REMARKS ON THE SCIENTIFIC EXAMINATION OF GARDENERS. 465 
at the same time, they ought never to lose sight of the practical parts 
of their profession. 
It is natural to suppose that when the Doctor gives his students the 
heads upon which he is to examine them at a future time, (or say when 
they are ready,) like a boy at school, when he has got his lesson by 
heart, to intimate to his teacher he has done so—when, as soon as he 
finds it convenient, he is called forward to repeat it: in that respect, 
those who can answer the Doctor most correctly at the time, supposing 
he were quite ignorant of the practical and most necessary parts of a 
gardener’s qualifications, would be classed as a first-rate, and put on a 
par with others of more extensive, if not superior acquirements. 
I submit the before-mentioned facts to you, Mr. Editor, and your 
numerous readers, whether such a system of examination is calculated 
to form a new era among gardeners, and raise them to a higher scale of 
being—to be more thought of by their employers, and suitably rewarded 
for their industry. Such a system, in mv opinion, is calculated to 
degrade the profession; as, for instance, if a young man has got a tole¬ 
rable education, he may ingeniously contrive to obtain an extra first- 
rate certificate from Dr. Lindley, and then go forth to the world making 
a boast that he lias passed the Board of the London Horticultural 
Society, while, at the same time, he may be destitute of any practical 
knowledge of what he professes; and if placed as head gardener in a 
situation of importance, of course great things would be expected of 
him, which he may not be capable of performing, and the consequence 
will ultimately be that he loses his place ; and if a good gardener, who 
has an experimental and practical knowledge of his business, which he 
has been pursuing for the course of years, were to succeed him, he would 
be treated with indifference, and in all probability find his salary 
reduced to that of his predecessor, which he can only recover by 
attention. 
I should like to see some system adopted which might be the means, 
if possible, of keeping back pretenders and those spurious gardeners 
who are daily springing up amongst us as noxious weeds; and I would, 
therefore, propose to the Horticultural Society, and those who are inte¬ 
rested in its affairs, that their regulations as to receiving men into the 
garden be observed in all time coming; and that when two or more are 
to be examined—a day being previously fixed on for that purpose—at 
least five or six practical gardeners most convenient to the neighbour¬ 
hood, and who are considered to be men of respectable conduct and 
acquirements, be summoned to attend there as a jury—also the gardener 
of the establishment and the foremen of the respective departments ; 
and when so assembled, let Dr. Lindley proceed to examine the candi- 
VOL. V.™-NO. LXVI. 3 O 
