WOMEN'S INTERESTS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1933, Page 3

WOMEN'S INTERESTS

GARDENING IN AFRICA

A WOMAN’S EXPERIMENTS

Gardening is frequently referred to rather disparagingly,.. as,.suitable for the very aged or for the gemtriihbeciles As I am not. yet very aged, I siipimse I must conclude I am a semi-imbecile, for certainly I find something very satisfying and peaceful in a garden, says Joyce Boyd in “My Farm in Lion Country.” Gardening, for me, provides a very tolerable substitute for the incompleteness of life. A garden nevei bores, one;. perhaps, because it is never quite' finished. A garden, too, brings one very near .to whatever may be God.

In Africa gardening is entirely experimental :and this is an additional excitement and interest. When I lived in England I thought I was rather a clever gardener. Everyone told me so, ‘and certainly I had to my credit one or two-quite commendable achievements, rAt least I knew all the Latin names of the flowers, which sounded impressive! ... I was fond of colour aitd arranging colour-schemes, and I used to order, a great many high-sounding plants.and instruct my gardeners exactly where to put them. ’ I blithely told my headgardener how.to grow sweet peas from knowledge glefihed out of .a book, until I discovered, he bad already taken 15, medals for : that particular flower ..at different shows!

.. When I came, to Africa I soon learned liow/liihited in reality.;,was the extent of my. knowledge, while the little 1 did know was of small use to me. > In: Africa most of the flowers, transported‘from their natural setting,, bloom,when they feel inclined and grow just as itall or as short as they feel themselves capable of doing. The. mimosa trees, for instance, start gf»jl.Y off every year with' a commendable, •abundance/:' of tight.'.little . •.gr.eyrgreen, buds that develop slowly into, tight - little -- yellow ones/ ; After that vtheyi 'begin to ‘hesitate, •:Tor by. then ; the‘. tropical: sun has -got warmed*up te.tits' • job. o-iv :j

Th ere ‘‘.ate numerous other trees > a : nd! 'plants*’ every hit; as. confused, ; and ,un- : able yet’fo adapt-themselvesto ..so ' different find violent local; conditions. Some -ref those we - have ; brought out, siicl'i --“as Various‘varieties;:, of .nuts, gbosewmes, currants; Lilic us one' ef the hianv that ’have given up alto-gether-'and died. Others,' like file"'foxglove, send'up a magniiicerit growth of ’ foliage; a sort "of apo’ogetib subterfuge for their inability to deal with the situation.'' The English apples have managed -better.. ' to :ctecide Upon the "correct blossoming s ason, they haVe very cleverjy ■ got over tike difficulty : “by blossoming continiidtisly, witlr‘the 'Exception of one or. two Thonths- 1 when they are wintering. ' V ' v ‘ v ’ l>r, *‘

VARIETY EVENING MODES IN SitttipH^TTES

The evening fashions of The moment offer such a gf styles that. there is something tp shit every-! one.- .'Materials range. .. from lustrous; satms, soft crepedike velvets, shimmer"' ipg sequins, and fairy-like laces, to the. simplest crepes, piques, spot muslins,j apd.prgandies. :■ , ../ •. / I Perhaps the most distinguished note; of the mid-season moi|es. is: the sharpcontrast in silhouettes. One style shows; a dress that;- hangs plainly without aj ; break from' the.shoulder to . the liem,! ftttmgrfche figure -to well below the hips.j and .then-brsaking into slight fullness round the Ankles; • • • , >S" | Absolutely'"different is. the fluffy-ruffle, dress thafj billows bound the .arms and. should ere, and sweeps round the -ankles! in.a froth of circular frills, j

- The long, plain dress looks so simple,; but ..for fke home dressmaker the frilly frock is the easier to achieve because it does not need to fit so .exactly, and the attention is drawn tp-the ;.daintiness of colour and design. The shoulder-line is. important in evening modes % "'ith ©very tj r pe of dress this season, and in meet cases there is the same B itggestion of width.

Ruffles round the arm-holes may be small dnd closely pleated, or they may consist of a double circular frill round the anu-holes that stands up stiffly on either side of the head. The “off the shoulder” line gives a demure effect, charming on a youthful wearer, arid this is sometimes adged by a circular shaped frill that finishes in a soft tie bow in front‘or to one side.

Sashes have become very populai- .es" pecially" velvet sashes that suggest a deep colour contrastas for instance, a scarlet velvet sash on ail all-white drees; Royal blue velvet on pale pink, and black velvet with many other colours.

Floral belts are an attractive novelty, and on a white dress a holt of red poppies, blue cornflowers and white marguerites is decidedly chic and youtriflll. A cluster of flowers in the centre of the corsage is the popular place for the evening posy, which is used 1 to great effect oh plain black dresses." ;, ' : Little'Capelets plain or “frilled, are excellent for bringing 'an—old trock up-to-date. .These are made spot muslin, or chiffon—indeed, any material that offer,, sufficient contrast to the dress, . . ' • I

Hints from Home and Mbroad.

In the case of a new dress the capelet or caped coatee, , about the length of a mess jacket,' is made of the same material.

WATERPROOFING SHOES

,Tn most households the' children’s "boq b and shoe s are Ta serious consideration in wet weather. It is/ however/ on excellent plan to give the soles two Coatings of ordinary varnish, coloured black with " lamp black/"'This gives a good shiny black s°lc, Which takes a lot of wearing down; Each coating -of ivarnish mu a;, dry before the next one is- put on, and as it wears’ off it nmst be done, again. Then treat the uppers to a waterproof pettish, made as ■ follows ;

Grate 3oz. of -beeswax 'into a small jjam jar and add to it los. of graced suet. Stand it in'a saucepan pf boiling water till if all melts and mixes,, then stir in gradually 3oz. .of 'turpentihp, and when this has all been mixed irf, add 3oz. iof white , granulated sugar, and. lastly; '2oz. of ivory-bkek , and Joz. of powdered indigo. Keep stirring 'all the time ibut not over the fire, just standing i. n the saucepan; of boiling water, -away from th&'fire ; ’while adding ‘all these ingredients. Tt 'rivakes a grand waterproof blacking;‘"’V Tt-n i < Children thus' protected Will not ' go "around 'With Idamp'-boots/ iaud. ,,;! few mothers realise what a boon ikis.' becauee when you have to dry damp boots R spoils the leather, besides givr in<r the mother extra work. The wet never comes through if you use varnish on the soles, and thig liome-m'de waterproof polish.

A "BEST' BATH.

There is‘some difference between the bath of habit ,and the hath of emoym'ent. The first i e a harried affair, either just ,as one ig rushing to get; to the day’s work,./or ip iM taken ; immediately after the day’s work, and one is, Ihgn in" ia hurry .tor get to '*he evening’s pleasure/ ". ' , The! real 'hath of• enjdyrAeht' is/ /in .itself, .an excejleht foi'in of relaxafiori ; • indeed, it is one of the best. Some : people can .thpVoiighly relax/ jihd” rod; in'a batji/;;nipre than' they' could by .faking; any pumhjer of siestas. ...Here .-id . A .Jh-ome-mad© bath ®al.ts recipe which not duly ‘feels pleasant but- also has a, great beautifying' effed on ihhe '.skin-. Mix together 2oz. of spirits of lammor'a, 2oz, rectified spirit. s of wine, and five drops of oil of iavender. -•;■■' / ''. /• ■.. ■■■ If you are bothered with gooseflesh you Can: chrofitr-by?adding to your hath ' two !> t abldspoonf u !.s -of ordiunjry '• cpvk ing. • bait dissolved .in a ■•■■■tuihblerful ;,of -.vine-, •gar. bath,/by the way/Tf-in -this. ■■ease, -should -be’! slightly cooler -..than USlial. "" " V Two ot three handfuls.■■'•'of“sea>3ali pfolVirable ■'from - all chemists'—are ' not. '’only 1 invigorating and'-, refreshing if j Thrown into‘ the '• bath- abu't 'they./ also; have considerable' health-giving properties. 9

WOMEN’S STATUS IN JAPAN

Woman is still subservient to. man in. Japan. 'and,f|s* legally and at the dispeeal/of her nearest male - relat-; tion, who can force her ifito a marriage; ■of his choice, or 'even sell her as a; geisha or into-'employment in the mills.; 1 There is no-court to which she can: appeal, no tribunal who will set a-side. the decision of her father, brother or unde, ias the etise may be. ' j You feel the implication of owner; ship in. every rank/of life. When.'. hmsband. meets and e the station it is'tile ■kiddiiek^he Sif first, hig wife stanSibg like,;a ’ ■ ' •- . ‘'-.i. ... tb. i , hired domed, ic or a 'slave/ - She is devoted home, and tp: her family, and serves her husband with a dumb acquiescence that 6om.‘p how seems fill wrong these days. .Aj Japanese 'wife may not sit.'in the presj ence of her husband without Bis permission, and only the mo.'li advanced rnbii dream 1 of taking thei r partners out ta the theatre or a restaurant. j

in China, women have not the vd'e, nor have they at present, entrance to the professions. They m.ake the most devoted nurses and, indeed, the nature of the Japanese woman is extraordinarily sacrificial. She never seems to resent the burden s that are put on her, but accepts in a quiet and docile fashion all the slights that her sex incurs.

WOMEN GROW WIGS Tlie ingredients of motion picture film, camera lenses,- wigs, calibrating devices, film cans, electrical.arid.sound recording parts are assembled from trie four corners of the . globe.; Among trie items used to manufacture films ace camphor from the steaming jungles of Formosa, gelatine from the hoofs of ahimalg secured from Chicago, and the' Argentine, potassium iodide .secured largely from Japanese seaweed. But in the Tyrolean district of Europe is the strangest of all industries. Tile women grow Hair for theatrical wigs and beards. Each .year they are cropped like; sheep and receive 50 dollars for 0 year’s growth.