in acquiring Knowledge. 167 



the inquisitive disposition so common to youth, seldom deigns 

 to speak to him at all, and, from his keeping such a distance, 

 the young man cannot summon the assurance to ask him to 

 explain any thing that may appear a difficulty. In circum- 

 stances such as these, there is generally a foreman who exer- 

 cises a sufficiently hectoring authority over the men, but who 

 often possesses neither the ability nor the willingness to im- 

 part much useful information ; and his conduct towards the 

 journeymen (along with whom the apprentice is employed) 

 being any thing but calculated to insure respect, they will 

 take every opportunity of exposing his faults to each other, 

 and holding up his operations to ridicule, so that the young 

 man, although anxious for information, can come to no cer- 

 tainty in forming his ideas; but, soon seeing through some in- 

 consistencies, both of journeymen and foreman, and acquiring 

 the art of using his tools as dexterously as any of them, he 

 builds himself up in his own self-sufficiency, the greatest bar- 

 rier to every improvement, and seldom perceives his error 

 until, when placed in different circumstances, he finds, to his 

 sorrow, that, instead of being a proficient, he has his business 

 still to learn. These things ought not to be. The occupa- 

 tion of a gardener is different from most others. Many of* 

 the operations of our art are so simple that they may be per- 

 formed by any one. The laws and principles upon which 

 these operations are founded are not so easily attainable, and 

 the master-gardener who gives not instruction on these points 

 to his apprentice, or does not cause them to be given, is guilty 

 of little less than unjustly defrauding the young man of his 

 money, and robbing him of his time, that most precious of 

 all treasures. 



In former days, when a man had served his apprenticeship, 

 the means of acquiring a farther knowledge of his profession 

 were laid open to him, his good conduct and strict attention 

 to his duty being sufficient recommendations for enabling him 

 to gain admittance into the most respectable establishments. 

 Very different is the case now. From the superabundance of 

 hands, not only is there a difficulty in procuring a journey- 

 man's situation, but the practice is becoming common of 

 shutting the gates of extensive establishments upon those who 

 are either unable or unwilling to pay a premium to the master. 

 I know of no other class of operatives that are exposed to 

 this humiliating necessity. There are certain cases where the 

 practice may be justifiable. When a man, after great atten- 

 tion and trouble, succeeds in cultivating, to a great degree of 

 perfection, any department of the vegetable world, he cannot 

 be found fault with for taking a compensation from those who 



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