MarcL 19. 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
237 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 
Gardeners’ Association. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir, —Allow me to: say a word or two jn favour of the above. 
I have for a number of year's advocated a union of gardeners, 
so as to raise the status of the practical gardener and protect 
himself against the detrimental forces of evils that he has to 
battle against. To launch a gardeners’ association on the 
strict trade union society rules and incorporating their forms 
of procedure would simply mean failure. Although we believe 
this, it must not debar gardeners from combining together for 
mutual benefit, nor should it be used as an argument against 
the formation of such an association,. On the contrary, it 
should be the strongest incentive to all gardeners to band them¬ 
selves together. 
The difficulties and obstacles that- appear to the mind of a 
large number of gardeners in considering the forming of a union 
are so complicated that they conclude a union isi impossible. 
The error that is made by the aforesaid is.—the standard they 
have set up. 
At no period in the history of gardening have the times pre¬ 
sented so' favourable conditions for the launching of such am 
association. The conditions on all sides, are most suitable for 
propagating a, reasonable scheme of co-operation. It is there¬ 
fore most satisfactory to see a movement for forming an asso¬ 
ciation. We trust it will not turn back, and, whatever cold 
water,may be thrown upon it by others, that nothing will deter 
or keep it from arriving at victory. 
No union will be a success unless it is framed on broad lines 
and incorporates all trained gardeners within its folds. And 
whatever may be the scheme that the committee appointed will 
submit to the public meeting of gardeners in London, I do 
trust it will be a. scheme on broad' lines, and that it will allow 
all trained gardeners to join it. 
Registration of gardeners will at once be accepted as the 
first object of the association,. 
Regulation of wages and working hours, are attainable objects 
of the future and of vital importance in the scheme. But any¬ 
thing in the form of classification, apart from the designation 
of the true position held by the member in the profession', viz., 
apprentice, journeyman, foreman, etc., will not be commend¬ 
able. The scheme', we trust, will also state the length of time 
that apprentices have toi serve, and lay down a rule, on the 
, Humber of apprentices that ought to be employed: according to 
the size of the garden. And to my mind it is also a, question, 
if a time limit should not be passed on journeyman and fore¬ 
man that they ought to serve before assuming the duties of a 
head gardener. This need not be made a lengthened period. 
I need not enter into details here of the parties that the) 
Scheme must exclude, etc.; rather let me say that the fee for 
admission and the annual payments should be a sum that' is 
within the reach and power of all to pay without causing any¬ 
thing in the nature of a felt hardship 1 . 
The association or union must be a national one; and to be 
a success the head office' may be in London, but the entire 
comitry must be made into districts, say, East Wale®, South 
and North districts, and in each of the aforesaid districts the 
most central city or town should be chosen for the head official 
centre for the said districts; and the interest® of each district 
should lie looked after by a board of directors elected by the 
members in that district. And to bring and keep' the entire 
members in constant touch with the movement, branches should 
be formed in every locality of each district when a sufficient 
number of members desire such, the branches' having the right 
to meet and attend to all business matters that are within their 
section or of importance to the society, etc. 
To launch such a scheme and bring it directly before the 
majority of gardeners funds will be required; therefore' a re¬ 
duc'd. should be sent in the first case toi all gardeners’ assooiar 
tions and societies that are directly connected with horticulture 
and request them to grant a donation for the purpose of the 
payment of printing and laying the scheme before all gardeners 
for their consideration and approval. 
A direct voice in the consideration of the scheme by the 
various associations, etc., is a step of the utmost importance 
and will result in bringing into action a lever power of far- 
reaching consequence; for there are thousands in the trade that 
are feeling keenly the cruel evils that cramp tire pathway of 
their life, and 1 am confident that they will respond through 
these associations', etc., in favour of a, reasonable scheme of 
union. 
It must not he expected that any scheme, however reasonably 
framed, will meet, with the approval of everyone., or that the 
benefits of a union will produce results at once. The results 
will require time, and in some oases they will show themselves 
more rapidly than in others. A gradual march of improve¬ 
ment will be the mode of it® growth, and in some districts there 
will be greater difficulties at the outset, but these will yield in 
the end, for no district will be ablei of itself to confer the benefits 
that a union, will give, and the union benefits will in the end 
in all districts be seized upon by all young men. The benefits 
of the cause are not at present my object—the main question, 
is the supporting of a scheme of union, and in my estimation 
the country is prepared for it, though no great movement such 
as this will instantaneously reach the goal of its. ambition;. 
All who at the present time have sounded the depths of, these 
evils do not expect that any scheme will immediately cure 
them; bub the tide of these evils must be attacked and blocked 
and then steadily removed. Personally, our faith in the grit 
and backbone of the men, in all grades of the profession is suffi¬ 
ciently strong to believe that nearly all will rise to. do their 
duty, and the hand of the dial which points the way to a better 
state will become an established truth. Too long already have 
we drifted in separation; the opportunity now is ours to. redeem 
the past and help, to make the future sweeter for all. Union 
is strength and the time for it is—now. John Cameron. 
N orthumberland. 
Plants Forced by Fire, 
To the Editor of The Gardening World, 
Sir, —The “ Globe ” gives a curious account of plants being 
forced by fire at Chaussee-Siur-Marne, near Chalons, France. 
“ Some Pear and Apple tree® in an orchard were partly scorched 
by the fire, and the untouched branches,®., few weeks later— 
that is to say, about the end of September:—burst into a second 
blossoming as thick as in springtime. Some Lilacs and Plum 
trees, after being scorched, also flowered again.'’ 
It is suggested that horticulturists might learn something 
from this experience. I am inclined to think that the. heat of 
the firei taken up by the soil might have caused the growth; 
but it would be interesting to hear what the gardening fra.- 
ternity have toi say. I have also 1 , noticed that the trees adjacent 
to a bonfire have had a quicker growth, and that grass, etc., 
always seem to grow quickly on the ashes. 
J. C. Merryweather. 
Whitehall Court, S.W., March 7th, 1901. 
[It seems to us quite possible for such a. thing to, happen as 
that mentioned by Mr. Merryweather. The trees and bushes 
had evidently nearly completed their summer growth,, wliile 
the leaves and roots were still active and would continue so 
for some weeks. The foliage: was scorched, with the result, 
that the trees were denuded of their foliage to a greater or 
less extent. In the absence of foliage the roots would have 
the: effect of plumping up the leaf and flower-buds, and 
finally of opening those that in the natural state of things 
would not have been sufficiently advanced till .spring. The 
trees would also have a tendency to produce fresh leaves by 
reason of the force of the current of sap. from root, pressure, 
there being no natural passage for this sap. in the absence 
of leaves. A second growth in trees is often brought about 
by heavy rainfall late in summer, even when the trees are 
