24 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Training Young Men in the Gardening Profession 



WILLIAM GRAY 



CC)XSTRL'CT1\ K criticism is beneficial, fur il is in 

 this way all real progress takes place in the wurld. 

 When we discuss the need of a school for training 

 young" gardeners, we are criticising existing methods of 

 training, for if these were satisfactory there would lie no 

 need to discuss other plans of training. 



Therefore, if the criticism from practical gardeners is 

 of such an extent as to be erroneously called "everlasting 

 knocking of our colleges." there must be some reason 

 for the criticism, and if such criticism is constructive il 

 should be given consideration. Criticism of the college 

 graduate reflects upon the college and its system of edu- 

 cation, and going to the root of the matter we are led 

 to believe that the reason for such criticism is the big- 

 dose of theory and tlie small dose of practice that is given 

 the young men at our Agricultural Colleges. Let us 

 define practical and theoretical, and see which is of the 

 most im[jortance. 



Practical — capable of applying kno\\U-dge or theory 

 to practice. 



Theoretical — depending on theory, nut [)ractical. sjiecu- 

 lative. 



Practice — dexterity ac(|uired by habit, exercise of a 

 profession. Accepted or iiroven theory is based upon 

 the best known methods of practice, and therefore is not 

 speculative. The speculative quantity is the theoretical 

 trained man who has yet to prove that he is capable of 

 applying knowledge or theory to practice. 



a' young man with a fairly good education can be- 

 come a thoroughly trained gardener by practice alone, 

 but this can not be [wssible by theoretical study alone. 

 We can therefore assume that practice is of far greater 

 importance than theory, yet there is no doubt that the 

 two combined would turn out more proficient men. and 

 if the importance of i)ractice is greater, the young man 

 should receive more practice than theory. 



Our .Agricultural Colleges have made progress in 

 remedying this defect in their education, still there is 

 great need for more jjractical training. The criticism 

 of the practical trained gardeners is directed at the as- 

 sum])tion on the part of the college graduate to consider 

 him.self competent to fill the executive i)Osition of super- 

 intendent or head gardener on leaving college, whereas, 

 owing to the lack of much practical training, lie is in 

 no position to direct others or to know w'.iethei- they are 

 doing a thing right or wrong. 



That the majority of Agricultural College graduates 

 have been unable to hold such positions for any length 

 of time proves that the criticism is just. .\ bond oi 

 sympathy could Ije established between the college and 

 the practical man by the faculty impressing upon the 

 young men the importance of rounding nut their education 

 by serving for a few years in subordinate positions under 

 thoroughly practical gardeners. 



It is open to question whether or not horticulture 

 should be taught in an .\gricultural College along with 

 agriculture. P.oth subjects are of such a broad nature 

 that it would he almost an impossibility to provide the 

 facilities for practical training for l)oth in one institution. 

 and the fact that .\griciilture is of more economic im- 

 portance would tend to the favoring of that science. 



Let us consider therefore a proposition to e.stablish a 

 School of Horticulture, the object being to train vnun- 



men for all the opportunities that Horticulture presents, i. 

 c. landscape gardeners, private gardeners, market gar- 

 deners, fruit growers, florists, nurserymen, foresters, etc. 

 I'Tom the foregoing we will assume that practice and 

 theory are going to work hand in hand to get the most 

 efficient results. The school buildings would be of the 

 usual t\pe. presided over by a head professor and his 

 assistants. S'oimg men would be eligible to enter the 

 school at an early age, a high school education not being 

 required for the students would he educated at the school 

 in all subjects that would l>e helpful to them in their 

 profession and such subjects would be taught oidy from 

 the standpoint of their relation to horticulture. The 

 grounds around the buildings would be of ample size 

 to aft'ord every facility for the application of the prin- 

 ciples of horticulture. A superintendent thoroughly 

 practical would be in charge of the outside departments 

 and under him at the head of each department there 

 should be a jiractical gardener, expert in the work of the 

 de])artnient. 



A general [ilan of development would be mapped out, 

 the diti'erent departments being arranged as follows: 

 Landscape Department, consisting" of the grounds proper 

 laid oiU in lawns, drives, walks,, flower gardens and 

 borders, planted with trees, shrubbery, and foliage and 

 flowering plants : Vegetable Garden Department, a plot 

 of some extent for the culture of vegetables ; Orchard 

 Department, several acres of ground devoted to fruit ; 

 Xurser}- Department, several acres of ground with propa- 

 gating house and frames for the cultivation of trees, 

 shrubs, and hardy plants: Greenhouse Department, a 

 range of Imu'-es for the cultivation of plants, flowers, 

 fruit and ve.getables imder glass, and plants for the 

 grounds and vegetable garden. 



All work pertaining to horticulture would be done by 

 the students under the guidance of the ex]jert head gar- 

 dener in each department. Lectures by the professors 

 and cultural talks by the superintendent could be de- 

 livered wherever the students were at work, the subjects 

 of the lectures and talks correlating with the work at 

 which the)- were engaged. Thus on jileasant days during 

 Summer the class room study period would be short and 

 more time given to it in Winter or during inclement 

 weather, when outside work would be at a minimum. 



The full course would occupy four years. The first 

 two years would be the critical period in the school, for 

 manv of the young men would undoubtedly be without 

 experience, but as they became more proficient and had 

 reached their third aiul fourth year of training many 

 of them could be put in positions of more or less re- 

 sponsibility in the dilYerent departments. 



The expense of such a proposition would be consider- 

 able, but need nut ])resent unsurniountable difficulties. 

 The school could be started on a modest plan: the dc- 

 velupnuiu extending over several years providing stu- 

 dents practice in its development. .Ml horticultural 

 interests in the country could get behind such a plan. 

 The grounds could he stocked to a great extent through 

 horticultural organizations. Owners of private estates 

 could be interested in it. Government support might be 

 secured as the economic value to the country of sending 

 out trained men of this kind was recognized. 



\1! this is theory. Ts it practicable? 



