1899.] ESSAYS. 59 



Wouldn't it 1)6 l»etlor to omit preniiuins for out-of-date 

 l)ic'ture throws, emlnoidered banners, painted placques, hair 

 wreaths, lanihrc(|uins and that ilk, and encourasfe the making of 

 more modern and of useful things. Take dressmaking for 

 instance ; many women wear a " store" wrapper, or an ill-fitting 

 gown of their own creation as they work at their embroidery. 

 The ingenuity and skill and the artistic sense required for the 

 delicate fancy work, if jiroperly directed, would fit and make a 

 dress. More premiums should be ofiered for hand sewing and 

 for well cut and made wearing apparel. One society is to be 

 commended for its premiums for the best twelve or six [)ieces of 

 hand sewing. Encourage the young girls by a premium for the 

 best shirt waist, or its equivalent as fashion changes ; this would 

 illustrate all the stitches of plain sewing. The neatest lined 

 and finished cloth skirt and the best made dress designed 

 especially for housework would be other practical exhibits, from 

 which of course the professional dressmaker would be barred 

 out. 



Women have been knitting golf stockings for several years 

 but 1 fail to find these articles recognized in any premium list. 

 Fire etching on leather and wood has been popular for several 

 years and is capable of a high rank in decorative arts but it is 

 almost entirely overlooked in the department of fine arts at the 

 fails. One who is skilled in the embroidery of household linen 

 with monograms, crests and initials, and in making needle and 

 bobbin laces, has an accomplishment which is a pleasant posses- 

 sion and may bring her substantial reward where a thousand 

 yards of crocheted edging of the prevalent inartistic designs 

 would yield nothing. 



Work of commercial value should be encouraged. In con- 

 nection with my editorial duties many letters come to me with 

 the request that I help the writers to earn something by w(yrk 

 at home. These letters are often pathetic and force one to close 

 study of the problem involved. My question of what the 

 writer can or wishes to do is usually answered by " fancy 

 work" for which there is practically no market. 



The farmer has been encouraged by the agricultural societies' 



