GAEDENING FOE WOMEN 



75 



branch of gardening, so after many misgivings and qualms 

 at further sinking of capital, I put up a block of five green- 

 houses, each 100 feet by 12 feet. This necessitated having 

 a skilled man to live on the place, and consequently the 

 building of a cottage, as there was none near. I intended 

 to grow tomatoes for Bournemouth market, followed by 

 chrysanthemums and other winter crops. The first season 

 of tomato growing proved enough of a success to encourage 

 me to persevere, and I bought a horse and van to begin a 

 trade with Bournemouth shops, and engaged a man as 

 salesman. On the whole this proved a success from the 

 first. Our chief crops to start with were tomatoes in the 

 houses, followed by chrysanthemums for cut flowers in 

 the winter, and out of doors a variety of plants for cut 

 flowers, especially early flowering chrysanthemums, also 

 strawberries, rhubarb, and vegetable marrows. After a 

 short time we took up narcissus, forcing for a spring crop, 

 followed by bedding plants in pots and boxes, and a variety 

 of pot-plants, such as genistas, ferns, cyclamen, freesia, 

 and pelargoniums 



After a few years I bought nine acres more, adjoining 

 the first field, and two years ago I bought another small 

 field of four acres. A few years ago I was able greatly to 

 improve our water supply, and to put up an engine for 

 pumping all water ubed in the houses, and to build a 

 second cottage for workmen. My original staff consisted 

 of one labourer ; it is now about nine men and boys. Last 

 year I was able to add a large tomato house 100 feet by 

 30 feet, and a small fernery. 



Whilst Hving here the neighbourhood has become a 



