February 24, 1E00. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
409 
Clipping Ivy.— Jas. Reid: It may look neater to 
see Ivy on pillars and walls shorn close at this time, 
but that is its only preferable point. Ivy should be 
pruned or shorn just before the young growth of 
spring shoots forth. Hedges need not be pruned till 
after growth has finished in the autumn. 
Crocuses, &c., too thick.— J. F .: To aid the roots 
spread a mulch of thoroughly well rotted manure 
over the border; the young stems will soon force 
through it. Defer the lifting of the bulbs till after 
they have died down in June. You may then lift 
and dry them, replanting at a distance of 3 in. or 4 
in. apart. 
Iris germanica.— J. F .: To get rid of the weed 
(which we take to be Epilobium parviflorum) it will 
be necessary to entirely lift the rhizomes. Shake 
away the soil from the fleshy roots, and clear out 
every scrap of every foreign matter. Trench and 
manure the ground, and replant the Iris. Such 
operations may and ought to have the effect of 
destroying any lurking seeds or roots of the annoying 
weed. 
Renewing a Path.— Thos. Wilson, Bristol: The 
simplest way for you to proceed is to take out a 
trench right across the path to the depth you wish 
to repair. A breadth cf one yard will suffice. 
Throw the excaved soil and stones to one side ; sift 
this debris, returning the hard material (the roughest 
at the bottom), and cart away the soft part, the soil, 
&c. Additional dressings can be made to the sur¬ 
face, the whole path when finished being thoroughly 
well rolled. 
Tree Carnations.—/. Mann : Tree Carnations do 
not at any time make very stout shoots. If they are 
very soft then you may have given them an unduly 
warm temperature, and too much water when you 
shifted them into their flowering pots. They should 
be kept as cool as possible, and dry intead of wet at 
the root. Siir the surface soil, and by using neat 
stakes support the stoutest of the shoots, cutting out 
all useless spray. Do not feed the plants, and wafer 
less frequently. 
Tomatos in Frames.— Wtn. Errol: Unless you 
have a warm house in which to raise the young 
plants UDtil they have grown 1 ft. or 2 ft. high, we 
advise you to leave the sowing till the middle of 
March. A frame will suit splendidly for Tomato 
growing during summer. Place branches on the soil 
to train the plants over the top of them. 
PEAR BEURRE CLAIRGEAU. 
This cannot be said to be a highly flavoured kind. 
Notwithstanding this defect, it has many points to 
commend it to cuhivators. Few kinds can excel 
this from an ornamental point of view. This is seen 
most strangely when looking over autumn fruit 
shows. During the past autumn this was strongly 
shown as I looked at some fine fruits at the Drill 
Hall, London. 
In the garden here everyone asks what it is, and 
this the more so when seen with a large crop on a 
bush tree, as shown by the accompanying photo¬ 
graph. This was taken on the 28th September, 
1888, in our garden. The tree was 8 ft. x 6 ft., and 
was carrying at that time just over 150 fruits, six 
years from the time of planting, when it cost 
2s. 6d. 
These fruits would have sold at gd. per dozen 
when ready for use. This shows it to be a paying 
industry. For placing on the dinner table, for shoot¬ 
ing parties, for ornament, this kind is generally 
admired. Some may say they prefer kinds mere 
highly flavoured; true, but these cannot compare 
often with this for ornamenting large tables. Should 
it not be wanted for eating.it is excellent for cook¬ 
ing, if used just before it softens. In this way it is 
most useful, as most cooks like large stewing Pears. 
Another recommendation to it is that the tree is an 
upright and close grower, and may be grown at the 
corner of walks. It also makes a fine cordon tree.— 
J- C., F., Chard. 
- 4 *- 
Ripe Grapes left hanging upon the Vines till 
March and April are estimated to waste about 25 per 
cent, of their weight. 
TRAINING OF YOUNG GARDENERS, &c. 
I fear that we are not keeping up-to-date in the 
tuition of our young men in gardening, which is 
adduced by reason of the scarcity of journeymen 
gardeners in Scotland. Tangible proof of this is 
given by nurserymen and others who have to use 
vain efforts to supply applicants who are in want of 
assistants in gardens. 
At Martinmas there seems to be men enough, and 
to spare. One has not to wait long after this term 
when useful hands are found with difficulty. At one 
time young gardeners considered that to leave their 
business as gardeners they were retrogressing in their 
action ; but opinions in this respect have changed 
mightily since the early gardening days of the 
writer. There is so much inducement in public 
works and industries of every description for young 
men to change their employment that gardening is 
forsaken for higher wages, even with the accompani¬ 
ment of extra labour of less refinement in its 
character. 
In the majority of cases which have come under 
our notice we think that the old love is still prefer¬ 
able. According to arguments which we have read 
in provincial papers as to the reward of renegades 
(from the oldest profession on earth) those who have 
defended life in gardens, and the prospects of the 
great bulk cf well trained, persevering young gar¬ 
deners, have the best side of these arguments. 
While endorsing these views we do not adduce 
that well deserving, educated young gardeners are 
in every way remunerated, and otherwise treated as 
they deserve. Hence the reasons for their abdication 
from the very interesting employment unmistakably 
found in gardening. 
The training of young lads in Scotland is not on 
the same lines as generally practised in England. 
The apprentice syslem in the north, carried out as it 
should be, is preferable to the methods in the south. 
But nowadays it is seldom that the tuition of the 
youths has primary consideration when apprentices 
are employed—and they are difficult to find now, 
except in rural districts where labour is scarce and 
wages are small. It is true that the reduction of labour 
power, so general in gardens, has necessitated the 
adoption of rough and ready employment for young 
gardeners. The apprentice system of employing 
youths for three or four years, then passing them off 
as “journeymen,” while they have learned little 
more than drudgery, is fraught with injustice to the 
young employees, as well as to those who engage them. 
Nurserymen are sometimes in straits as to pro¬ 
cedure in such cases. While they are anxious to 
assist the young aspirant, they are also equally 
anxious to do justice to those who apply to them for 
men to do garden work. 
In England, generally, lads are drafted from those 
who are (much more numerous in the south than in 
the north) looking out for the best employment they 
can find. They are often employed in pleasure 
grounds or other departments, with little change of 
work, and very little is taught them beyond what 
their fellow workers can assist them in. Very often 
youths go under glass, and experience beyond the 
work there is very limited. Very thoughtful youths 
may learn much from what they see and practice in 
the glass department, and often become experts 
among plants and fruits, while their knowledge of 
other gardening matters is nil. 
It must be a difficult matter for gardeners trained 
Bush Tree of Pear Beurre Clairgeau. 
