1 08 Queries a7id Atisrvers to Queries. 



The Number of Men necessary to keep' a Kitchen-Garden and Plcasure- 

 Gronnd in good order. — Sir, Your correspondent at Shipston (Vol. IV. 

 p. 447.) wishes to know how many men he should regularly employ, to 

 keep in good order a kitchen-garden, consisting of 2 acres, with 420 yards 

 of walling covered with trees ; also the same quantity of pleasure-ground; 

 and whether his men have any right to work after their regular hours, with- 

 out being paid for the same. 



To query first, it is impossible to give a definite answer, as double the 

 extent of a kitchen-garden may be kept in good order, where the soil is 

 favourable, with the same number of hands, that can be done on some 

 situations where it is difficult, nay almost impossible, to work the soil in 

 very dry or wet weather. But a fair criterion is, a man to every acre, where 

 the garden is walled, without forcing, and other troublesome appendages. 



The number of hands for a flower-garden must be guided by local cir- 

 cumstances, viz. the manner in which the proprietor wishes it to be kept up, 

 and the general characteristic feature which may prevail. 



To his last enquiry, every one not completely devoid of rational sense 

 and justice, will, without a moment's hesitation, give him an answer in the 

 negative ; and if I may venture an enquiry in return, 1 would ask, does your 

 correspondent behave towards his gardeners with that kind feeling you have 

 so often endeavoured to inculcate. If so, I have no hesitation in saying, 

 those in his employ differ very widely from the generality of young men of 

 the profession, if coercive measures are requisite to compel them to water 

 plants, &c., in their own time. A generous and indulgent employer will 

 always find young men more anxious to assist, when requisite, than to 

 dispute the justice of an order or absolute command. — A G. Oct. 4. 1828. 



Number of Men necessary to keep a Kitchen- Garden in good order. — 

 Sir, A correspondent in the Gardener's Magazine (Vol. IV. p. 447.) wishes to 

 know how many men he should regularly emplo}', to keep in good order a 

 gentleman's kitchen-garden, consisting of 2 acres, with 420 yards of walling, 

 covered with fruit trees ; also, the same quantity of pleasure-ground, &c. ; 

 and whether his men have any right to work before or after their regular 

 hours, of six in the morning and six in the evening, without being paid for 

 the same. 



Soil and situation varies so much, that, without some certain data were 

 given, it is impossible to say what would be necessary to perform the above 

 quantity of work. I have worked garden ground, in various parts of the 

 country, of almost every kind of soil, from a light sandy loam to a tenacious 

 clay loam ; and the difference in quantity of work required, between the 

 two extremes, I hold to be as one is to four, in respect to digging, trench- 

 ing, and manuring, and nearly as much in planting and sowing. But many 

 other circumstances should be taken into consideration. Is the garden new 

 or old? are the trees in it healthy or unhealthy, or subject to be intissted 

 with insects, mildew, canker, &c. ? If the garden is old, worn-out trees will 

 require to be removed from time to time ; also a great part of the exhausted 

 soil of the border, and replaced with fresh soil previously to planting ; and 

 where trees are infested with canker, mildew, insects, &c., all these occa- 

 sion a considerable extra-quantity of labour, " Pruning, nailing, or tying the 

 wall trees will be nearly the same in every case. 



With respect to the [)leasure-ground, if what is kept in grass be mown 

 about once a fortnight throughout the season, the variation of soil will not 

 make much difference in the quantity of labour. In that part kept under 

 the culture of the spade and hoe, the proportional difference in labour will 

 be as much as in the kitchen-garden. 



Gravel ought also to be taken into consideration. The materials of 

 which walks and gravel plots are made being so different, must occasion a 

 considerable difference in the quantity of labour necessary to keep them in 

 good order, although of giiuilar extent. 



