GAEDENING FOR WOMEN 175 



to fit women and girls of good education to take posts as 

 professional gardeners, or to turn their acquired knowledge 

 into money by the cultivation of their own ground. 

 Above all, they learn that inteUigent cultivation of the 

 soil brings better crops and produce, and with better 

 sale a higher value to the ground, and that all the necessary 

 work can be carried on with success by women. Those 

 scholars who wish to qualify as gardeners must go through 

 a two years' course. At the expiry of this an examination 

 is held, which confers a leaving certificate on the successful 

 candidates. Those who have not attended the course 

 regularly or have not accomplished the desired quan- 

 tity of practical or theoretical work, or who do not 

 wish to undergo the examination, as well as those who, 

 after a one year's course, leave the institution, receive, 

 if they wish it, a certificate of attendance at the 

 school. 



A. — COURSE FOR SCHOLARS 



The course is for two years, and pupils are admitted 

 at the beginning of April and October of each year. 

 The theoretical instruction embraces these branches : — 



1. Pomology. — ^Planting, cultivation, care of fruit- 

 trees and berry bushes, improvement, pruning, know- 

 ledge of species, preservation and sale of fruit, forcing 

 under glass, po-*- fruit culture. 



2. Viticulture. — ^Planting and training of the vine. 



3. Cultivation of vegetables on waste land, sale and 

 preserving, hot-beds. 



4. Flower culture. — Special attention given to the 

 rose (propagation and improvement). 



