478 THE GARDENER. [Oct. 



audi is simply this : the shoot that is being guided av/ay from the 

 heel of the then bearing wood at disbudding time, when it attains to 

 about 9 or 10 inches long or thereabouts, according to its situation 

 amongst its neighbours, is constantly stopped one or two eyes above 

 the previous stopping throughout the growing season ; and when well 

 ripened, the buds will be well up, and with plenty of double ones, too, 

 that will flower (if I may use the expression) from stem to stern ; and 

 if the root-action is all right, I will vouch for a good set of fruit, with 

 fair temperatures, and equally as good fruit as grown upon the long- 

 rod system if properly thinned. J. Miller. 

 WOKKSOP Ma^or. 



YOUNG GARDENERS. 



"We are much indebted to Mr Hinds for his practical remarks on Balsam -culture, 

 in the * Gardener ' for July, page 327. We quite agree with him that good ex- 

 amples of Balsam-growing are seldom to be met with, not even at our London 

 shows, where we expect to find everything exhibited in connection with plant- 

 growing. 



Had the writer confined himself to the practical remarks of his article only, I 

 think it would have been much more appreciated by those whom it was expected 

 to benefit. 



I cannot understand why throwing aside paper-collars could in any way affect 

 the cultivation of the Balsam or the duties of a gardener. 



I have always a suspicion of a man's genuineness when I see him divested of his 

 clothes, as hinted at by Mr Hinds, and prefer to see a man neat and orderly at 

 his work, as it will invariably be found that a young man who is inattentive to 

 his outer person will degenerate into a sloven as he gets older. 



I agree with him that overtime is almost indispensable in connection with 

 indoor work ; but that compensation must never be looked for, seems to be rather 

 a weak point for a gardener to advocate, especially if he has undergone the course 

 of treatment indicated by Mr Hinds : but, speaking personally, I have been treated 

 with more respect from those I have served, and have received more than a few 

 lines of a character and a shake of the hand, for even less than two or three years' 

 service : and I may further state that where I am at present there is not a man or 

 boy employed on Sunday duty, or for overtime, fumigating, &c., but receives his 

 usual day's pay for the former, and double payment for every moment of the 

 latter. 



With all due respect to Mr Hinds, I cannot account for the reason why young 

 gardeners, as a class, deserve the attacks which have lately been made upon us, in 

 some cases from those that have recently risen from our ranks. 



It was with no small amount of pleasure I noticed the Editor's remarks on over- 

 time, and I feel pleased to think that young gardeners have a friend in one 

 occupying his position, that is ever ready to defend our cause, not only in the 

 pages of the 'Gardener/ but wherever "the young gardener of the period" is 

 represented to be degenerating. J. M. 



