433 THE GARDENER. [Oct. 



vator in the far north to enable him to bring to such perfection sucli 

 a splendid general collection of fruit ; to pack them, and carry them 

 for hundreds of miles, and stage them with a freshness and bloom as if 

 they had never been touched, — thus enabling him to take first honours 

 against others from the better climate and soils of the south, and even 

 backed by all the resources of a regal establishment ? Or who of them 

 could fully appreciate the energetic attention and good generalship 

 which enabled another to bring such magnificent clusters of Grapes, in 

 the most unique order, from the indifferent climate of Durham and 

 the smoke of its coal-pits ? Or that which enabled another to stage, 

 from under the dripping cloudy skies of Westmoreland, the largest 

 Queen Pine on record ? 



jSTo matter what amount of money a gentleman spends on his garden 

 and hothouses, unless there is the determined and energetic and intel- 

 ligent application of the means allowed, the productions must of 

 necessity fall short of being first-rate. This must hold good as a rule ; 

 while, on the other hand, many first-rate cultivators have to cope with 

 the most untoward circumstances, which any amount of energy can 

 never overcome — and such men are the objects of pity and not of 

 blame. 



Energy and excellence in the highest profession or humblest calling 

 are, from many combined reasons, indispensable in order to succeed ; 

 and our young brethren who yet have the chance more or less of making 

 their position in the horticultural world, should live and work under 

 the impression of that fact. If they will learn to labour and to wait, 

 it will not matter much whether their sphere of action be the more 

 favoured counties of the south or the more barren north j if they are 

 studious, energetic, and painstaking, they will make their mark. 

 And we would remind them that it is not necessary to labour under 

 the most favourable auspices to be able to send forward the largest 

 Grapes and Pine-Apples on record. If a gardener is idle, slovenly, 

 and careless, he is almost certain to be one of those who are heard com- 

 plaining that their calling is overdone and the market glutted. The 

 sooner these relinquish the garden the better for it and them. It has 

 been said of labour that it is the arch elevator of man, and that patience 

 is the essence of labour. Whether that be rightly put or not, it is 

 scarcely necessary to say that success and position in gardening are 

 inseparable from well-directed labour and patience. We are not now 

 speaking of exceptions, but of the rule. Successful gardeners must think 

 hard — and that is hard work, harder than trenching — and they must 

 work physically too. We never knew a kid-glove gardener that was 

 much of a power in the horticultural world. We do not mean by this 

 that a gardener at the head of a large horticultural establishment is regu- 



