February 16, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
GARDENERS’ GRIEVANCES. 
These are the common lot of humanity. So 
common are grievances that I believe the task of 
finding a profession or occupation which does not at 
times ventilate its own special grievances would be a 
most difficult one. To grumble at them is, we some¬ 
times hear, the special privilege of Englishmen. I 
sometimes think that, if so, some at least make too 
free a use of the privilege. Gardeners, in the 
estimation of many outside of the profession, do so, 
and possibly no other profession contains within its 
ranks so large a proportion of inveterate grumblers, 
and for this reason that few other callings have such 
a substantial list of legitimate grievances. 
To begin with, the rate of remuneration is, as 
compared with other occupations, very low. There 
are happily exceptions to the rule we must readily 
admit, but taking ga rden labour as a whole compared 
with any branch of the building trade, for instance, it 
remains absolutely true. The workmen in these 
trades by combination have forced up their wages, 
and in their case instead of capital terrorising 
labour, the latter in some instances not only 
bids defiance to, but conquers it. There are 
many trade unionists who lcok down upon gardeners 
as a poor spirited lot because they make, no or but 
very feeble, attempts to follow in their steps, not 
realising the immense differences there are in the 
two situations. I hold that a gardener’s trade 
union, owing mainly to the comparative isolation 
in which they stand to each other, would soon prove 
unworkable. Therefore any hope for redress of 
this particular grievance must be looked for in other 
directions. 
One process has been going on for some time 
which must end in a better wage being given to the 
garden labourers, namely, so many leaving the 
garden for other occupations. The wages paid to 
these men have had a marked influence on those in 
higher positions in gardens. For very many owners 
of gardens fail to discriminate between the labourer 
and one who has made gardening a special study, 
and sought by study and practice in good places to 
make himself proficient in the art. To mow, sweep, 
and dig well are, to at least some, the chief qualifica¬ 
tions requisite, and they are ever-ready to secure the 
services of this kind of man who will be subservient 
in all things at as low a rate as possible. Till we 
can get a better and broader view of gardening than 
at present obtains in some quarters there is little 
hope for any material amendment. 
There is one consolation to be derived from the 
lady gardener movement, that it will eventually 
show some that there is more in gardening than they 
ever dreamt of. True, some good men with a 
thoroughly practical knowledge of their profession 
may be displaced by these intruders who want to 
reach to the highest positions through an easier and 
pleasanter route than their male compeers are 
allowed. For myself, I contend no one ought to 
take the control and direction of a body of men who 
is incompetent to show them by example how to do 
the veriest drudgery connected with the profession. 
Even among garden labourers how many simply do 
not know how to hold a birch broom and sweep a 
path properly ; yet some of these men would readily 
undertake the management of a garden, and some¬ 
times do. 
Another factor in wages is the low price of garden 
produce. We sometimes think that a moderate 
import duty on much of the foreign produce would 
hurt no one, and by fostering home industries would 
benefit both garden and farm labour. Much of the 
foreigD flower, fruit, and vegetable produce is, or at 
least was, an article of luxury, and could be grown at 
home. John Bull is far too large hearted in this 
particular. He manifestly cannot grow at home 
all the corn and meat for his over-crowded house¬ 
hold, and so wisely allows these to come in free to 
replenish his larder; but is he equally wise in allow¬ 
ing other products of the soil free entry. ? I think 
not. His own family should have the first chance. 
Another grievance gardeners have is the treat¬ 
ment they sometimes meet with from a professional 
standpoint. It may be a good thing that so many 
know all about gardening. At the same.time there 
are many who employ carpenters, &c., who allow 
them to do their work in their own way, not ques¬ 
tioning their ability, who meddle and interfere with 
the gardener in a most vexatious manner, and a* the 
same time look upon him as an authority upon a 
dozen or more matters outside his own calling. If 
anything about the place goes wrong the gardener is 
the handy man expected to put it straight. In short 
the gardener by many is looked upon as a domestic 
servant, and as such should do his lord's' bidding. 
Young men, many of them, see this, and are being 
driven into other occupations. They naturally ask 
is it worth while to study and persevere in a calling 
in which they stand a chance of being snubbed. 
Then, again, very many suburban gardeners have 
to reside off, and often at some distance from their 
work. This often means almost incessant toil from 
month to month, Sunday and week day, from dawn 
to dark, and too often in frosty weather a trudge 
twice before going to bed at any time from 10 p.m. 
to i a.m., a state of things there is no real excuse 
for, but arising to a .great extent from the heating 
apparatus being inadequate to its work. A short 
Act of Parliament requiring these to bp passed by a 
competent authority would result in the average of 
life among gardeners being raised, and remedy a 
most distinct and real grievance.—IF. B. G. 
I read with interest the various letters in The Gar¬ 
den.ng World for February 2nd, re the above sub¬ 
ject, especially the letter signed "C. Blair." I quite 
agree with him when he speaks of men' “ trained 
entirely " in large places feeling a great aversion to 
becoming head gardener in a small place. I am 
afraid a man who has never worked in a small 
garden would scarcely know hcrw to do some of the 
things a gardener has to do in these small places. I 
have worked in small, medium, and large gardens, 
beginning my experience in private gardening in a 
small place at both inside and outside work, and 
gradually working upwards until 1 obtained a situa¬ 
tion at Frogmore. I now consider I have taken the 
Irishman's rise, but one cannot Stay even in the 
Royal Gardens as a journeyman for ever. I may 
tell “ C. Blair " that when I was trying to learn the 
art of digging, sowing, planting out, earthing up, &c., 
&c., I kept a diary, and have found it both useful and 
interesting, and I would advise all journeymen to 
keep one, and Dot only write down the date of sow¬ 
ing any variety of vegetable or flower seed, but find 
out the quantity of such seed sown and write it down 
also. 
As regards large versus small places, I would 
advise all journeymen to begin in a small place and 
work upwards, because when once in a large place it 
is hard to appreciate a smaller one. On the other 
hand it is very pleasant to keep improving in your 
situations, and there is plenty to learh in them all if 
only a chap will look about him and not be afraid of 
asking questions. Some men will do anything rather 
than ask a question through fear of being considered 
inferior to their fellow-workers. Such a thing is to 
be regretted, for a man loses nothing by seeking 
information through the medium of asking questions. 
— H. L. Hirst, Anley■, Settle. 
In a note to Meehan's Monthly (American), a corres¬ 
pondent of mature years says : “ The term gardener 
implied much more a few generations ago than it 
does to-day. Young men paid heavy premiums to 
get in as apprentices under learned gardeners, and 
when at the end of the term they were invested with 
the ' Blue Apron,’ most of them would compare 
favourably, in general intelligence, with the gradu¬ 
ates of our modern universities." 
" Is not the analogy a little far-fetched," asks an 
exchange, " and whether is the joke on the graduate 
or the gardener ? There are some who yet hold to 
Burns' opinion of graduates, himself the son of a 
gardener, that these individuals ‘ go into college 
stirks, and come out asses.’ Despite the abolition 
of the premium system, we firmly believe the 
average of general intelligence among gardeners is 
as high to-day as it was two generations ago. The 
same fountains of learning at which wisdom may be 
drunk are available; the same indomitable persever¬ 
ance in the pursuit of knowledge is still extant, and, 
certainly, in many ways a higher degree of cultural 
skill has been attained, with attendant improvement 
in accruing results consequent upon advancement 
along educational.lines. We do not think that the 
passing years have in any way altered the signifi¬ 
cance of the term “ gardener," accepted in its truest 
sense,and in countries where a gardener is a gardener. 
Of course, the world over, there are gardeners and 
gardeners, just as-there are graduates of universities, 
and graduates, &C. 1 ’ 
This is a subject having many points of interest 
to the head gardener and journeyman alike. 1 I do 
not agree with "Young Gardener," who seems to 
think we are straining after things beyond our reach, 
and who compare's gardeners to the foolish boy that 
wanted the moon. “What?" How have other 
tradesmen raised their position within the last quarter 
of a century ?—not by folding their arms, but by try¬ 
ing every fair means to get their rights. Many head 
gardeners and journeymen, too, have to live in small 
unhealthy abodes. Could even nurserymen not help 
a little to get this remedied when asked to send on a 
gardenfer ? I knew a leading Edinburgh nurseryman 
(now dead) that was famed for keeping up the 
garde'ners’ wages. It would not spoil us to have a 
few more comforts; but many a contented soul 
would rather perish in the flames than be awakened 
by the fire bell out of his sweet slumbers. Of course 
none of-us can afford to do without the bread and 
butter, and we must live somewhere f but as journey¬ 
men are getting scarcer, it will surely assist in time 
in causing employers to offer higher wages, and also 
see to their house comforts. Many employers have 
grander abodes for their dumb animals than for 
their servants.— J. C. Dick, Champfleurie, Linlithgow. 
This discussion, I am happy to notice, is being 
carried on in an entirely friendly spirit. This is as 
it should be, and seems another prdof of the 
“clannishness" of the profession (if I may be 
allowed to introduce so thoroughly Scotch a word). 
How often we see discussions in newspapers develop 
into nothing but a bandying of personalities, and 
soon the point under discussion is lost sight of. 
Happily gardeners are proving that they can dis¬ 
agree without quarrelling, and will, with the kind 
sanction of the Editor, thrash out the subject, and 
endeavour to arrive at some practical means for im¬ 
proving our condition. I must heartily endorse Mr. 
J. C. Dick’s last letter. His kind reference to my 
contribution to the discussion is, I am afraid, hardly 
deserved. I am, however, endeavouring to 'follow 
his advice contained in an earlier article—"to give our 
candid opinion " on the subject The letter, too, of 
Mr. F. Ross is eminently practical and convincing. 
The same may be said of the contributions of Mr. 
Brewer, Mr. J. Botley, and “ A. V. M.” ; The latter 
I am surprised to learn is still a journeyman. I 
thought from his many excellent papers in the 
pages of The Gardening World that he was one 
of the “ old hands." The discussion all through is 
excellent, but are we not just drifting a little from 
our subject ? The young men will only admit of 
their own grievances. H/light I call their attention 
to one point they all seem so far to have missed ? 
I admit tbaf their cases allow of a great deal of im¬ 
provement. At the same time does it not occur to 
them that until there is a good deal of improvetrieht 
in the condition of the head gardeners that theirs 
might wait ? What I mean 'is this—a young gar¬ 
dener has a good deal of hardship to bear. Would 
this not be more cheerfully borne if the prospect of 
a nice comfortable place as head gardener appeared 
in the distance. I think it would be a great induce¬ 
ment to patiently bear the burden, when a peaceful 
haven was in sight. Now with the position'of head 
gardener (in so many cases) aejthmg but satisfactory 
what is there to look forward to? Nothing but 
hard work and worry. These are facts for the 
younger men to think over. UnfoftuUately' if is 
only for the enthusiastic gardener tbaf the prospect 
is at all bright, and even he soon gefs soured by the 
struggle. I am again trespassing too far on your 
space, Mr. Editor, but perhaps you will aUow me to 
mention two real grievances that I think badly want 
to be remedied. T refer to the practice of a great 
many employees of expecting (and insisting on) their 
gardeners to do all sorts of work, from cutting down 
timber to digging drains. I think this mcst unfair. 
Young men can refuse this sort of work, but with 
married men if is somewhat different, as it is not at 
all an easy matter to pack up and flit. TheYtther 
matter' is the employment of so many untrained 
men as gardeners. A man "labours" in 'a good 
garden for a year or two, and then slips into the 
position of gardener on the same cr neighbouring 
place. This is little short of a scandal It is, I 
know, not easily remedied, as for the sake of a few 
pounds a year saved in wages many employers en¬ 
gage these men, cutting out a properly trained-gar¬ 
dener. This, in my opinion, is ope of, the real 
causes of low wages.—C. Blair, Binny, Uphall. 
