4.10 On the Treatment of Under-Gardeners. 



Art. XX. Remarks on the Treatment Under-Gardeners receive 

 from their Masters. By G. R. G. Journeyman. 



Sir, 



I here venture on giving you some remarks upon the treat- 

 ment under-gardeners are subject to from the gardeners, their 

 employers, in noblemen or gentlemen's gardens; not taking these 

 from how I am at present situated, but partly from my own 

 past experience, and partly from my knowledge of the treatment 

 of others. You remark, in your introduction, that " it is a 

 common complaint amongst gardeners that they are not suffi- 

 ciently paid, and that a man who knows little more of gar- 

 dening than a common labourer, is frequently as well off as 

 a man who has served a regular apprenticeship to his busi- 

 ness. This is perfectly true, where the gardener is nearly 

 or equally devoid of elementary instruction with the la- 

 bourer." Here I would ask, do gardeners who have men 

 under them stimulate or encourage the taste which the em- 

 ployed men have ? Do they at all study to disseminate that 

 knowledge amongst them which themselves have acquired? 

 No, they fall very far short of acting in such a generous way ; 

 nor are they by any means the more assiduous in urging 

 them on, although they may have obtained " elementary in- 

 struction." That good fruit may be produced for market, 

 care and attention are required by the cultivator, let the soil 

 or climate be ever so good. On the same principle I 

 would urge the tuition of gardeners, even if employed in first- 

 rate places. It is a thing, which too frequently occurs, 

 where there are four or eight hands kept, that one in the 

 former number, or two in the latter, may have it in then- 

 power to improve themselves; while all the remaining indivi- 

 duals are deprived of the possibility of making a single effort 

 for their improvement. Whereas, were the master to act dis- 

 criminate^, he, without curtailing his own privileges, or con- 

 tracting the advantages of the one or two mentioned, or in the 

 least degree acting unjustly towards his employer, might, with 

 a very few exceptions, enable all under him ultimately to 

 arrive at what is so particularly your wish — the full capability 

 of filling first-rate situations with advantage to the proprietor. 



March 11th. G. R. G. 



Want of room prevents us from inserting the whole of a 

 second communication received from G. R. G. on the same 

 subject. Being desirous, however, of encouraging every effort 

 in p. young man to improve himself, and of assisting to Mac- 



