Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 September 1909 — WOMEN EXHIBIT AT STATE FAIR [ARTICLE]

WOMEN EXHIBIT AT STATE FAIR

Show What They Can Do In Uno of Cultivating Blossoms. ONE IS A WINNER OF PRIZES Started Because She Concluded That Work Out of Doors and Among Growing Plants Would Benefit Her Health and Now She Is a Successful, Professional Florist—Old Fashioned Blooms Are Shown In Profusion. Indianapolis, Sept. 10. —Indiana wo men have entered a new field in exhibits at the state fair. The days when they confined themselves to bread, pies, cakes, jams and jellies, crocheted tidies and crazy patchwork are past, for this year several amateur gardeners have entered the flower show building and are competing with professionals in the field of garden flowers. Mrs. Mary J. Flick of Lawrence is entered in more departments than any other one woman at the fair, and she is not only exhibiting table luxuries, but is represented in the flower show. Other women that are showing flowers —the old-fashioned flowers —dahlias, snapdragons and begonias, such as delight the heart of the flower lovers in thousands of homes —are Mrs. John Grose, Mrs. H. S. Franklin, Miss Clara Lytel and Pauline Deppert of this city, Miss Nellie Cantant of Crawfordsville, and Mrs. O. P. Hoover of Bridgeport. The suggestion that others than professionals should compete for the prizes came from the state board of agriculture, which has seen a few professionals gather in all the prizes each year. This year the prizes were increased to SBOO and there was a satisfactory number of new entries to make it worth while. The only professional woman flower grower is Mrs. W. J. Vesey of Fort Wayne, whose flower culture makes her the foremost woman grower In Indiana. Mrs. Vesey began flower growing through a story she read in a magazine and on, the advice of a physician who recommended that she work out of doors and among growing things. The result is she is a membar of the Florists’ association, exhibits in the leading flower shows and has won many prizes. Her specialties are carnations, roses and chrysanthemums.