Masters and their Apprentices and Journeymen. 267 



times also hear them read aloud, and examine and instruct 

 them in every thing I think useful. In particular, I impress 

 upon their minds the propriety of their learning the common 

 native plants : I am often sorry to see how much these are ne- 

 glected, and treated, as it were, with contempt, even by those 

 who have great pretensions to the knowledge of plants. I re- 

 member having met with a very striking instance of this sort. 

 Between four and five years ago, I was on a visit to my friend 

 Mr. Walsh, at Earl Plymouth's, when a nobleman's gardener, 

 from a place noted for plants in a neighbouring county, called, 

 and in walking about the grounds, in a piece of rock-work, 

 a plant of Prunella vulgaris in full flower was discovered, and 

 very much admired by the stranger, who wondered what it 

 was ! thought it was quite new ! ! and that he had never seen 

 it before ! ! ! In my opinion an utter ignorance of native plants 

 is inexcusable; for even where no collection is kept, a knowledge 

 of natives may be acquired, and if it is, how greatly will it faci- 

 litate the learning of exotics whenever an opportunity offers. 

 In speaking for myself, I know of no pleasure of this sort 

 equal to it ; for with a slight knowledge, no road can appear 

 dull, and one can no where travel and say that "all is barren ;" 

 for at almost every step we must meet with an acquaintance, and 

 sometimes with one we have not seen for many a day before. 

 In the beginning of summer, I give my lads a bit of waste 

 ground under a hedge for them to plant the plants as they 

 find them, and every two or three days I name all 1 can for 

 them ; and I assure you this has the very best effect, for their 

 minds are now completely wrapt up in their business, and 

 they do not appear to have a wish or a thought but in it, in 

 some way or other. The plants gathered in the summer we 

 plant in autumn according to their class and order for flower- 

 ing next summer, which wonderfully assists them in that part 

 of the science. 



If there is so much cause of complaint against head-gar- 

 deners in general, as the letter of G. R. G. seems to imply, 

 I am very sorry for it, as I am convinced that a little 

 attention to the improvement of the minds of those employed 

 under them would, in the end, be of infinite advantage to 

 the masters themselves. This opinion of mine is not new : I 

 have practised it, more or less, for ten years past. And as 

 a proof that I have not done it from selfish motives, I have 

 never received a penny from any one, or from the friends of 

 anv one I have ever had under me. 



I intended to have communicated to you not only the 

 manner in which I manage the lads now under me, but also 



