January 11, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



THE GARDENER AND HIS RECOMPENSE 



By M. C. Ebel 



In broaching the subject of the gar- 

 dener and his recompense, I am not 

 unmindful of the fact that I am ven- 

 turing on troublesome waters and 

 courting criticism from many direc- 

 tions, but if the effort proves succes- 

 ful in stirring up a discussion among 

 those gardeners who are capable of 

 taking an active interest in the wel- 

 fare of their profession, but who ap- 

 pear to lack all interest in it, I shall 

 be satisfied that it has not been in 

 vain. 



The question of recompense is of 

 vital interest to most gardeners, but 

 there has always seemed to be an 

 aversion to refer to it when gardeners 

 are in conference. Preachers, doctors, 

 and lawyers do not avoid it when they 

 confer for their mutual benefit, and no 

 sound reason can be advanced why 

 gardeners should refrain from discuss- 

 ing what should constitute a just com- 

 pensation for the services they can 

 render any more than those engaged 

 in other vocations doing so. 



Before we approach the subject fur- 

 ther, however, let it be distinctly un- 

 derstood that this is not the introduc- 

 tion to a propaganda with an ultimate 

 motive of unionizing the gardening 

 profession, for I am already on record 

 as strongly opposed to any such ac- 

 tion, because it is unprofessional and 

 impractical. I am simply endeavoring 

 to bring to light some of the unfav- 

 orable conditions which are mainly re- 

 sponsible for the failure of the aver- • 

 age gardener, vested with responsi- 

 bilities, to receive what he is justly 

 entitled to, to be at all commensurate 

 with what men, engaged in other 

 fields of endeavor and assuming no 

 greater responsibilities, are receiving. 

 I do believe that there are small 

 places limited to lawns, shrubs, flower 

 and vegetable gradens. comprising in 

 all but a few acres, with little or noth- 

 ing to occupy the gardener's time, in 

 winter and. where a gardener, con- 

 tent with such a position, receiving 

 $75 to $85 a month with cottage and 

 usual privileges, is as well compen- 

 sated as is the average country min- 

 ister, lawyer or physician of a small 

 community, though the latter have to 

 devote considerable time and money 

 in study before they can obtain a de- 

 gree to practice. But, when it comes 

 to country estates in which large 

 amounts of money have been invest- 



ed, the situation becomes an entirely 

 different one. 



Take, for instance, an up-to-date 

 country estate, even of moderate size, 

 where the gardener in charge, wheth- 

 er under the title of superintendent or 

 merely gardener, has responsibilities 

 that continually occupy his time and 

 attention, and where any laxity on his 

 part may be the cause of much dam- 

 age, simply through the acts of the 

 elements causing destruction to valu- 

 able plantings, while on more preten- 

 tious places, the responsibilities in- 

 crease and frequently include the 

 charge of modern farms with all the 

 departments they comprise, as well 

 as gardens and greenhouses. It is 

 among this class of gardeners that the 



M. C. Ebel 



value of the services rendered is not 

 as generally recognized as it should 

 be. 



To assume that a gardener, entrust- 

 ed with property in which the expen- 

 diture of thousands, yes, in many 

 cases hundreds of thousands of dol- 

 lars, were involved in the develop- 

 ment, with a greenhouse range hous- 

 ing valuable collections of plants, ac- 

 cumulated through many years of cul- 

 ture and care, that might be entirely 

 destroyed by one night of neglect, and 

 in some instances with the additional 

 care of valuable cattle, not to mention 

 the many other departments of a com- 

 plete country estate, is properly paid 

 at $150 a month or thereabouts, with 



a cottage and some privileges includ- 

 ed, is not sound business principle. 

 No business man would regard it so in 

 the case of a superintendent of an in- 

 dustrial plant, with no more invested 

 in it than in a country estate such 

 as has been described, and with re- 

 sponsibilities far less hazardous re- 

 ceiving an equivalent salary. 



And yet there are captains of in- 

 dustry, financiers, and other men of 

 affairs, owners of extensive country 

 estates, who believe that their gar- 

 dener is amply rewarded with such a 

 meager salary as mentioned. 



In reasserting what I have often as- 

 serted, that the failure in receiving 

 proper recognition lies within the pro- 

 fession itself, and that the owners of 

 country estates are not entirely to 

 blame for being able, as they believe, 

 to secure capable gardeners to man- 

 age their places at small salaries, will 

 not be relished among the rank and 

 file of gardeners. It is nevertheless 

 true for the blame rests with irrespon- 

 sible men, habitually looking for posi- 

 tions, and claiming to be efficient gar- 

 deners with few qualities to entitle 

 them to the calling. 



These men, when they "hear of a 

 job going," to use their phraseology, 

 compete for it and in their anxiety to 

 "land the job" will accept a wage that 

 would put a present-day garden labor- 

 er to shame to accept. It may seem 

 strange, but it is so, that there are 

 many estate owners who measure the 

 standard of the gardener by these in- 

 terlopers, because they have never 

 come into contact with a gardener 

 truly representative of the profession. 

 What are the consequences? When 

 a gardener thoroughly efficient in his 

 vocation, but lacking the nerve of the 

 regular job hunter, does apply for a 

 position, which in the past has been 

 occupied by what we may designate 

 as mediocre gardeners, it is usually 

 Impossible for him to convince the 

 estate owner that he is justified in 

 asking the salary he is entitled to. 



What is the remedy? You find me 

 in the position of the politician, ad- 

 vocating reforms without a solution to 

 offer to bring them about. But all 

 problems are solved in time, and if 

 those interested in solving this im- 

 portant problem of the gardener, will 

 give some thought to it, we shall soon 

 arrive at a practical solution. It is 



