HORTICULTURE AS A PROFESSION FOR WOMEN. 77 



become a garden." What more fitting than that woman while 

 deriving profit from Horticulture should be assisting in this making 

 of the whole world into a garden ? 



Discussion. 



Robert Cameron said that at the Kew Gardens women had been 

 received during the last fifteen years for instruction in practical 

 greenhouse work with good results. They work here along with 

 the men but he knew of no place in this country where such experi- 

 ence could be had. He thought too much attention was given to 

 landscape work. He gave several instances of women in the 

 vicinity of Boston who had made a success in floricultural work in 

 the growing of plants and flowers as well as in finding a profitable 

 market for them. 



Duncan Finlayson remarked that in Europe more women are 

 employed in florists' stores than is the custom in this country, in 

 fact nearly all the florists employ women to arrange flowers in 

 bouquets and to perform other floral work. 



"William N. Craig said he thought it strange so few women were 

 found in our florists' establishments, a work for which they were 

 peculiarly fitted. He thought there was not much of a field for 

 women in gardening, for it was too hard work for them. Their 

 best field was in the flower shops and also in such greenhouse 

 employment as the growing of violets and carnations rather than in 

 outside work. In his opinion there was not much of a field in 

 America for women's work in horticulture except in the florists' 

 stores and in some features of landscape gardening. 



Miss Dawson said she had in mind the possibility of women 

 finding suitable and profitable employment in directing the manage- 

 ment of small estates and gardens in the vicinity of their own homes. 

 The ordinary gardeners usually employed on such places lacked 

 the taste and knowledge required to bring about the best results 

 and often spoiled what would be otherwise an attractive place. 

 While a woman gardener could not do the hard practical work she 

 could direct such operations as pruning and planting to advantage 

 by reason of her superior knowledge of the character of the indi- 

 vidual plant or shrub. 



