349 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 9 1858. 
—three bunches of Black Hamburghs. Mr. Hill, of 
Keele Hall, had new Hamburghs also, and large 
baskets of Muscats, and of Barbarossa ; one bunch of 
the latter was 3 lbs. weight. Mr. Butcher also sent a 
dish of the Barbarossa, which has not the least sign 
yet of shrivelling. Mr. Tillyard, gardener to Lord 
Eversley, sent a fine JEnville Pine, weighing 4 lbs., 
whose crown would hardly weigh an ounce ; a basket 
of the Black Prince Strawberry, the fruit arranged 
in eight rows, and twelve fruit in a row : eight multi¬ 
plied by twelve is equal to ninety-six—a very good 
dish ! What an excellent early forcer the Black Prince 
is. Mr. Tillyard also sent a dozen of his NePlusMeuris 
Pear, in fine condition for table. There was a large 
dish of very fine-looking Paster Beurre Pears, from 
Miss Gamier, of Wickham, Hants : they will hardly 
be “in ” by Easter Sunday; but they were a noble¬ 
looking dish. There was a fine-looking seedling Apple, 
called Webb's Beauty of Stalham, from J. C. Webb, 
Esq., of Stalham Hall, Suffolk. A Pearmain-shaped 
kind from Mr. Yeitch, called Hggesford Seedling, and 
another Hussetty excellent-looking kind, called St. 
Leonard's Seedling; and from Mr. Simpson, Stoke 
Farm, near Slough, a plain-looking Apple, which is 
said to be an excellent keeper. 
After the business of the fruit and flowers was over, 
Dr. Bindley left the professor’s chair, and Mr. Dilke 
took his place ; the Chairman, the Rev. Yernon Har- 
court, then told the meeting that the Prince Consort 
allowed himself to be nominated President; but, by 
the bye-laws, it is enacted that he must first be one of 
our Privy Councillors ; so we balloted him first for 
one of the Council, with three cheers; and then unani¬ 
mously to be the President, with three times three, 
“ heel and toe.” His reverence then told us, that 
Dr. Lindley’s services to the Society were at an end. 
i But that the Council recommended him to be elected 
in the room of Dr. Royle ; that we should gain £500 
a year by that change; but that we should gain 
nothing, and even be the losers, “ if we lost the benefit 
of his admirable judgment, and practical good sense.” 
We elected the Doctor with right good will, and 
gave him three hearty cheers into the bargain, and 
we all prayed that he might live to give us a spe¬ 
cimen of his “ admirable judgment and practical good 
sense.” D. Beaton. 
SOCIAL ECONOMICS—GARDENERS AND 
THEIR EMPLOYERS. 
The good influence of a class of men will be greatly 
in proportion to the mode in which that class is dis¬ 
tributed, the intelligence possessed by it, and the 
sound moral principle by which it is actuated. Grant 
us the possession of these conditions, and few in the 
same social position, as gardeners, are better situated 
for acting as centres of influence. Whether that in¬ 
fluence is, upon the whole, exercised beneficially, is, 
perhaps, too large a question for present investigation. 
On its very threshold we should be presented with 
evidence, of the general intelligence, moral worth, and 
unwearied industry, combined with refinement of 
manners, by which we are distinguished : we should, 
also, be presented with proofs, that if more book 
learned, we effect no greater results than our 
fathers: that we are not more distinguished for 
manly respect, keen shrewdness, strong common sense, 
and strict morality : that certainly we are rather more 
apt to be gentlemen where we can, excessively touchy 
as respects our dignity, and more apt than ever, to put 
employers to frequent annoyance and expense, from 
changing of gardeners, because we will not be interfered 
with, or cannot obtain what we like. 
Allowing, that in such a large body of men, there 
may be a few whose conduct is not exactly what it 
should be ; granting to the full, that the frequent 
changing of gardeners is very often a cause of annoy¬ 
ance and loss to those who employ them ; yet, stand- 
ing up naturally, in defence of my order, I must state 
that these inconveniences and drawbacks are not by 
any means wholly to be placed on our shoulders ; that 
employers have themselves, to a great extent, to 
blame, for the very evils of which they complain ; and 
would they be served faithfully, heartily, and intelli¬ 
gently, and somewhat continuously, so as not always 
to be having fresh faces, they must recollect, that, 
just as in other cases, the intelligent man knows his 
value, and will pant after a meet reward ; he feels that 
a certain respect is due to him for his fidelity and never- 
ceasing industry, in thorough contrast with the slight¬ 
est want of confidence; and that though he submit 
for a time, and for reasons satisfactory to himself, 
to certain regulations, that these will ultimately be 
burst through, wisely or unwisely, if the object has 
been to curb or subvert the strongest and most 
natural passions and emotions of humanity. 
Like others of my coadjutors, I have not hesitated 
to say very plain, somewhat unpalatable, things to gar¬ 
deners like my self, and those younger men, who, ere 
long, will fill our places; but whilst I may do that 
sort of thing again, various circumstances have led 
me to conclude, that it would be advisable to bring a 
few points, candidly and deferentially, before the great 
body of the employers of gardeners. And as frequent 
changing has, of late, been a prevalent complaint, I 
would first direct attention to the great monster cause 
or grievance, as exhibited in England, and a grievance 
which could be easily removed, to the benefit of all 
parties concerned. 
The grievance so fertile in mischief, is, in so many 
places, considering and looking upon the gardeners as 
an in-door , and not as an out-door servant. Let us 
take a few instances at random, of how the system 
works. 
There is a nice little garden, of no great fame, be¬ 
yond the immediate neighbourhood; yet possessing 
much that is worthy of notice. You inquire for the 
gardener, and find him in the hall. If there is a house¬ 
keeper’s or butler’s room, the gardener is not good 
enough for that. We have no right to interfere with 
any person’s domestic arrangements, but neither under 
such circumstances should our ears be dunned with 
the shiftiness and caprices of gardeners. In conver¬ 
sation, you find that he took the place just to bring 
himself round ; that he receives no more pay than a j 
groom or stable helper ; and though he has no place i 
but the hall to go to, the young ladies expect that he j 
knows all concerning the new plants and flowers they ! 
read about in books. Need we wonder, that an am- ; 
bitious man should leave such a place the first oppor¬ 
tunity ? Need we wonder, that the contrast from the j 
simplicities and frugality of a cottage, should induce 
such a change of habits, as to wreck the fairest of j 
hopes ? Some employers, with limited means, feel a ! 
pleasure in thus employing, and then helping forward ■ 
young men; and who would breathe a word against 
their generosity ? Many of our most prominent gar¬ 
deners have thus commenced, but there has been 
something in them, or around them, that enabled them 
to bend circumstances to their will, instead of allowing 
these circumstances to mould and fashion them. 
Take another case—the type of scores I have known. 
There is a young man full of promise, and of aspiring 
hopes. He is now living in his third or fourth place 
as under-gardener. He studies hard, because the 
gaining knowledge has become an element of his exist¬ 
ence. He knows what saving and frugality are, in 
