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JOXJBNAIi OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 14, 1869. 



has enabled me to obtain a considerable amount of practical 

 knowledge, and to witness a great many changes. 



The air in the city of London was tolerably healthy, but as, 

 in addition to dwelling houses, high factory chimneys and 

 steam funnels made their appearance, and began to puff out their 

 smoke day and night, the plants under my care began to show 

 signs of decay, and in a few years withered and ultimately 

 died. This state of things continued till an Act of Parliament 

 suppressed the smoke nuisance. Previously to this I tried all 

 kinds of plants which I thought were hardy and would stand 

 against it, but I found that they failed, although fresh earth, 

 manures, and all appliances, such as deep digging, patent and 

 exciting manures, washing the foliage night and morning with 

 water, hoseing, and syringing were resorted to. At last I found 

 the Chrysanthemum bid deliance to the smoke and bloomed 

 tolerably well. I then set boldly to work and obtained all the 

 ■varieties of it I could, and filled the borders with it, and up to 

 this time it has proved the best town flower under cultivation ; 

 in my opinion it is a very pleasing and useful addition to con- 

 servatories and for border culture, also tor winter exhibition. 



The Temple Gardens are thrown open to the public when 

 these flowers are in bloom, in November, and are visited by 

 thousands of admirers, both rich and poor. I believe that 

 these Chrysanthemums are now grown in every town in 

 England, and keep up their position as second to no other 

 hardy out-of-door plant, except the queen of flowers, the Rose, 

 which, I may state, flourished and bloomed freely in these 

 gardens thirty-six years ago, but it is very indifferent now, as I 

 caH only obtain a few straggling blooms of Maiden's Blush, 

 Rose de Meaux, and the old Provence. 



For the benefit of your amateur readers, I will at some 

 future time give my treatment, and the names of the most 

 hardy of the large-flowering and Pompon Chrysanthemums, 

 and of the bulbs which I cultivate very extensively ; also, of the 

 annuals and bedding plants (I grow four crops a- year in the 

 beds), as well as a list of the shrubs and trees that do best in 

 the London smoke. — Samuel Bboome, Temple Gardens, 



THE LEEDS PROFESSIONAL GARDENERS' 

 FRIENDLY BENEFIT SOCIETY. 



The doings of this Society cannot be too widely known, nor 

 the benefits which it is conferring on its members too ex- 

 tensively diffused amongst the gardening community. I hope 

 ere long to see the praiseworthy example set by the gardeners 

 of Leeds followed by every gardener in Great Britain, and not 

 only in Great Britain, but in every part of the globe where a 

 love for horticulture exists. I look forward to this as an 

 effective means of promoting horticultural knowledge, and not 

 only that, but the dawning of a better day, when the practical 

 gardener shall flourish in the sunshine of greater prosperity, 

 when his position as an educated man shall entitle him to 

 more respect from the hands of those by whom he is employed. 



Let us consider what the gardener's position is, the duties he 

 baa to perform, and the degree of education required to make 

 him eligible for undertaking the care of a moderate horticul- 

 tural establishment. First, he must be pretty well up in writing, 

 and all the collateral branches in connection with it ; he must 

 also have a knowledge of Latin, must have a knowledge of 

 chemistry, and a score of sister arts and sciences. He must 

 likewise be a man of unblemished character. The varied duties 

 he has to perform occupy the whole of his time ; his brain 

 must be always at work, night and day, for the slightest defect 

 of attention would often spoil the labour of a whole year ; and 

 for all this care, thought, study, and watchfulness, what is the 

 remuneration ? If he is man without family he may receive 

 from £55 to £70, or £80 a-year, and in a few cases even 

 £100, with a house and fuel, hut the latter two amounts of pay 

 are of extremely rare occurrence. Too much care and too little 

 recompense often make the mind sour ; then the reign of care- 

 lessness commences, and, I regret to say, the habit of drunken- 

 ness is indulged in to wear away the time which hangs so 

 heavily and drags its slow course along. The employer becomes 

 disgusted ; the man who might, if more consideration and 

 more encouragement had been given him in the first place, 

 have become one of the brightest ornaments of his profession, 

 is discharged from his employment, and rapidly sinks, rarely 

 again to rise. 



How different is the position of the artisan, the mechanic, 

 the tradesman, of whatever grade, from that of the gardener ! 

 There is no necessity for a first-class education to fit a man 



for a carpenter or a bricklayer. Theirs is a simple, matter- 

 of-lact, everyday life ; they banish all care and thought from 

 one o'clock on the Saturday till 7 a.m. on the following Mon- 

 day, and yet the remuneration which they receive is in most 

 cases double that of the gardenei's. On a Saturday afternoon the 

 fire is raked out from under the mighty engine, which becomes 

 still and motionless, and gives those who control it a season of 

 rest and healthful recreation for forty-two hours. But the 

 gardener must still keep plodding on ; the objects he has under 

 his care have life, and require help in some form. Too much 

 heat or too much cold will spoil their beauty, or a want of a 

 little fresh air may injure their proper development, so the 

 horticulturist must be constantly watching. He may, certainly, 

 sometimes delegate this duty to his assistant, but even then 

 the fear lest his instructions should be forgotten prevents that 

 absolute relaxation so beneficial to the health of both mind 

 and body. 



An institution like that founded at Leeds two years ago will 

 in a great measure provide the means of relief to many minds 

 burdened with care, and toil, and disappointment ; and not 

 only that, it will be the means of improving the minds of its 

 members, for here these can meet, and socially impart to each 

 other their successes or misfortunes, and receive either con- 

 gratulation or assistance as the case may require. A simple 

 hint given in due season on any particular subject may be the 

 turning-point which will lead to success instead of disappoint- 

 ment. 



Then, at the meetings essays on various subjects connected 

 with horticulture are read. 'This stimulates the minds of the 

 younger members to prepare and school their energies, in order 

 that they may compete with their elder brethren for a share 

 of the approbation of the Society ; thus preventing their minds 

 being led astray by evil influences, too often and too tempt- 

 ingly placed in their way. 



The Society has a very judicious code of laws for its guid- 

 ance both as regards help in cases of sickness or death, and to 

 properly regulate the business of the Society. It appears to 

 have made a very happy selection of ofiicers, and to be at the 

 present time in a very flourishing state ; for, to use the words 

 of the able Secretary, " during the past year the income of 

 the Society has been nearly three times its expenditure. At 

 the present time there is in the hands of the Society's banker 

 the sum of £104 10.5. Wd." This testifies to the energy of the 

 founders, and of those who have steadily promoted, by their 

 attention and care, the devtlopment of an institution which is 

 likely to confer so many benefits not only on the members 

 themselves, but on their employers. The latter will assuredly 

 derive great advantages from the Society, for it cannot fail to 

 be a means of cultivating a better taste, and of causing care 

 and watchfulness to be exercised in consequence of the endea- 

 vours of the members to excel each other. 



It is, therefore, my earnest hope that I may live to see the 

 day when societies like that at Leeds will be established in 

 every town and village in the three kingdoms, and that all 

 lovers of horticulture will see the advantage of assisting by every 

 means in their power, and will enable their gardeners to pro- 

 vide a more respectable and comfortable position for themselves 

 and families, by giving them wages more proportionate to their 

 requirements and abilities. 



I was not aware, when I gave a report in these pages of the 

 meeting at Liverpool a few weeks ago, that such a treat as that 

 which I enjoyed on the evening of the 1st of January was in 

 store for me. It appears, however, that the sentiments I uttered 

 on the advisability of instituting a Society at Liverpool were 

 in unison with the feelings of the gardeners who constitute the 

 Leeds Society, and they, in consequence, through their Presi- 

 dent, gave me an invitation to meet them at their annual dinner, 

 an account of which will be found appended. If, by advocating 

 the propagation and extension of this Society in other towns, 

 I have in any way assisted its development, my journey to 

 Leeds will not have been in vain. It will also add one of the 

 greatest pleasures to a life devoted to the practice and interests 

 of horticulture. 



In conclusion, I earnestly hope the matter will be energe- 

 tically taken up, and that the powerful influence of The Jocr- 

 NAt of Horticultuke may be the means of advancing an 

 object so desirable for the good of so large and intelligent a 

 body of men as the practical gardeners of Great Britain. — 

 J. Wills, F.B.H.S. 



The second annual dinner of this prosperous and nsefnl Society 

 (" The Leeds Professional Gardeners' Friendly Benefit Society '), was 

 held at the Templar Inn, North Street. Mr. E. Featherstone 



