6 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 5,1894. 
pressing and pathetic nature, but it is so very hard to tell how it 
can be amended. It is a problem that calls for solution, but 
nothing seems harder to find.—A. D.. Kingston. 
The Position and Prospects of Gardeners. 
This subject is of the highest importance not only to persons 
who follow gardening as a means of earning a livelihood, but also 
to those who employ them. I hope, therefore, that your notice of 
it in the Journal of Horticulture (page 476) will call general atten¬ 
tion to the matter, and as a consequence some means will be 
devised whereby the able and deserving men may be retained in 
the business, while the incompetent ones are forced to seek a living 
that is more in accordance with their abilities. 
The chief question that presents itself to my mind is, How is 
this most desirable end to be accomplished ? Mr. Elliott gives 
union the first place, and suggests that rules should be formulated 
by a central society to “ regulate the preliminary education and 
examination of all young gardeners, and the quantity of certificates 
to those who earned them.” If this suggestion could be carried 
out in its entirety it would doubtless tend to the elevation and 
improvement of our knowledge of horticulture. There are, how¬ 
ever, many difficulties to be overcome before this can be effected, 
and supposing it was, it would not follow that because a man had 
answered correctly a number of questions he would prove to be the 
best gardener. Some men may thoroughly understand how certain 
operations should be done and yet be quite incapable of managing 
or directing others so as to obtain the best results of the labour 
expended. 
Then, with regard to “ improved education,” I am fully 
cognisant of the advantages to be derived therefrom. It is neces¬ 
sary for parents to consider whether the remuneration for a 
gardener’s services is such as to warrant them in expending more 
upon education, and also whether, having received a higher educa¬ 
tion, they would be paid a proportionately higher rate of wages. I 
believe that most of us will be forced to the unsatisfactory conclu¬ 
sion that they would not. My experience is that in the majority 
of cases men are not valued nor paid according to their capabilities, 
but, on the contrary, it is often a question of how much work can 
you do and what is the lowest remuneration you will accept for 
doing it. The consequence is that the ablest men do not obtain the 
best or most remunerative situations ; and, as Mr. Elliott correctly 
states, they become disgusted and leave gardening to employ their 
talents in some other occupation. 
With regard to the higher education of gardeners, both practical 
and theoretical, my belief is that it will have to be undertaken by 
the County Councils before much progress is made. Something 
has already been done in this respect, and still more is in contempla¬ 
tion, so that in the near future we may confidently look forward to 
having a more enlightened class of men. Permit me to express a 
hope that others may enter into a discussion of this matter, and 
that as a result there may be some practical outcome that will 
benefit an intelligent and industrious but underpaid class of men.— 
W. Neild, F.R.H.S., Sale, Cheshire. 
FLORIST TULIPS. 
Tulip fanciers are now busy taking up the bulbs from the beds and 
storing them away in the boxes until autumn, the season of arranging, 
cleaning, and planting, arrives. It is important in taking up the bulbs 
to leave a portion of both roots and blooming stems attached, as the 
bulbs will be injured if they are forcibly pulled away now, while later 
on they will come away easily and safely. The drying of the bulbs 
should be done in a dry, airy room, where the sun cannot shine on them 
or make the air of the place too hot. Last year, during the abnormally 
hot weather that we experienced in June, a famous collection was almost 
totally destroyed through neglect of these precautions. After drying 
the bulbs should remain at rest until September, when the work of 
cleaning, arranging preparatory to planting, should be commenced. 
As the time is approaching for beginners to form or adding to a 
collection of these fascinating Tulips, a list of the best varieties in 
general cultivation is appended, which may be of service. 
Flamed Bizarres. —Sir Joseph Paxton, Dr. Hardy, Masterpiece. 
Feathered Birarres. —Sir Joseph Paxton, Masterpiece. 
Breeder Bizarres. —Sir Joseph Paxton, Dr. Hardy, Sulphur, Wm. 
Lea. 
Flamed Bybloemens. —Talisman, Chancellor, Adonis, Duchess of 
Sutherland. 
Feathered Bybloemens . —Bessie, Adonis, Violet Aimable. 
Breeder Bybloemens, —Adonis, Talisman, George Hardwick. 
Flamed Roses. —Annie McGregor, Mabel, Aglaia, Triomphe Royale, 
or Heroine. 
Feathered Roses. —Modesty, Alice, Heroine. 
Breeder Roses. —Annie McGregor, Mabel. 
These are all good exhibition sorts, and quite easily obtainable. 
Thera are, of course, many varieties of great merit that are not named, 
because they are very scarce and practically unattainable.—J. W. B, 
Rose Show Fixtures in 1894. 
July 5th (Thursday).—Bedford, Dublin, Hereford, and Norwich. 
„ 7th (Saturday).—Crystal Palace (N.R.S.), 
„ 10th (Tuesday).—Gloucester, King’s Lynn, and Wolverhampton.* 
„ 11th (Wednesday).—Hitchin and Ulverston. 
„ 12th (Thursday).—Bath, Harleston, Woodbridge, and Worksop. 
„ 14th (Saturday).—New Brighton. 
„ 17th (Tuesday).—Helensburgh. 
„ 18th (Wednesday).—Newcastle-on-Tyne.* 
„ 19th (Thursday).—Halifax (N.R S.), Halesworth, and Trentham. 
„ 2l8t (Saturday).—Manchester. 
„ 24th (Tuesday).—Tibshelf. 
,, 26th (Thursday).—Southwell. 
,, 28th (Saturday).—Bedale. 
Aug. Ist (Wednesday) —Chesterfield. 
* Shows lasting three days. 
Hedge Roses. 
The white Scotch Briar, as I saw it recently at Highclere Castle, 
is the beau ideal of a hedge Rose if allowed ample room ; growth 4 to 
5 feet in height, very dense, and at the time perfectly smothered 
with bloom. As much might be said of others of that old-fashioned 
section. Of coarse growers, two especially are first-rate for hedges, 
John Hopper and Reine Marie Henriette. Both strike as readily as 
Laurels from cuttings, and soon grow into strong plants. Their special 
faculty lies in sending up such stout growths from the roots every year, 
BO that old growths may be from time to time cut out and replaced. 
John Hopper I have seen forming garden fences here in Kingston at 
some 6 feet in height, and in the season blooming with astonishing 
profuseness. Reine Marie Henriette will do the same. In fairly good 
holding ground it sends up every summer very stout tall growths, and 
these it is but needful to shorten back somewhat to secure average 
height. I am not at all sure that this recuperative power would be 
found so fully on worked or budded plants. The latter Rose blooms 
very early against a south wall, but under hot sunshine the colour fades. 
For that reason I prefer it on an east or even north wall, but is perhaps 
most satisfactory as bushes or in hedge form out in the open.—A. D. 
Among the Bath Roses.—May 28th and June 1st. 
These dates comprehend and cover the greatest trials encountered 
by rosarians in this most promising Rose season of modern times. Dp 
to the middle of May the chief trouble of rosarians was that their Roses 
were making too much haste for safe speed. Many persons were doing 
their best by late pruning and other means, and cut their headlong Rose 
plants back abreast with the calendar. The cold wave, so long, strong, 
deep, and wide, has swept away this cause of anxiety. It is now suc¬ 
ceeded by another of opposite character. 
With the long spell of semi-wintry weather still pursuing us on the 
evening of the 13th June, the question is one of fostering rather than 
retarding for the Windsor and other early shows. That there will be a 
fair if not a full supply of fine Roses can hardly be doubted by those 
who have seen the private and commercial Roses of the south and west 
after the frost. Substantially, there are few injured, none dead, while 
hardly a trace of the scourging, showery weather can be found on the 
Roses. At the worst, many of them have stood almost still for nearly 
a month, A gentleman remarked that some of them seemed to have 
grown backwards, and become shorter for some weeks. But is this 
arrestment of growth chiefly or wholly evil ? Surely not.^ Sorne severe 
check seemed needful to bring the precocious Roses into line with those 
who yet hardly have the frosts, bitter winds, and storms of hail till not 
a few rosarians have raised loud and bitter cries of wreck and ruin. 
Much as some have suffered from the severe coll, on the whole the bark 
of May has been louder and worse than its bite. This is especially true 
of the south and west of England. 
In the first considerable rosery visited in Bath I found hardly a sign 
of injury. The nurseries of the Messrs. Cooling at Batheaston and 
Swanswick, near Bath, had been equally fortunate. Many large general 
collections of Roses are grown in those fine nurseries, including Teas, 
Perpetuals, Noisettes, Bourbons, China, and old-fashioned Roses. Large 
numbers of Tea, climbing, and other Roses are also grown in pots and 
wintered in the open air. This, as rosarians are well aware, is one of 
the most severe tests that their plants can be exposed to. The Roses 
here stood this test without loss or injury in May. 
There is one more little fact that deserves special mention in this 
connection. In these nurseries there are Ro.ses of all sorts for all 
purposes. Cabbage, Moss, old-fashioned garden climbing Briars, deco¬ 
rative, and single Roses. 
But among them all, hardly the least remarkable is the complete 
collection of Fairy or Polyantha Roses. I have lately seen some very 
fine bush plants of these in pots, but standard Polyantha Roses were 
