Book II. 



EDUCATION OF GARDENERS. 



1143 



both of love and hatred, curiosity and communicativeness. Judicious restraint is everything as to over- 

 coming bad or vulgar qualities ; a man properly under its influence may be compared to a well trained 

 tree ; and as this figure is familiar to the young gardener, it may be well for him frequently to ask him- 

 self, whether, supposing he were a cherry-tree, he would be reckoned one finely spread against a wall 

 or an unpruned standard. 



7773. Religion is a subject which we leave eveiy gardener to arrange with his own 

 conscience ; only observing, that as it concerns only the man himself, and unless joined 

 to enthusiasm and proselytism, can never injure others ; every one should be left at li- 

 berty to tliink in this respect as he chooses. Let no one, however, consider that differing 

 from others as to religion implies a difference in morality, or a neglect of moral jorinci- 

 ciples ; and let every gardener consider well what we have before said on this subject. 

 (7762.) 



7774. Physical education. It may be supposed superfluous to say anything to gar- 

 deners in respect to health. But the trutli is, that since the general introduction of hot- 

 houses, the profession of a gardener has become in some degree different from what it 

 was ; and he is now subject to heats and colds, wliich are liable to bring on inflamma- 

 tory and rheumatic complaints. Being heated excessively in a hot-house, and cooled 

 to a very low degree in the open air during winter, or in an ice-house (which is now in 

 almost daily use in good gardens, for preserving fruits and vegetables) during summer, do 

 not of themselves injure the constitution ; but the evil arises from the partial operation of 

 either exti-eme by which one part of the frame is cooled or heated sooner than another. 

 By this the circulation and perspiration are unnaturally accelerated or diminished in 

 these parts, and of course the action of the whole system deranged. When this takes 

 place, the consequences are fever, costiveness, and often St. Anthony's fire, ague, 

 rheumatism, &c. If taken in time, opening the bowels and the hot-air bath of the hot- 

 house, taking care eitlier to go at once from it to bed, or to the dry-stove and green- 

 house, so as to cool gi-adually, will restore the system to order ; if neglected, time, open- 

 ing and sudatoiy medicines, and probably the doctor, will be required. The principal 

 danger is to be dreaded from the excessive heat and perspiration produced by work- 

 ing in the bai'k-stove or in pits, such as during shifting, syringing, &c. To guard 

 against these, tlie operator should limit Ins dress at the time to a loose flannel shirt and 

 wooden shoes, and when finished, sloould wipe liiraself perfectly dry before putting on his 

 ordinai-y clothing. 



7775. The foundation of all health is regularity in the time and quantiiy qf food taken, and in the com- 

 mon evacuations. If these are strictly attended to, everything will go on w^ell ; if suffered to become 

 irregular, every thing will go wrong. The stomach is the primum mobile, as it were, of the consti- 

 tution ; the cause, when disordered, of the most afflicting diseases, and the first thing to be restored in 

 order to their cure. 



7776. A strict attention to personal propriety and sober habits need hardly be mentioned, with refcr- 

 ejice to young gardeners who mean to advance themselves ; to suppose, indeed, that they would indulge 

 in inebriety, or in alehouse society, is so entirely out of the question, that we shall not enter on the 

 subject. 



Sect. V. Of Economical Education, or the general Conduct and Eco7iomy of a Gar- 

 dener s Life. 



1111 . A gardener, v,ho has attained his twenty-fifth year, and has carefully employed 

 the leisure time of the preceding ten years in improving himself, will now have formed 

 his judgment on most subjects ; and be able to determine a general plan for the future 

 economy or management of his life. A man may be learned, or have a genius and taste 

 in his profession, without having that taste or judgment as to tlie economy of life which 

 leads to fitness and propriety of conduct, and vdW induce him to fix on an object to be 

 acquired, and devise and pursue rational means of obtaining it. Bad taste in the common 

 business of life may lead to bad plans, to a desire to acquire property too rapidly, to 

 gambling, to match-making, to quackery, and, probably, even to crime and disgrace. 

 The principal cause of this bad taste is, that what is called education is much too 

 limited in its objects ; or that part which is coinmonly left to parents or masters is but 

 very imperfectly supplied. A youth ought not only to be instructed in the different laws 

 by which tlie conduct both of individuals and society is regulated, but also in the art of 

 forming a plan for the management of his talents, so as they may best contribute to his 

 happiness. Nodiing is more conducive to happiness, than fixing on an end to be gained, 

 and then steadily pursuing its attainment. 



7778. Forming a j^lan of conduct. Though some things in every man's life, and 

 often the most important things, are the result of accident ; yet here, as in eveiy other 

 case where a multitude of actions are to be performed with a view to an ultimate object, 

 a plan must be of importance for their arrangement. No man is born in possession of 

 the art of living, any more than of the art of gardening. The one requires to be studied 

 as well as the other ; and a man can no more expect pennanent satisfaction from actions 

 performed at random, than he can expect a good crop from seeds sown without due re- 

 gard to soil and season. The greater pai t of mankind enter on life w ithout any fixed 



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