March 10, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



18S 



CEOCUSES DESTROYED BY SPAEEOWS. 



I perceive that one of your correspondents asks the cause of 

 the destruction of his Crocuses. No doubt, as you say, they 

 have been destroyed by the sparrows. I have a large quantity 

 of Crocuses, and the sparrows have played sad havoc with them 

 this year, as they have come early into bloom. But there is a 

 simple remedy, which in my case has never failed — namely, to 

 place white cotton or white worsted close to the Crocuses, either 

 round the clumps or lengthwise with the border, supporting 

 and placing it in such a manner that the birds cannot pluck the 

 flower without touching the thread. 



I have found mice very destructive in burrowing and eating 

 the roots early in the season ; and there seems no better trap 

 than the old-fashioned one set with thread, which they have to 

 nibble before getting guillotined. The traps can be put under 

 old pots or boards to keep the rain off; and there is nothing 

 better than baiting with oatmeal. — Jos. Lloyd Phelps, Lee 

 Crescent, JUdgbaston. 



WLNTEEING OLD VEEBENAS. 



I OBSERVED that you mentioned on one occasion how very 

 difficult it is to take up Verbenas from the beds and keep them. 

 I beg to state my success as regards this matter. 



My plant was a fine healthy one of the Geant des Batailles. 

 I first proceeded to cut a great portion of the branches away, 

 leaving about 6 inches of each. I put the plant, in a six-inch 

 pot, iu a shady part of our conservatory, for about a week, then 

 plunged it in a cold frame, in tan well watered, facing the sun, 

 and kept the glass covered. My plant is now a Btrong one, 

 with some nice shoots just fit for cuttings, and it will soon 

 bloom if I choose to let it go on. I think this a very good plan 

 if you desire to have good plants of Verbenas in bloom early in 

 the season. — An Ardent Admires op the Verbena. 



[No doubt your plant is a good one, but a cutting struck early 

 in autumn, and topped, and having the attention you gave 

 to your favourite, would also now be a fine plant. Your ex- 

 perience is a proof of the truth of the saying, that there i9 hardly 

 a rule without an exception. We have kept old Verbenas over 

 the winter, but in general young plants are better every way.] 



GAEDENERS' COMPANY. 



Gardeners were once a corporate body, as their charter 

 plainly sets forth. That charter never was of much value ; for, 

 like all protectionist schemes, it failed to infuse new life and 

 vigour into the members, and lulled them into the sleep of false 

 security. Opposition is the soul of progress, and competition 

 causes improvement. That the charter was ineffective from the 

 first may be inferred from the fact that a second charter was 

 granted amending the defects of the first. This also came to 

 nothing, for a warrant was issued by Charles I. calling upou 

 magistrates and others to enforce the charter. 



The first charter was granted by James I. in 1616. The 

 charters are preserved at the Public Record Office ; and the 

 warrant is private property, late in the possession of W. Paxon, 

 Esq., 9, Terrace, Gray's Inn Lane, Holborn, London. " The 

 Worshipful Company of Gardeners," incorporated by James I., 

 A.D. 1616, the seventieth on the City hat, consisted of "The 

 Master, Wardens, Assistants, and Commonalty of the Company 

 of Gardeners of London." They were governed by a Master, 

 two Wardens, and a court of eighteen Assistants. Their income 

 was raised by fines and fees, and quarterly subscriptions of 2s. 

 They had no hall. 



Could the charter be revived ? No. Before that can be done 

 we must have a class of men conformable to the charter. The 

 charter has certainly done no good, and is ss outrun by the 

 time that its working would be obnoxious : therefore the charter 

 is a memorable relict of the past and nothing more. But — we 

 hesitate to put the question — could not men having interests in 

 common form a company, become united instead of divided, and 

 aid their mutual needs ? 



Nobility, gentry, and clergy have associations, merchants their 

 chambers of commerce, farmers their clubs, common tradesmen 

 and workmen their unions ; and all men, except gardeners, have 

 institutions more or less upholding their interests and advo- 

 cating their cause. Surely men having their periodical publi- 

 cations can form a Company useful and honourable. That they 



have intelligence is not doubted, but each individually is striving 

 to advance his own interests irrespective of the consequences to 

 his brethren. These causes, with the present system of gardener- 

 making, have made gardening what it is — no profession. Owing 

 to gardeners granting free trade — for they were the first free- 

 traders in the country — they let in all classes of the community. 

 If a man only works iu a garden a few years — is persevering, 

 sober, honest, and industrious — gives Mr. Head-gardener satis- 

 faction, he is soon sent out as a gardener. Such systems of 

 gardener -making have glutted the market. There is no differ- 

 ence between a man who has gone through a course of study 

 and served an apprenticeship and one who has not ; providing 

 that they do for the time being work in gardens, both are gar- 

 deners. 



A gardener according to the charter is a different man. He 

 must serve an apprenticeship, give proof of his competency, and 

 be an enrolled member of the Company before he is permitted 

 to practise. All gardeners must conform to these regulations — 

 that is, within six miles of the City of London, according to the 

 charter, or they would be liable to injunction, fine, or punish- 

 ment. That was a protectionist scheme then, and thought to 

 be an effectual barrier against quacks ; but alas ! the quacks eat 

 up the profession. What a stir there would be in the great 

 city if the charter were now enforced ; and there is nothing to 

 prevent it, providing there are twenty-one men in London who 

 could conform to the charter, which is disputed, for the charter 

 is as perfectly legal as it was od the day it was granted. 



We have six classes of gardeners— viz., 1st, professional gar- 

 deners ; 2nd, nurserymen ; 3rd, florists ; 4th, seedsmen ; 5th, 

 market-gardeners ; 6th, jobbing gardeners ; and another class, 

 neither gardeners, cowmen, nor grooms, and yet a little of all : 

 therefore I propose that they be termed utilitarians ; but as I 

 ignore their olaims to the title of gardener I propose to make 

 a special provision for them hereafter. The first six in 1841 

 numbered respectively : — Gardeners in England and Wales, 

 45,751 ; Scotland, 6277 ; Ireland, 7422. Nurserymen, Eng- 

 land, 1481: Ireland, 121 ; Scotland, 141. Seedsmen, England, 

 771 ; Scotland, 135 ; and Ireland, 83. Taking for granted that 

 these three denominations represent the six above mentioned, 

 which is not improbable, for all men that work in gardens are 

 styled gardeners, and all florists are nurserymen, we have a 

 grand total of 61,389. In 1851 they were collectively 74,837 ; 

 and if we measure the increase aright, we should have no less 

 than 80,000 in 1861. Not less than 60,000 of these are de- 

 pendant on wages ; and if we reckon an employer to every six 

 we have 10,000 employers, which we add to the figures before 

 named, and we have 90,000. Then we have amateurs number- 

 ing not less than another 10,000, which raises the figures to 

 100,000. 



Could not these various classes be brought into friendly in- 

 tercourse, united instead of divided ? I have long — though but 

 a juvenile — had an idea of a Company which would combine the 

 main characteristics of our national constitution, as employers 

 and amateurs the House of Peers, and nurserymen, gardeners, 

 &c, the House of Commons ; both being ruled by an arbitrator 

 or president, not a Yankee, who would exercise his prerogative 

 in matters of dispute between the Houses. The President to be 

 chosen by the members of the Company in the following order : — 

 employers, 4 votes ; amateurs, 2 votes ; and gardeners 1 vote 

 each respectively. 



The Company is proposed to be called "The Company of 

 Gardeners of Great Britain and Ireland." 



No gardener shall be admitted a member of the Company 

 unless he can write in a clear bold hand satisfactory answers to 

 the following questions : — 1, Name in full ; 2, where born, and 

 date; 3, that he has worked in a garden seven years with the 

 intention of learning horticulture and following it as a business ; 

 4, name the places where the seven years were spent ; 5, can 

 the applicant have a good recommendation from present em- 

 ployer ? — the address of his employer must accompany the de- 

 claration, so that the declaration can be verified if disputed by 

 members ; 6, that he is willing to pay all fines, dues, and sub- 

 scriptions, and to further the interests of the Company if elected 

 a member. Nurserymen, seedsmen, florists, market-gardeners, 

 and jobbing gardeners shall make their declaration in like 

 manner, substituting the term of nurseryman for gardener and 

 so on, leaving out the fifth query. 



Candidates may, if they think proper, state whether they 

 understand keeping accounts and mensuration of surfaces and 

 solids ; whether they can make ground plans ; give plans and 



