For June. 1921 



621 



discussion wliere to all intents and purposes it was accorded a 

 solemn requiem. For was not the context of Mr. Smith's re- 

 marks laid aside as impracticable, and a suggestion far more 

 ridiculous put forward advocating a gardeners' census? 



Still undaunted, Mr. Smith resumes his attack in the (De- 

 cember) issue of the G-\rdexers' Chronicle and promises further 

 recommendations in a later number. 



I agree that the type of examination, thus far suggested, could 

 be made perfectly feasible without imposing a burden on the 

 N. A. G. since the entry fees of participants would be made an 

 equitable asset. 1 do fail to understand, however, just how a 

 gardener can prove his practical ability by a written examination. 

 A gardener's clerical capacity proves little or nothing and as for 

 the importance of attaching to what a few gardeners imagine 

 would be a "coveted" diploma — I'm from Missouri! To my own 

 personal knowledge the R. H. S. examinations have been con- 

 ducted over a much longer period than Mr. Smith claims for 

 them, and yet even today the R. H. S. diploma fails almost 

 utterly of recognition. 



Any person, whether gardener, banker, or politician can give 

 no better evidence of his ability than to succeed where he is. 

 It is my humble opinion that a gardener can progress in no 

 better way than to first and always make up his mind to turn the 

 circumstance of his present environment to the very best account. 

 He cannot accomplish this by an imaginary rapid-transit route, 

 such as the flaunting of a diploma would seem to suggest. The 

 employer's approval must be the one great aim ; and let us re- 

 member that an employer's opinion is based on results and that 

 he looks at results in the abstract. If a gardener's character and 

 ability, for instance, has been put to a practical test in a position 

 where there is scope for full demonstration of the highest faculty 

 and he has failed to manifest any such capability, of what use 

 would any quantity of X. A. G. or college diplomas be to him? 



John Johnson. 



I had a wisli, more than that, 1 even wrote to Kew Gardens, 

 London. 1 was accepted to go there, but before doing so I asked 

 the advice of the head gardener under whom I was working. 

 His answer was tliat unless I was thinking of going in for a 

 curator's position, not to go. Without going into detail, I am 

 :'.ot sorry that his advice was accepted, and that I kept in good 

 service, studied hard, read good books, aiid acquired some nursery 

 experience. 



Thomas Wilkinson. 



"Thornewood," Sol'TH T.\com.\, Wash., January 6, 1921. 

 Editor, G.xKDENERs' Chronicle : 



May I be allowed to express my opinion on the subject of ex- 

 aminations for gardeners, one which I might safely say has 

 troubled the minds of many- gardeners who have wished for some 

 means to stamp a bonafide gardener. Alas, it is a difficult prob- 

 lem. 



I believe there is no other occupation that offers itself to so 

 many interlopers, sometimes through the employers desiring to 

 use cheap labor and, on the other hand, sometimes through the 

 gardeners having Mr. So-and-So speak for them. In the latter 

 case the applicant is very often never asked by his prospective 

 employer where he learned the art of gardening — no. "Mr. So- 

 and-So told me of you ; you worked for him on such and such 

 a place." I can tell of a place not far from here where such a 

 man has charge of the laying out of a new estate, and that es- 

 tate is not a small one for there are kitchen and flower gardens, 

 a Japanese and an attempt at a little Italian grden, a long drive 

 into the estate, lawns, terraces, herbaceous flower borders, etc. 



I was asked to give advice on some construction work but when 

 I found out how matters stood on this estate I left as quickly 

 as possible. I learned that, after the man in charge was working 

 on the job which had been started by a landscape architect, the 

 owner dispensed with the landscape man as soon as he had the 

 lay of the place. My informant told me that the man in charge 

 had been a railroad man, however — be that as it is — I had not 

 been with him many minutes before I had him summed up. 



I have cited this case before ; it is not an isolated one. A man 

 can have certilicates, hut of what avail are they if the employer is 

 bent on inexperienced labor? 



Now back to the subject of examinations. One must not for- 

 get that gardening is a profession and an art. I be.gan as an 

 apprentice in 1885 and have gone through each branch in good 

 establishments under good and approved head gardeners — have 

 now lieen liftcen years head gardener on large, well kept estates. 

 In addition to my training on private places during my journey- 

 manship days I had short periods in nurseries, and also some 

 two years with a noted landscape architect. Many are the times 

 that I have had talks with fellow gardeners along this very line, 

 and the more one knows from practical experience, the more 

 difficult one sees it is to make questions — no matter how well 

 they might be pro and con — armor proof. No matter how well 

 they are answered, if the person is not by nature a gardener and 

 has gone through practical hard training, no certificate in the 

 whole world will make him a member of the noble profession. 



However, a young man might start on the right road, do 

 w-ell, get his papers and forward them to the N. A. G. office, 

 have them recorded and sent back to him, and so on through his 

 training career and even when he attains a position as head 

 gardener. I merely give ihis as by chance it may give some 

 one an idea to work out a p'an. 



"Ro.halhon," Rumson, N. J., June 1, 1921. 

 Editor, Gardeners' Chronicle: 



I have read with interest Artliur Smith's article in your recent 

 issue re Examinations for Professional Gardeners. 1 have al- 

 ways believed in a thorough study of the sciences which underlie 

 the principles and practices of horticulture, but as one who holds 

 a diploma from a botanical garden, also a first class certificate 

 from the R. H. S. of England, which Mr. Smith mentions in his 

 article, I am at a lo?s to see how the N. A. G. can be benefited 

 in any way by instituting these examinations. 



Is it Mr. Smith's idea, that this is to be a test for membership 

 in the N. A. G. ? If so, then in my opinion, it is too late a date 

 to start this. Does he expect those who are already members 

 to take this examination, and if they should not pass first class, 

 does he wish them expelled? Or does Mr. Smith e.xpect a law 

 to be passed such as that which prevails in the medical profes- 

 sion, that unless one has a diploma he cannot practice? 



I do not believe that the R. H. S. of Englatid ever instituted 

 the examinations with any such ulterior motive as Mr. Smith 

 lias, that of trying to distinguish between those qualified to be 

 classed as professional gardeners and those calling themselves 

 yardeners but who have little claim to be considered as such, 

 but I believe their aim was to try and induce the young men to 

 lake up the study of the science and practice of horticulture. I 

 knew many young men who failed to pass this examination, yet 

 they were good practical young fellows and made good gardeners. 



Nor is this examination of the R. H. S. a test for membership. 

 Any one who is able to pay the desired number of guineas, is 

 entitled to a fellowship. I thoroughly believe in examinations 

 and diplomas for those who are graduating from horticultural 

 schools and colleges as then it is an incentive for the student, 

 but this is no duty for such an association as ours. I honestly 

 believe if such a thing is pat in force in the N. A. G. then the 

 death knell of our society ha§ been sounded. 



I believe that the success of the society can only be assured 

 through adopting an even wider policy than we have done here- 

 tofore. 



This talk of those who profess to be gardeners, and those 

 who are really professional gardeners should stop, and even if 

 there are a few who possibly do not know as much as some of 

 us profess to know, then it should be our duty as fellow men and 

 fellow gardeners to give of our knowledge freely, so that others 

 may be benefited. 



Who are we that we should dare to put a man through an 

 examination to know whether he is entitled to the name of pro- 

 fessional gardener? If there are some who are earning their 

 living doing gardening work, who have not had the chances for 

 study, and experiences that some of the rest of us have had, 

 who are we that we dare take that man's job and means of 

 livelihood away from him, because he has not sat at an exam- 

 ination to see whether he is entitled to the name of professional 

 gardener? W. H. Waite. 



DEDICATION OF NEW ENTRANCE TO MIS- 

 SOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 



(Continued front page 619) 



of all civilizations, is to escape the fate of those that have long 

 since been sifted over by the sands of oblivion, we must profit 

 by the experience of those who have gone before. We must keep 

 our people close to Nature and to Nature's God ; for in no other 

 way can we implant in the young those great principles which 

 make for clear tliinking and right living, without which an endur- 

 ing civilization is not possible. In such a task beauty spots like 

 this are invaluable aids. 



"Rich is the city which has at its door such a place for inspira- 

 tion and study freely open to young and old, rich and poor, great 

 and small; freely open to all who will come. And rich is a city 

 and a nation which produces citizens who are willing to give of 

 their time and their money to iieriictuate institutions such as this." 



At the conclusion of this address, luncheon was served to atout 

 three hundred specially invited guests. — Missouri Botanical Garden. 

 Bulletin. 



