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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



GAKDENEKS— PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. 



By Mr. S. Heaton, F.R.H.S. 



[Read June 23, 1896.] 



I need not here apologise for stating that ray experience and 

 observations convince me that the Horticulturists in general 

 expect something novel and something tangible from the gentle- 

 men who from time to time read papers at the meetings of the- 

 Royal Horticultural Society. 



They look to this the leading horticultural society in the world 

 (and to which all similar societies ought to be affiliated, so as to 

 bring the people in every county, in every town, and in every 

 village, into closer contact with the work it is doing, and to the 

 facilities it offers to the horticultural aspirant, be he amateur, 

 cottager, or professional) for wrinkles, ideas, and suggestions on 

 the various subjects dealt with that are not common to every 

 cultivator ; therefore, along with other essayists, I find a diffi- 

 culty that can be better imagined than expressed to meet the 

 wants of a critical gardening fraternity. Criticisms have been 

 common in all ages, to all peoples, in every position of life, and 

 upon all subjects, and undoubtedly if they are rightly and justly 

 expressed may be productive of much good, though we cannot 

 overlook the fact that oftentimes those who have the most to say 

 know the least ; nor must we forget that all good work will be 

 subject to storms of abuse, but if rightly established and properly 

 conducted will live and prosper. Through it all " truth and right 

 must prevail." 



The object of the present paper is to put forth a plea for a 

 better training and education of our present journeymen and 

 apprentices in whatever branch of gardening they may under- 

 take ; whether it be as florist, market gardener, seedsman, land- 

 scape gardener, nurseryman, park and gentleman's gardener, or 

 even the humble and often despised jobbing gardener, who is 

 generally "jack of all trades," and is supposed to know and to 

 do anything or everything. 



It is essential to so equip the rising generation, who will 

 become the future gardeners, that they may be able to retain the 



