74 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



trees, shrubs, and herbs is required to give the landscape artist the 

 palette which is needed to paint the open air picture. Landscape 

 gardening is an exact profession. No mental slovenliness can be 

 tolerated. Specifications must be accurately made out, plant 

 names properly spelled, and the necessarily complicated accounts 

 carefully kept." 



This profession is one of luxury and even more dependent upon 

 the prosperity of the country than the florist's business. Miss 

 Jones has said that women are restricted more or less to the domestic 

 branch of landscape gardening. In this restricted branch the 

 flower garden itself is one in the making of which women can paint 

 a picture of great charm and harmony which is an expression of the 

 peculiar sympathy which exists between womankind and flowers. 

 The most charming garden which I ever saw was designed and 

 carried out by a princess who is also a sculptor of merit. In this 

 garden one feels the touch of the woman and the princess. 



It has always seemed to me that there should be an opening for 

 women as consulting gardeners. In small towns often there are 

 one or two gardeners, more or less inexperienced, who go for one or 

 two days each week to the small place, where there is not enough 

 work to require a regular gardener all the time. A well-informed 

 person coming in and superintending the work of such inexperienced 

 men results in a much more satisfactory looking place, and is quite 

 within a woman's sphere. 



If one is fond of children and combines a practical knowledge 

 with theoretical teaching, a very acceptable departure is the teach- 

 ing and management of school gardens. There has been a general 

 movement throughout the country in this direction and much has 

 been accomplished both by establishing in cities garden plots for 

 children who would otherwise have no opportunity of getting so 

 close to Nature, and by teaching country children many things 

 which will direct their interest toward their home gardens which 

 otherwise they take for granted and pay little attention to. It 

 has the added value, of course, of teaching the children a great deal 

 about Nature and keeping them occupied in a healthful and in- 

 structive way. This work, while it requires a great deal of tact and 

 knowledge of children, to say nothing of an ability to teach, is a 

 healthful, attractive, and remunerative occupation which does not 



