THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



87 



are the objects and benelits of tile National Association of Car- 

 denersV" Every trade and professional society issues a copy of 

 its constitutional by-laws to its mendiers; this is the only so- 

 ciety that I know o"f that does not supply this want. 



I "find there are a large number of employees who are either 

 ignorant, selfish or apathetic to the conditions and re(|uirements 

 of a gardener. Some of these I have had to contend with, others 

 are from personal nl)servation. and I have noticed that it is 

 mostly the strangers who arrive in tlii^ country who are dumped 

 into these so-called positions. An emjiloyer expects a conscien- 

 tious service from the gardener and in return he gives an un- 

 sanitary damp old shack; some are infested with vermin, some 

 are situated in the environment of a large number of dogs, 

 with the incessant howling at night and day, or accommodation 

 in a pump house where the vibrating noise also creates another 

 kind of rnusic. Others defer paying their wages for two or three 

 months. Some require all kinds of |daiits and vegetables gi'own in 

 one small greenliouse, another will tcdl ytm that you have a few 

 men under you, but the employer invariably instructs them what 

 to do, and "the employer being ignorant in the practical routine 

 and metliods of working, induces antagonism between the em- 

 ployer and the gardener. These are only a few causes and condi- 

 tions prevalent in this country, where a large number of em- 

 ployers merely 'monkey" with comjietent men. 



If, then, an association is formed for gardeners, it will have 

 to be a protective society and assist in promoting their interest, 

 dignity and the co-operation of its members, as well as educating 

 the employers what a gardener should do and receive. 

 Yours trulv. 



FREDERICK LISTON. 



Decembeu 2!), 1913. 

 Mr. Martin C. Ebel, Secretary, N. A. G. 



I respectfully tliank >ou for your reply to my letter of the 

 inth inst. and I should fully appreciate it if you publish it in the 

 CliRONK LE, as it may be the means of iiroducing a ventilation on 

 the conditions prevalent in this country amongst the profession 

 of gardeners. 



I am glad to hear the association's object is to elevate the 

 profession of gardening, but until I receive a copy of the rules 

 and constitutional by-laws of the N. A. G., I shall have to reserve 

 my opinion as to the merits or demerits likely to be accomplished 

 through the efforts of the organization. 



In reference to your question, viz.: "Whether conditions are 

 really much worse here than they are in the European countries? 

 If so. why do so many young men of the gardening profession 

 leave their home country' to seek opportunities here?" 



In the first place, I can only speak (Ui conditions prevalent in 

 Great Britain. Now, sir, having tested both, T have no hesitation 

 in saying that the working arrangements and conditions in that 

 comitry are better than those prevailing here, although I admit 

 this has only been brought about during recent years, thanks to 

 the energetic eft'orts of tlie gardeners' association there, 

 which not only jn-otects and jiromotes the interest of the pro- 

 fession, but aKo extends a cordial co-o|ieration with employers, 

 and Iiy a mutual luiderstanding persuades them to give reason- 

 able working conditions ami .compensation for competent service. 

 In the second place, "the reason so many do not return to their 

 home country" is owing to the congested state of the employ- 

 ment market, the number of acres of land which has ceased to 

 be cultivated; consequently the law of siqqily and demand has 

 afTccted the gardener as much as any oiu'. togctlu-r with political 

 and plutocratic njiprcssion and ostracism, are the chief, amongst 

 other causes, why young men do not return. If England received 

 the same amount of sun as this country, it would be an ideal 

 Garden of Eden. In this country of England over 1,000.000 acres 

 of land have gone out of cultivation during the last 3.5 years 

 This has caused a large influx of cheap farm haiuis to invade the 

 ranks of gardeners. I am aware that wages here are more than 

 double those of the home country, but the privileges are nil when 

 you compare the two. and very often a wife's services have to be 

 included in the w'ages here as a caretaker, cook, butter maker, look 

 after (diickens and dogs, for the salary of .$.')0, accommodation and 

 2 quarts of "skim" milk. 



I am aware that the employer who "pays the piper can demand 

 the tune"; just so, and the piper who plays the tune can demand 

 his payment. A conscientious and considerate employer woidd 

 not hesitate to meet that demand. .\n employer is expected to 

 give proper and respectful orders before he can expect to receive 

 proper service, combineil with the sani(> courtesy and conscientious 

 worknian-^hip; an employer who is an overbearing boss and desires 

 to show his rule because of his "greenbacks" is invariably not 

 worth the consideration of a gardener. I am aware no associa- 

 tion can dictate to employers on lielialf of gardeners, but it can 

 and should use, throurh its members, persuasive measures to 

 ameliorate and adjust their grievances by an amicable concert. 



You say. "A man that can afTord the luxury of a gardener, 

 etc," I take issue with you that a gardener is a luxury — a 

 gardener is as much a necessary as a doctor, lawyer, teacher or 



a farniei-, for he belongs to the productive class of workers and 

 therefore is u producer. Why don't you form branch associations 

 in every State so that gardeners would have a meeting place to 

 discuss these vital questions and also be able to receive a delegate 

 from headquarters occasionally? I think this would be a good 

 way of co-o|)eration and more economical for the members, as 

 they could rcacli the meeting in half a day, say, every two weeks. 



Another i)oint I would like to urge, viz., free advertising in 

 the Chuo.mcle for a position when out of employment, and if 

 addressed at the office the members to pay postage only. It 

 would also be interesting to the members to have recorded in the 

 Chbonrxe the details of the Executive meetings. 



In conclusion I shall appreciate the publication of both my 

 letters in the Chronicle if you have space at your disposal. 



FREDERICK LISTON. 



The above correspondence is jiublished at this late date at 

 the wish of the author, who feels that the chronicling of his 

 views on gardening conditions in this country may aid to 

 eliminate some of the unpleasant surroundings he has encountered. 

 From my own observations I am afraid that his experience is an 

 e.xcejitioiial one and not the rule. There is only one solution to 

 the problem what one should do when he encounters such an ex-- 

 perience. and, that is, to seek a better opportunity and seize it 

 when it i)resents itself. There is no law that binds one to an 

 unsatisfactory employer or position. I am not personally familiar 

 with conditions that' govern gardeners abroad, but from what I 

 have gathered among many gardeners, the relative conditions 

 here and abroad being a subject of discussion which comes up 

 frequentlv among them, it appears to me that the gardener in 

 this coun'try has much the best of it, both respecting the salary 

 paid to hini and his siirronndings. M. C. EBEL, Sec'y N, A. G. 



WHAT CAN YOU DO? 



This old world hasn't tinre to stop 



That it may learn your name ; 

 It doesn't care a rap about 



Your blue blood or your farne ; 

 The only thino this old world cares 



.■\bout concerning you 

 Is simply this one thing, to wit : 



"Well, Sir, what can you do?" 



So don't waste time in hunting up 



A useless pedi.gree : 

 And don't bewail the fact that you 



Are not an LL.D. 

 But when the old world stops to ask : 



"Well, Sir, what can you do?" 

 Just roll your sleeves up elbow high 



And say, "Well, I'll .show you!" 



— Columbus (Ohio) State Jounial. 



"While you're standing looking over the fence to see 

 how your neighbor's morals are stunted in growth, you 

 had better be getting a hoe and chopping some of the 

 weeds out of vour own." 



APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP 



National Association of Gardeners 



I hereby apply for Membership in your Association : — 



N^me in fall 



Occupation 



Address — 



Date 



Reference 



ForTuard Appliation to M. C, EBEL. Secretary, Madison, 

 N. J., <with dues, -which are $2.00 annually, including subscrip- 

 tion to the official organ of the Association. 



