October 25, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
377 
T O those interested in horticulture nothing can afford greater 
pleasure than a visit to those gardens in which high culture and 
good keeping are pronounced features in the various departments. 
Nor is it a gratihcation confined to any one season of the year, for 
though the glories of flower and foliage may have waxed and 
waned, an air of smartness prevails which the most superficial 
observer will not fail to note. 
In the adjuncts of large establishments pertaining to the higher 
grades of society, not any department is more capable of adding to 
or maintaining its dignity than the garden, and the desire pervades 
those whom the subject directly concerns to keep up appearances. 
In these places, where there is a time for everything, energetic 
action is taken to cure or prevent some evil among the fruit 
bearers or other subjects, and all is being carried out in the most 
thorough manner to obtain the best possible results. Yet order 
prevails. A systematic approachment of laborious duties makes 
even hard work pleasant and easy. The casual visitor who knocks 
at the gates at what might be considered an inopportune time, will 
see no evidence that such is the case. On other occasions he will 
find much to admire. He may at this time derive some profitable 
lesson from his visit. It is instructive and interesting even to an 
old hand at his trade to note details of work and methods of 
performing it. Local customs are brought into play, and their 
comparative value will be noticed. The critical observer will, too, 
find points of interest in noting men and manners. Some of these 
old hands amongst the workmen become experts in some particular 
line of work. For years has the one man been called to the one 
task, till he becomes an adept in it, regarding it as his monopoly. 
And what pride those old hands take in their work, growing 
eloquent in expatiating on some engineering feat of bygone days. 
Such an one was old Geordie P-, who, amongst other special 
duties, concreted the Vine borders made from time to time in 
a large establishment. “ T’ gaffer wouldn’t allow anyone t’ 
consecrate that Vine border but me,” he would say, when the 
spirit of mischief prompted a young worker to hint another 
man would usurp his office. Such workers as these contribute 
their share in keeping up appearances, for the man who takes 
pride in his work is never in a muddle, be that job never so muddle- 
some. Such gardens present the brighter side of the subject. 
There is a consciousness of power in reserve strength, placing the 
possessor of it on a pedestil above the many vexations harassing 
those whose efforts are handicapped by limited means. 
“ Appearances are not always what they seem,” but under 
adverse conditions can they least of all afford to be despised. 
When untoward circumstances necessitate curtailment of expendi¬ 
ture, however reluctant employers may be in approaching the 
garden, it is here primary action is generally taken. The reason 
for this may probably be found in that, whilst not ignoring 
its utility, the garden is more regarded in the light of being a 
luxury. To whatever extent the reduction may affect the garden, 
there is generally a desire on the part of employers to keep up 
appearances, and there are more reasons than are apparent at first 
sight why the gardener should, as he invariably does, take the 
same line of thought. In the first place, it is of vital importance 
to the latter that he should endeavour to maintain the reputation 
built up in happier times. The wish to do so is a worthy one, 
No. 748.—VoL. XXIX., Third Series. 
but there is a nobler motive which places self on one side, that 
is, the desire to keep up appearances for those who place a high value 
on them, and are the first to miss those little points they have 
been accustomed to derive pleasure from. 
Taking for granted that these feelings of loyalty imbue the man 
at the wheel, and he endeavours to pilot his charge through the 
rough elements of hard times, from hence, not any opportunity is 
missed which may aid the object in view. To whatever extent the 
hand may be weakened in physical capacity, there is no diminution 
of mental strength, it is rather invigorated by the new call made 
upon it. Could the area of work be reduced to the measure of 
strength all would be different, but that seldom is the case ; the 
boundary lines are not contracted, so relief must be sought where 
the shoe pinches most, and who better qualified than the wearer to 
diagnose the place ? In most gardens the irritating spot will be 
found in that heavy labour entailed with the bedding—the annual 
or bi-annual filling of a large mass of flower beds, which, in our 
time, has been so heavy a task on all sorts and conditions of men 
and places. With all the admiration which has been accorded by 
visitors to this class of work, it has been more a marvel at man’s 
ingenuity in reproducing intricate designs ; his skill and energy in 
manufacturing so many thousands of plants for so brief a display 
than to any real love for the object. Evidence of this is noticeable 
in changed feelings now prevailing, a change which must be a 
welcome relief to many a worker. One may hope that the extreme 
will not set in, for there are many bright beauties which would be 
ill spared, but they have too long had the monopoly. In this 
department will be found facile means for economy, by which 
appearances may not only be maintained but considerably im¬ 
proved upon. Hardy plants, suitable to the position they are 
intended to occupy, form a valuable auxiliary from a labour-saving 
view, and serve as a foil to the more brilliant summer occupants. 
Sedums, Saxifragas, Sempervivumi, with a host of low growing 
modest-toned plants, freely used as edgings or dividing lines, are 
by their permanency and neat habit of growth admirably adapted 
to those beds and borders where no loose habits are permitted. 
Where beds en masse are divided only by the narrowest form of 
gravelled alleys or walks the turfing over of alternate beds preserves 
the geometrical pattern—probably appropriate to its position by 
harmonising with surrounding outlines, and affords as much relief 
to the critical eye as it does to the hand of the worker. Under the 
pressure of altered circumstances there is hardly any part of the 
sphere of duty in which some means may not be found to the end 
of economy. In the shrubbery walks, made apparently for no 
other purpose than the labour of keeping and sweeping, may be 
swept away for good and all by planting up. The scrupulous 
removal of autumn leaves, entailing much scraping under shrubs 
and bushes, sweeping, and carting will be allowed to remain as food 
for the occupants, and by the nourishment afforded be a considerable 
help to them in keeping up their appearance. 
A wise horticulturist of the old school, who in his long life had 
been a keen observer, was wont to impress a favourite maxim on 
the youthful mind—viz., “A clean walk covers a multitude of 
sins.” Presumably these deflections from the path of duty partook 
more of the character of omission than commission ; but few will 
deny the important bearing clean and good walks have on general 
appearance, and whatever shortcomings should prevail, if notice¬ 
able here, they do much to mar the whole. Some fourteen years 
since a band of gardeners met by invitation in the Phoenix Park, 
Dublin, to see and criticise a horse-power machine for hoeing and 
raking gravel walks. This had been invented by a practical 
gardener to meet the exigencies of hard times—such as I have 
endeavoured to depict. Taken up by a gentleman, and in some 
way improved upon, its trial trip on the gravelled plateau at the 
base of the Wellington obelisk was scanned with varying comments. 
The trial resulted in its being then and there christened the 
Phoenix, and something more, for some of those present who were 
No. 2104.—VoL. XCI., Old Series. 
