the London Horticultural Society. 223 



of gardeners that I have written it, perhaps you will allow me a page or two 

 for its insertion. 



It is, doubtless, fresh in your memory, that, some time ago, a bill was passed 

 for the better observance of the Sabbath, to the great benefit of many of Her 

 Majesty's subjects ; but, as far as I have experienced, it has not effected much 

 good for gentlemen's gardeners. My object, therefore, is to induce you to use 

 your influence, in the proper quarter, on their behalf; and endeavour to secure 

 for them, and some others, the better observance of Saturday. I allude to the 

 exhibitions at the gardens of the Horticultural Society, which are so fre- 

 quently held on that day. How far it may affect the officers of the Society I 

 cannot pretend to know, but I am certain it is very inconvenient for those per- 

 sons who have to come from ten to twent)' miles with their productions ; and 

 to conscientious persons, who take the word of God for their guide, it is a 

 matter of doubt whether they ought to send plants, &c., to exhibit, or sanction 

 by their presence an exhibition which is calculated to tempt so many hundreds 

 of persons to transgress the command, " Remember the Sabbath-da}', to keep 

 it holy." And 1 have reason to believe that there are many who would come, 

 but do not on this account. Those gardeners who live at the distance I have 

 mentioned must leave home by the middle of Friday night : supposing 

 them to get clear off from Chiswick by seven o'clock on Saturday evening, 

 they will not reach home before twelve or one o'clock ; and, if they have many 

 things to unpack, they must encroach very much upon the Sabbath before 

 they have done ; and then, let me ask you, what state of body or mind do 

 you think they will be in, after the fatigue and excitement of the past day and 

 night, to attend to meditation at home, or the duties of the sanctuary abroad ? 

 How far the Society can justify themselves in respect to this arrangement I 

 cannot imagine; but they ought to have some weighty reasons for inducing 

 men to run the risk of losing their souls, when He who " spake as never man 

 spake" has asked, " What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and 

 lose his own soul?" But the evil does not terminate here. I believe it ex- 

 tends further than any one can tell. Only think of the number of vehicles 

 that are called into action on that da}', both public and private, many of which 

 would undoubtedly have otherwise remained clean till Monday, instead of 

 making Sabbath-breakers of the various servants who look after them. There 

 is also another class of persons who suffer in the same way, viz., those whose 

 houses are open for the accommodation of the public. Instead of their houses 

 presenting the same appearance as on other Saturdays, they are all in con- 

 fusion till late at night, when the inmates are so fatigued with extra labour, 

 that they are compelled to leave much undone till Sunday morning, when, 

 being free from customers, they have an opportunity to put all right again. 



It is also very injurious to those who are compelled to go to such houses 

 for refreshment. The gardener, if so inclined, may perhaps find something to 

 fill up the spare time he may have, without spending it there; but not so the 

 men who accompany the carriages which convey the plants, many of whom 

 would gladly go somewhere else if they could ; but, having no other amuse- 

 ment to make choice of, they remain there till the exhibition is over, by which 

 time they have become so stupefied with liquor, and the want of rest the pre- 

 vious night, that they are much more fit to go to bed than to travel six hours, 

 and prepare for the Sabbath. But, besides those who are obhged to suffer, 

 there are many more who suffer voluntarily ; I mean such as spend their time 

 in the public-house merely from curiosity and fondness of company, and in 

 this class we ma}' include a great part of their customers ; and these, not being 

 obliged to leave so soon as the others, are perhaps in a worse state than those 

 before mentioned to prepare for the duties of tiie coming day, A vast deal 

 more might be said of the evils which result from exhibiting on Saturdays, but 

 I trust enough has been said to cause those whose duty it is to make the 

 arrangements to give it the attention it demands, and that 1843 will be the last 

 year it will be witnessed. I do not see why Wednesday might not be fixed on 

 for all, as well as only one, of the exhibitions ; except it is that Saturday is a 



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