MARKET GARDENING 21 



or companion-gardener in a country house 

 kept by a widow or maiden lady, who is glad 

 to have an educated woman about her place 

 instead of the ordinary jobbing gardener, 

 who is inclined to be very despotic over the 

 grounds entrusted to his care, and who 

 often shows a wonderful faculty for relieving 

 his mistress of much produce described by 

 him as " surplus " just to salve his conscience. 

 Of course there are many difficulties in the 

 way of posts which have to be smoothed out 

 before they will be either easy or popular. 

 To begin with, ladies wishing to engage 

 women gardeners have the vaguest ideas as 

 to what class they come from, and therefore 

 how they ought to be and expect to be 

 treated. The following examples will ex- 

 plain my meaning. A lady of position 

 wished to have a lady as dairy maid, who 

 could also do the table decorations, give 

 finishing touches to the rooms previous to 

 any entertainment, write invitations and 

 letters for her employer, and (curious irony) 



