Gardening in the South of Ireland, 67 



together than the first class, are almost always at home, and see 

 each others' places often, which causes them to vie with each 

 other. Gentlemen of this class pay their gardeners very badly : 

 if they paid their gardeners better, I believe that they would 

 very soon equal the Scotch or English gentlemen of the same 

 rank. From Si, to 16/. per annum, with board, is what is in 

 general paid, if only gardener : if gardener and steward, they 

 may have from 12/. to 20/., with board, &c. A distressed man 

 will be glad to get even this ; but he enters his employment with 

 discontent ; he goes on passing over every thing in the most su- 

 perficial manner; and is all the v/hile looking out for another 

 and better situation. When able to do it, he gets into some 

 nursery, or emigrates to England. Some other distressed man, 

 from some of the nurseries, succeeds him ; or, perhaps, what is 

 even worse, some man that is a little liandy about the place. If 

 a distressed man succeeds him, things go on just as before; if 

 the handy man^ they become worse. At the same time, the new 

 comer will be sure to make some alterations, either good or bad ; 

 which will cost the employer more than the difference of wages, 

 which would have retained and satisfied the former man. This 

 mistaken system often deprives this class of any enjoyment in 

 horticultural pursuits, and renders their gardeners a distressed 

 and discontented class of men. Whereas from 15/. to 25/. a 

 year, as gardener, or 30/., with board, &c., as gardener and 

 steward, with some additional advantages to married men^ would 

 render them contented, and therefore anxious to satisfy and be- 

 nefit their employers ; which, I may say from observation, many 

 of this class of gardeners are capable of doing. Gentlemen 

 belonging to this second class have planted more in proportion 

 than kny other class. Many of them are now getting a good 

 return by thinnings, and have, at the same time, woods advancing 

 in value, and ornamental to their properties and to the country 

 at large. The young gentlemen of this class seem to have a 

 taste for ornamental planting ; and some of them run a little on 

 the arboretum, and seem to know the names and habits of orna- 

 mental trees far better than their predecessors. 



The third class may be composed of the farmers, shopkeepers, 

 &c. A few of the farmers have cider orchards ; but they have 

 nothing else beyond the most common vegetables, as cabbages, 

 parsneps, carrots, and turnips. The shopkeeper who has any 

 ground attached to his house near a town has, in general, a good 

 many flowers and shrubs, and a fair variety of vegetables, with 

 common fruits. But, in general, the fruit trees are badly taken 

 care of, and the shrubs badly arranged. The gardening, plant- 

 ing, &c., of this class are all done by the jobber or handy 

 labourer. It is for want of knowledge, in a good many cases, 

 that the farmer does not improve. Every farmer ought to have 



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