February 7, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
117 
The World of Gardening. 
By F. W. Burbidge, M.A., F.R.H.S. 
Gardening, as a. craft or calling, already depends in a large 
measure on co-operation with other industries. The nursery 
or seedsman, the tool maker and machinist, the potter, the 
hothouse builder, and men of many other trades or professions 
have all to help us, at least now and then. But as I have said 
before, I believe that gardeners, now isolated as a class, would 
be benefited in many personal ways by co-operation or union 
amongst themselves. Union is strength, and numbers can do 
many things that are simply impossible to individuals, and 
especially in the case of isolated units, as gardeners up and 
down the country usually are. Not only mankind, but many 
animals, birds and bees, and even some plants, congregate 
together for mutual assistance and protection. 
In men we see the gradual growth of union all down the 
line. First, the individual, then the family, the tribe or clan, 
then federations, guilds, societies, companies, combines, trusts, 
conferences or congresses, parliaments, armies and navies, and 
other combinations for the encouragement of industry and art 
and for personal defence or for social and commercial protec¬ 
tion. Our modern battles, both military and social, are really 
destructive ; loss of life and waste of materials and labour ensue, 
and the loss of both winners and losers really falls back on the 
cultural and productive industries and the land of the conntries 
engaged. The great battles of the future will be industrial 
ones ; the contest has indeed already begun, as shown monthly 
in our markets and in the Board of Trade returns. Competi¬ 
tion is said to be the life of trade, but it often bears pretty 
hard on the heme growers of garden and farm produce, 
although the general mass of people who are consumers may 
benefit in a way and for the time being by cheap imported 
foodstuffs and other necessities. 
Gardening in recent years has become a veiy wide subject, 
full of complicated economical questions, and in most, if not 
perhaps in all cases it must be made to pay. In many cases 
even private gardening does pay good interest on the capital 
and labour expended, much better than does a yacht, a racing 
stable, or other luxuries of a similar character. Now, is it 
possible to lessen the strain and stress of competition amongst 
gardeners themselves ? Can nothing be done towards a general 
association of gardeners for their protection, information, and 
general good? Of course, it will be said that we have already 
such unions as the Royal Horticultural Society, the 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution, the United Horticul¬ 
tural Benefit and Provident Society, and others, including 
gardeners’ mutual improvement societies scattered about all 
over the country. There are many other societies and in¬ 
surance companies to which gardeners may belong as ordinary 
citizens, but what is really wanted is a central office in London, 
with branches in all large towns, specially organised so as 
to meet the peculiar wants of gardeners as a body. 
Of course, the thing will be a very difficult one to do, but, 
as Beaconsfield once said: “ The more difficult a thing is to 
do, the more necessity exists for it being done,” and there can 
be little or no doubt whatever as to the necessity in our 
present case. The Royal Horticultural Society has its own 
special line of work, and its hands are too' full at present to 
allow of its aiding or adopting a co-operative scheme or plan 
of this kind. The same may be said of the Gardeners’ Benevo¬ 
lent Institution and other eleemosynary or charitable 1 societies, 
the object of which is to kelp the minority of old and decrepit 
amongst gardeners and then - widows, rather than the majority 
of able and active men, both young and middle-aged, who are 
so often in want of help, not alone of a pecuniary kind, but 
especially in the form of good and reliable information as to 
vacant situations, and the best ways of obtaining a market 
for their ability or labour as the case may be. At present, 
vacant situations are filled in various ways, amongst which are 
the following: — 
1. Men at present employed rise in succession from journey¬ 
men to foremen, and from foremen to head gardeners. 
2. A local or metropolitan nurseryman may and often does 
recommend and supply suitable men. 
Asparagus Spkengeri in Fruit. 
3. Situations may be advertised in newspapers, such as “ The. 
Times” and other dailies, in “The Field” and other weeklies, 
or in the horticultural Press. 
4. Or now and then a gardener who obtains a better post 
recommends a friend to his employer as being suitalle to 
succeed him. 
