April 4, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAaE GARDENER. 



267 



work in good, suitable weather. But if the gardener has 

 glass under his care, his position is very different from that 

 of the labourer or the mechanic, whose work is finished 

 ■when darkness comes. Then, often, the anxieties of the gar- 

 dener are only commencing, and often will he be going to 

 work when his neighbours are going to bed. Even in such 

 a case, by banking up fires, whether they are wanted or not, 

 he may save himself trouble after evening, or greatly reduce 

 it, but in that case, at the expense of His employer's fuel 

 heap. In many such cases where economy is practised, a 

 winter such as this last is much harder on the gardener 

 than the general summer work. 



2. Though we agree with you, that working a few hours 

 longer, when work wants doing, wiU be no injury to the 

 gardener, and may often command the esteem and good 

 offices of his employer (and almost every gardener we have 

 known, would do so without receiving any hint as to its 

 propriety, more especially when kindness on the one hand 

 becomes the most powerful means for evoking gratitude 

 and fidelity on the other) — stUl agreeing with all this, we 

 think it necessary to state, that the more intelligent and 

 imbued with self-respect a man becomes, not only wUl he 

 he more faithful to his employer, but he wlU also be more 

 anxious that his services shall be remunerated in the shape 

 of wages, as a matter of right, so long as the agreement 

 lasts, instead of defective wages, being made up " in many 

 other ways " as a matter of favour, and next door to a 

 matter of charity. Not but that a kind present whets 

 the zeal and activity of a man; what we want to remon- 

 strate against, is the self-satisfaction produced in the donor 

 from giving as a matter of kindness and of bounty, what 

 oiight to have been given merely as a matter of justice. 



Again, we say nothing as regards those whom no num- 

 ber of hours would satisfy, we allude to such readers as 

 are perfectly reasonable in the matter, and who merely 

 think a gardener mav give a few extra hours work now and 

 then, when particularly required. On that we are all agreed, 

 but we wish it to be clearly understood, as the result of much 

 observation and experience, that continued long hours for 

 any length of time, will not only impair the physical energy 

 of the worker, but they will be of no benefit to the employer. 

 Once, or twice, or oftener, in a week at times, is all very 

 well, but only let a man continue for some weeks — say from 

 five to eight, and even with extra nourishment, he will soon 

 do less than if he worked from six to six. We have noticed 

 that this would be the case even when the men thought 

 they were doing their best, and were anxious that they 

 should make their labour tell. Even then as a matter of 

 profit to the employer, we believe long hours continuously 

 to be a delusion, and if the men do not live well, we believe 

 that they will be a direct loss. Now and then is a different 

 affair. 



And, lastly, without anything like a reflection on our cor- 

 respondent, we suppose that there will always be many who 

 will consider that from 9s. in winter, to 18s. in summer, will 

 be sufScient to repay the gardener for aU his anxieties and 

 cares. True, there will always be great numbers of places 

 where the proprietor only requires a good garden labourer 

 for his garden, and who will find him more suitable for his 

 purposes, than if he had a man of greater accomplishments. 

 "We need not here stop to prophesy about the " good time 

 coming," when to make the most of small places greater in- 

 telligence and greater wages will be required. We point 

 broadly to the fact, that such is not the case now, and to 

 that fact we respectfully solicit the attention of the Council 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society, who are laudably en- 

 deavouring to produce a race ot greai hoHicuUurists, by 

 ensuring that young gardeners shall be men of great and 

 general intelligence. We say advisedly, that however well 

 meant, the whole scheme now, as heretofore, wOl be a 

 " delusion and a snare," unless the Council so bring their 

 influence to bear as to convince the owners of gardens of the 

 propriety of employing such accomplished men, and the ne- 

 cessity of giving them a much advanced rateof remuneration. 

 We wUl ever advocate the young gardener's improving and 

 educating himself, and gaining knowledge in every field, 

 partly that he may be able to hold a good place when he 

 obtains it, but chiefly for the pleasure and the happiness 

 that knowledge based on moral principle wiU ever bring to 

 its possessor. We shall have more faith in examinations 



and diplomas, when we see these valued by employers, and 

 some greater and general prizes held out in the way of 



remuneration.] 



"A Lancashiee Lad " h.os written his ideas on this sub- 

 ject, but little can be added in reply to what was said at 

 page 233, and to-day in answer to a correspondent who 

 thinks that gardeners should work long hours in summer to 

 make up for short hours and unremunerative labour in 

 winter. Stopping for tea is not general, and could not be 

 practised where the gardener does not live close to the 

 garden ; but when he does so it wOl be a great help to him, 

 especially when he contemplates working for some time after 

 six o'clock. '■ A Lancashiee Lad " must be a young gar- 

 dener, and it may be well to say in the way of caution that 

 young men have been injured by working too long without 

 refreshment. As to the other two ideas — first the advocat- 

 ing the working half an hour later on five days of the week, 

 in order that these half hours may be taken back again on 

 Saturday, carrying out such an arrangement must be wholly 

 a matter of agreement. In many establishments this would 

 answer admirably ; in others it would not suit at all, where 

 all hands are often required to finish up work on Saturday, 

 so that no unnecessary labour shall be performed on the 

 Sunday. Where there is much glass, and a great deal of 

 plant culture in pots, Saturday would be the most unsuit- 

 able day of the week for a holiday ; but, as already stated, 

 that is no reason why the gai'dener should not have a holi- 

 day as well as other workmen, whether they work with head 

 or hands, or both. 



The other idea involved in the question. Why cannot a 

 gai'dener take a half-holiday without being obliged to ask 

 for it .' just shows the futility of continuing such a discussion, 

 as no expression of opinion v/ould be binding, as every 

 proprietor of a garden, and every manager of a large garden, 

 will still reserve the right of deciding as to the order and 

 the mode in which they shall be served. If that mode 

 savours of the grinding and despotic they will in due 

 time perceive their error. It is best for all parties that 

 there should be a clear understanding, instead of depending 

 on custom among other workmen who, take time to them- 

 selves when they think proper, and without condescending 

 to consult or ask any one. Surely " A Lancashiee Lad " 

 must have some little idea how these independent care-for- 

 nobody men get on in life. He must know that when a 

 slack time comes they ai-e the first to leave from yard and 

 faotoi7, and even in brisk times they are often told to pack 

 up their tools, as the employer cannot afford to pay rent 

 for empty benches. I will stand up for reasonable rights for 

 our order, but I contend that what is worth having is worth 

 a clear mutual understanding. Let gardeners in small 

 places, and under-gardeners and labourers in large ones,' 

 act on the " Laneashu'e Lad " principle and farewell to 

 everything like system and order. Employers who, like 

 another correspondent, may think they overpay their gar- 

 deners in bad weather in winter, may have some reason for 

 grumbling if, after such payment, they find that instead of 

 attending to their interests then- servants look after their 

 own business and their own pleasure in the fine working" 

 days of spring and summer. No ! no ! that is not the way 

 to secure kind considerate employers and faithful industrious 

 servants. — E. P. 



[We have received more letters fi'om young gardeners- 

 ru'ging their " right " to a Saturday half-holiday, and one 

 says that they are not treated with sufficient consideration 

 because they have no " union." We sent one of those letters 

 to Ml'. Fish, and the foregoing is his reply. To all that he, 

 an old gardener alive to the interests of his craft, has said 

 we fully assent, and we will add that no master would retain 

 an under-gardener who urged his " right " to a half-holiday, 

 for he has no more "right" to one than have his employer's 

 gi'ooms and coachmen. Suppose they claimed half-holidays- 

 as a right ! As for want of " union " among young gar- 

 deners, if it is meant that they should combine and " strike" 

 to effect their desires, we, as their fi'iend, can only hope that 

 they will never be so very blind to consequences. Head 

 skilled gardeners ai'e not easUy replaced, but those in their 

 pupilage would have successors found without such diffi- 

 culty. — Eds.] 



