THE PRIVATE GARDENER. 

 By Robert Craig, Philadelphia. 



Delivered before the Society, Februaiy 29, 1908. 



I use the term "Private Gardener" because it is one in common 

 use and well understood to distinguish one who has charge of a 

 garden or grounds and cultivates vegetables, plants, and flowers, 

 not to sell, but for the use of those who employ him to do this work. 

 The gardener assists and directs nature in producing everything 

 which grows out of the ground for man's use, for the gratification 

 of his palate, and for ministering to his sense of beauty. His work 

 is to provide not only food for the body but also "Food for the 

 Soul." We sometimes see an advertisement in the daily papers 

 like this, — "Wanted a gardener who understands care of horses" 

 or "who can milk." Such an " Ad." is a sad abuse of the word; 

 what is wanted is a handy laborer or man of all work; much that 

 I shall say today cannot sj^ecially be applied to him. 



I know that my audience includes many who are not gardeners,, 

 but I feel that they, in their interest in the subject, will pardon me 

 if the greater part of my remarks are directed specially to gardeners. 

 I choose the subject because I conceive that it is one of more im- 

 portance than is generally assigned to it, and that the private gar- 

 dener is likely to play a part of continually growing importance in 

 American life. His influence on the future of horticulture is 

 powerful for good or for evil. If he be a capable, energetic, and 

 honest man he will do such work as will make his employer a patron 

 of gardening, and if he be ignorant, careless, and dishonest he will 

 not only ruin himself but will damage the cause he misrepresents. 

 Allow me to recite a couple of instances occurring in my own neigh- 

 borhood which illustrate this point : — 



I was well acquainted with a wealthy gentleman who built new 

 greenhouses and started to improve the grounds surrounding his 



