i88i.] SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUNG GARDENERS. 277 



possible to supervise — is assidously carried out by the young men to 

 whose care, intelligence, and abilities so much must be intrusted. 

 Therefore it may not be out of place in this paper to give a few words 

 of advice to young men. I am but a young gardener myself, but I 

 have seen and experienced the influence which young men have upon 

 a garden, the gardener, and even their employer. Work done and 

 plants cultivated, or rather uncultivated, in a slovenly, half-hearted, 

 or unintelligent manner, has a bad influence on the proprietor, who, if 

 he does not get disgusted with his garden, at least will become indifi'er- 

 ent to it, and the consequent discouraging circumstances will follow. 

 Whereas work well done, and plants cultivated in a creditable manner, 

 will add to your own and your employer's highest enjoyment and 

 pleasure, and will exercise an influence on the latter in fostering 

 a love of gardening, thereby advancing your own interests, your 

 master's, and that of your profession. We must not be afraid of hard 

 work. There is nothing great attained without a lot of hard work, 

 bodily or mental ; and never perhaps was this more necessary than 

 at the present day, when employers seem to look more and more on 

 gardening from a commercial point of view, and want good value for 

 their money. But you will not think work hard if you throw your 

 whole heart and mind into it : in time you will certainly be amply 

 rewarded for well-directed labour by the gratification of seeing every- 

 thing prospering under your charge, and by the approval of your 

 master, independent of any pecuniary advantages which may follow. 

 I must say that the remuneration paid to gardeners is small indeed, 

 compared with other occupations, for the amount of skill required. 

 But we must feel that we have a higher duty to perform than the 

 mere accumulation of wealth, which is certainly not to be disregarded 

 by all honourable means. Gather all information you can from books, 

 periodicals, or whatever source you can, bearing on your profes- 

 sion, and compare it with your own observations and experience ; but 

 without observation and practice reading is of comparatively little 

 value — you will be but a blind imitator. I would impress upon you, 

 above all, to observe and study the laws and operations of nature 

 closely, and the conditions under which plants arrive at the greatest 

 perfection. Nature is the greatest teacher and the surest guide. With 

 your principles of gardening based upon nature, you will be on solid 

 ground, and you certainly will not be disappointed — it will enable you 

 to avoid many an error. There is another important point I would 

 press upon you, not to be in too great a hurry to become head-gar- 

 deners until you feel yrurseh^es masters of your profession, as I ?m 

 convinced that there is an amount of valuable knowledge which 

 can only be gained by practice at the potting-bench and in the gen- 

 eral routine of gardening, and which is indispensable in guiding 

 others under you. Conform to your present circumstances and make 

 the best use of them, and endeavour to improve them, remembering 



