Ruth Stout
Encyclopedia
Ruth Stout was an American author best known for her "No-Work" gardening
books and techniques.
to Quaker parents John Wallace Stout and Lucetta Elizabeth Todhunter Stout. Her brother Rex Stout
, also an author, was famous for the Nero Wolfe
detective stories.
Stout moved to New York
when she was 18 and was employed at various times as baby nurse, bookkeeper
, secretary, business manager, and factory worker. She was a lecturer and coordinated lectures and debates, and she owned a small tea shop in Greenwich Village
and worked for a fake mind-reading act
.
In 1923, she accompanied fellow Quakers to Russia
to assist in famine relief. She met and married Alfred Rossiter in June,1929. Rossiter, the son of an American businessman, was born in Germany in 1882. His family relocated to New York City in 1894. In March 1930, the couple moved to Poverty Hollow, Redding Ridge on the outskirts of Redding
, Connecticut
.
Ruth would continue to use her maiden name as her pen name and Rossiter as her official name.
-trained psychologist
, followed his passion for wood turning and subsequently became known for his wooden bowls. Ruth decided to try her luck at gardening, and in the spring of 1930, she planted her first garden.
and tried her patience. Furthermore, the manual labor involved in planting a traditional garden became more than she could handle by herself. In the Spring of 1944, Stout decided that she wasn't going to wait for the plowman, nor was she going to plow on her own. Instead, she planted the seeds, covered them, and waited to see what happened.
which virtually eliminated the labor associated with traditional gardening. Her minimalist approach spawned a long-running series of articles in Organic Gardening and Farming magazine as well as several books.
Her husband, Fred, died on November 24, 1960 after an extended illness. Her sister, Mary, who also lived at Poverty Hollow for over 40 years, died August 20, 1977 at 88.
Gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
books and techniques.
Early and Mid-Life
Ruth Stout was born June 14, 1884 in Girard, KansasGirard, Kansas
Girard is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,789.- History :...
to Quaker parents John Wallace Stout and Lucetta Elizabeth Todhunter Stout. Her brother Rex Stout
Rex Stout
Rex Todhunter Stout was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. Stout is best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the...
, also an author, was famous for the Nero Wolfe
Nero Wolfe
Nero Wolfe is a fictional detective, created in 1934 by the American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe's confidential assistant Archie Goodwin narrates the cases of the detective genius. Stout wrote 33 novels and 39 short stories from 1934 to 1974, with most of them set in New York City. Wolfe's...
detective stories.
Stout moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
when she was 18 and was employed at various times as baby nurse, bookkeeper
Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions. Transactions include sales, purchases, income, receipts and payments by an individual or organization. Bookkeeping is usually performed by a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping should not be confused with accounting. The accounting process is usually...
, secretary, business manager, and factory worker. She was a lecturer and coordinated lectures and debates, and she owned a small tea shop in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
and worked for a fake mind-reading act
Mentalism
Mentalism is a performing art in which its practitioners, known as mentalists, appear to demonstrate highly developed mental or intuitive abilities. Performances may appear to include telepathy, clairvoyance, divination, precognition, psychokinesis, mediumship, mind control, memory feats and rapid...
.
In 1923, she accompanied fellow Quakers to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to assist in famine relief. She met and married Alfred Rossiter in June,1929. Rossiter, the son of an American businessman, was born in Germany in 1882. His family relocated to New York City in 1894. In March 1930, the couple moved to Poverty Hollow, Redding Ridge on the outskirts of Redding
Redding, Connecticut
Mark Twain, a resident of the town in his old age, contributed the first books for a public library which was eventually named after him.-Government:...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Ruth would continue to use her maiden name as her pen name and Rossiter as her official name.
Poverty Hollow
The Rossiters retired to country living when they moved to the 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) farm in Poverty Hollow. Fred, a ColumbiaColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
-trained psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, followed his passion for wood turning and subsequently became known for his wooden bowls. Ruth decided to try her luck at gardening, and in the spring of 1930, she planted her first garden.
The Roots of the No-Work Method
During her first year of gardening and for many after, Ruth employed conventional techniques and practices in her garden with mixed results. She had to wait for someone else to come and plow the fields before she could start. This gentleman was frequently late or delays would occur due to mechanical failures. Wasted time lessened the already short growing seasonGrowing season
In botany, horticulture, and agriculture the growing season is the period of each year when native plants and ornamental plants grow; and when crops can be grown....
and tried her patience. Furthermore, the manual labor involved in planting a traditional garden became more than she could handle by herself. In the Spring of 1944, Stout decided that she wasn't going to wait for the plowman, nor was she going to plow on her own. Instead, she planted the seeds, covered them, and waited to see what happened.
Later life
As the years progressed, Stout refined her techniques, eventually adopting a year-round mulchMulch
In agriculture and gardening, is a protective cover placed over the soil to retain moisture, reduce erosion, provide nutrients, and suppress weed growth and seed germination. Mulching in gardens and landscaping mimics the leaf cover that is found on forest floors....
which virtually eliminated the labor associated with traditional gardening. Her minimalist approach spawned a long-running series of articles in Organic Gardening and Farming magazine as well as several books.
Her husband, Fred, died on November 24, 1960 after an extended illness. Her sister, Mary, who also lived at Poverty Hollow for over 40 years, died August 20, 1977 at 88.
Further reading
- Stout, R. (1955). How to have a Green Thumb without an Aching Back: A New Method of Mulch Gardening. NewYork: Exposition Press.
- Stout, R. (1958). Company Coming: Six Decades of Hospitality, Do-It-Yourself and Otherwise. NewYork: Exposition Press.
- Stout, R. (1960). It's a Woman's World. Garden City, NJ: Doubleday & Co.,Inc.
- Stout, R. (1962). If You Would Be Happy. Garden City, NJ: Doubleday & Co.,Inc.
- Stout, R. (1963). Gardening Without Work. New York: The Devin-Adair Company.
- Stout, R. & Clemence, R. (1973). The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book: Secrets of the year-round mulch method. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press.
- Stout, R. (1975). As We Remember Mother. New York: Exposition Press.
- Stout, R. (1975). I've Always Done It My Way. New York: Exposition Press.
- Stout, R. Don't Forget to Smile: How to Stay Sane and Fit Over Ninety.