupling 

 these two subjects together is sufficient to dull any 

 public sympathy with either, and thus it becomes 

 even harder to obtain the right type of workers. 

 Many more years go by before a sufficient number 

 are trained and successfully launched out into 

 posts and then at length, when these have done 

 work well and satisfied their employers, there comes 

 a sudden and urgent demand for more. 



This request for women-gardeners was very per- 

 ceptible a year or two before the war began, but 

 by the commencement of 191 5 it became imperative 

 and general. Owners of large private gardens, 

 who, until then, had maintained that men-gardeners 

 alone could do the work and that women were all 

 right as companion gardeners or to do jobbing 

 gardening in seaside towns, but altogether im- 

 possible to consider for the supervision of large 

 places, now quickly altered their opinion. The 

 reaction had come at last and was almost laughable 

 in its suddenness and haste. Moreover, the varied 

 talents that were asked for struck one as difficult to 

 satisfy, for women-gardeners were not only expected 

 to understand orchids, fruit under glass, and stove 

 plants, but were also asked to be chauffeur-gardeners, 

 to work the electric light engine when not gardening, 

 and mind the children's pony or feed the pigs. 

 This sudden popularity was perceptible even in so 



