Cascine, Florence, 1907
This institute was founded on the initiative of several ladies, with the object of instructing girls in the different branches of agriculture and domestic economy, by giving them theoretical and practical ideas, which will enable them to employ their valuable energy in the domain of agriculture and good house-keeping.
The school opens its classes in November. The training lasts six months.
The classrooms are in the left wing of the grand ducal palace, on the Piazzole del Re, in the public park of the Cascine, very near the station of the electric tramway, which places the school within twenty minutes from the centre of the town.
The close vicinity of the horticultural establishment of the Royal School of Pomology and Horticulture, possessing gardens, hot-houses, orchards, vineyards, and kitchen gardens covering more than 50 acres of ground, together with the splendid position of the institute in the middle of the Cascine Park, combine to offer the best possible conditions for the practical teaching of agriculture, horticulture, dairy work, bee-keeping, etc.
The curriculum includes agriculture, house-keeping, hygiene, chemistry, book-keeping, cooking.
The programme of each class is as follows:—
Agriculture.—Elements of morphology or vegetable physiology. Climatic conditions. Elements of agronomy. Cultivation of herbaceous plants. Fruit culture: starting an orchard, and cultivation of pear, apple, peach, cherry, plum and apricot trees; storing and drying fruit; jam and preserve making. Vine and olive tree culture. Horticulture: laying out a small kitchen garden, and the cultivation of the principal kinds and varieties of vegetables. Gardening: flowers and ornamental foliage plants, trees and shrubs; plants for the house, flower cutting and arranging.
House-keeping.—I merely mention here those points which are connected with horticulture, such as:—
The cellar.—Storage of wine and oil.