HORTICULTURE AS A PROFESSION FOR WOMEN. 71 



beginning, for, as one woman has very truly expressed it, there are 

 few lines of study that require closer application and higher gifts of 

 observation, to say nothing of actual scientific knowledge, than the 

 growing of plants under glass. This necessitates constant vigilance 

 both night and day. Of course one can always hire men to do the 

 heaviest and most wearing work, but even then a woman should 

 consider very carefully before risking her capital in a large florist's 

 plant. A great many of the women who are now in the florist's 

 business in this country have either grown up in the business or have 

 fallen heir to it upon the death of husband or brother. Quite as 

 often we find a woman who is the mainstay of a business, but 

 whose identity is merged in that of the men of her family. A few 

 have taken it up because of ill health, but this is not advisable from 

 the standpoint of financial success. For with success in view we 

 need for this business not only good health but a tremendous re- 

 serve energy and vital force. 



Fruit culture seems to offer success to women without the mental 

 and physical drag upon her strength that is attendant upon the 

 complicated details of growing flowers under glass. With a suitable 

 piece of land this branch of Horticulture can be made not only 

 pleasing but profitable. In the far West, particularly, there have 

 been marked successes among the women who have raised orchard 

 fruits, as well as small fruits. I am advised that it has also proved 

 profitable to have in connection with the raising of fruit a system 

 wherein fruit can be put up or canned ready for sale. 



Still another branch of Horticulture in which women have suc- 

 ceeded in making a livelihood is vegetable culture, the most common 

 form of which is market gardening. Here in New England there 

 are one or two women who have excelled in this. This is one of 

 the practical lines which is rather simple and extremely interesting 

 and remunerative, but in connection with which there is much 

 back-breaking work, and very long hours, for the marketing of 

 vegetables requires an early start in the morning before the day's 

 work begins. Fancy vegetables, or those out of season, from the 

 greenhouse, are always in demand and generally command good 

 prices. 



Then we have the growing of plants for landscape gardening, 

 which is, broadly speaking, the nursery business. This is much 



