to labor long hours and uncomplainingly. He is criticised for small 
omissions often infinitesimal in character, blamed for crop failures and 
starved for want of a Httle encouragement for work well done. 
Fourth. — ^The competent professional gardener does not as a rule 
receive compensation equivalent to ser^•ices rendered. Since 1914 
how few gardeners have been voluntarily offered a fair advance in 
salary! and are there not many penurious employers who have ad- 
vanced salaries grudgingly and others who have threatened to close 
their estabHshments if any advance in gardeners" salaries was sug- 
gested? 
Fifth. — There does not exist, unfortunately, that good fellowship 
which should exist between employer and employee. I presume 
you ^-iU admit that a competent gardener who takes pride in his 
work and studies his employer's ^^ishes and interests should be 
treated with courtesy, consideration and kindhness. A man who aims 
in every possible way to please his employer by introducing new 
plants, and new features to add interest to the gardens under his care 
should, I consider, be treated with deference and respect. 
Abroad such noted patrons of horticulture as the Duke of Port- 
land, The Hon. Vicary Gibbs, Sir Jeremiah Cohnan, Sir Geo. Holford, 
Mr. Leopold de Rothschild, and others I could name are proud to call 
their gardeners friends and to refer to them as such at pubHc horti- 
cultural functions. I feel that in this great Republic where democracy 
is supposed to rule, we should not lag behind any of the older lands in 
such matters as these. 
It would help considerably if on estates where a number of men 
are kept, in addition to comfortable H\-ing quarters, a small library, 
containing horticultin-al and other works and some weekly periodicals 
were pro\ided. I am glad this is done on some estates; others might 
profitably do like-^dse, the expense would not be great and such 
allowances would be appreciated. 
I have referred to some of the drawbacks and discouragements 
which confront the professional gardener, and can you name any 
caUing which requires a greater amount of care and forethought than 
gardening? The man who possesses a good knowledge of the culture of 
plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables under glass and outdoors, prun- 
ing, propagation, road making, lawn tennis and other forms of con- 
struction, tree surgery and how to fight numerous insect pests and 
diseases, and who can plan and plant shrubberies, flower, rock, wild 
and aquatic gardens and often more artistically than the highly paid 
landscape architects, must have skiU of no mean degree, and often 
when as in an increasing number of cases he successfiflly cares for 
horses, cattle, sheep and poultry and houses hay, silage, ice, cereal and 
other crops, and in addition oversees the plumbing, painting, heating, 
