26 2 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 25, 1904. 
care to have the condition of his gardeners exposed oublioly 
if these did not happen to be up to 1 the standard set forth b\ 
the association or National Gardeners’ Registry. 
J. W. M. 
The Bothy. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,—I think I must explain myself a little more clearly 
in regard to the above subject. “ J. R. B.” thinks I have 
never°lived in a bothy at all, an assertion which I cannot see 
any reason for him using. I should indeed be foolish to try 
and give my opinion on a subject which I did not at least 
know something about. And then “ Journeyman conies to 
the conclusion that I have never been in a properly-conducted 
bothy. I cannot see what has brought him to that conclusion 
either. 
I may say I have spent seven years in three bothies, in one 
cf which all the young gardeners had t o> take a turn at cook¬ 
ing and tidying up. In another a young gardener was en¬ 
gaged for the kitchen garden and to do all the cooking, etc.; 
while the other was a properly-conducted bothy, as “ Journey¬ 
man ” would speak about. We had separate rooms!, bothy 
cook, and were altogether up to date. 
I have also been in four lodgings 1 , so can speak from ex¬ 
perience on that score ala®; and I may have been fortunate • 
in getting good ones, but I certainly was never put into the 
back kitchen to have my meals alone, as J. W. Tyrrell speaks 
about, nor put upon either regarding payment, as “ J. R. B. 
• somewhat hazily puts it when lie speaks about the straining 
influence of a respectable pocket. 
Each of my landladies were entire strangers to me until I 
went toi lodge with them, and on each occasion I was treated 
with the utmost consideration; in fact, in some instances made 
as one of the family, but had always the privacy of my 
own room toi. retire, ton when I wished. I may also add that, 
what I spoke about regarding the under gardeners being half of 
them married and the other half single and lodging with them 
is no new code', as “ Journeyman ” puts it, nor as_“ J. R. B.’’ 
seems to think, as I have been, in a place conducted on such 
lines myself, and it worked admirably. 
The gardeners’ houses were only a, few yards from the fires 
and had four rooms, kitchen, scullery, etc., one of the bedrooms 
being set aside for the young man. So when this worked 
creditably in one place, why not in others? 
Of course, there are good and bad lodgings, as well as) good 
and bad bothies, and perhaps a good bothy would he prefer¬ 
able to bad lodgings, but, on the wholei, I consider lodgings 
much superior to any of the best of the bothies in which I 
have lived, or which I have seen,. I know a good many young 
gardeners wish to have more freedom than, they can have in 
respectable lodgings, and for them the bothy is best. 
I know one of our leading nurserymen started a thoroughly 
methodical and properly-conducted bothy for his young men, 
but had to give it up owing to the umnanagmblenessi of the 
men. In other bothies I know young lads have been thrown 
into the company of a lot of careless fellows, and had their 
career blighted at the outset. Such cases would not soi easily 
occur in lodgings:. W. G. 
To, the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir, —I see in the issue of the “ G. W.” of February 27th an 
article on the above subject. I have experienced bothy life 
for six years', and have been in good as well as bad bothies, 
and have never come across one yet where there has not been 
a woman to' come in and do the cooking-, etc., twice or three 
times a week. “ W. G. ” speaks about the bothy as being one 
of the lowest places to live' in. I do not think so myself, and 
I think that all young gardeners should experience bothy life 
little or much. He- also speaks about the bothy being ri.ine 
away with, which I do not agree with ; and I think tha t, there 
are many other gardeners that do not agree with that point. 
I should like to, ask “ W. G.” if he would like to walk.half 
a mile or so after he had finished his fires up at ten o’clock, 
and then get up between five and six in the morning in the 
dead of the winter to see his fires again. 
I think the man on duty ought not to leave the place with¬ 
out permission; for if there is anything wanted, who is there 
to attend to it but the head gardener? I am quite sure that 
he does not want worry, as he has plenty of that throughout 
the day without answering every beck and call during the 
evening. 
There are several p’acss I could mention if I like where 
head gardener would not stop if there was not a bothy, and 
I would not take a place where there was not a bothy. 
There is one point, raised by “ W. G.” with which I agree— 
that is, that there are some yonng fellows that cannot control 
themselves; but if they get into a good bothy they learn 
better. I should think that “ W. G.” is too good to, live in a 
bothy. A. G. M. 
Practical Hints to Success. 
Wei now have the spring of 1904 upon us, which is always 
considered a, very busy time for gardeners in general. What¬ 
ever may be the outlook for 1904, let us hope for better times 
than were experienced in the past year; 1903 is, I suppose, 
nearly forgotten except, to the gardener, and to him will it ever 
be memorable. Now, for the success of the coming year let 
everything be in readiness as; far as it will permit. Ground 
that was dug in the autumn will be quite a pleasure to work 
after the frost has had its revenge on it. 
Now, when thei bright days: appear, will be the time for the 
gardener to be on the alert, for it will depend on his efforts as 
to what success he has achieved by the end of the year. 
Nothing can make him more proud than to look back over the 
past year and see a, good improvement all round on the previous 
year. It, will not be far wrong to< say that in most establish¬ 
ments the kitchen garden is the first looked on for success, for 
it has to supply the employer’s table with a good collection of 
vegetables all the year round, or in the majority of cases so. 
Let us, then, push forward the work as far as possible to obtain 
the- desired object, and be on the look-out, for, and guard 
against, cold winds and hard frosts wherever possible, for we are 
especially subject to these at this time. 
Next we come to, the fruit department,, outside I am speaking 
of. T'hei year 1903 was, a,s we all know, on© of the worst years 
experienced for a, long- time. To guard against late fro-st let 
there be something in, readiness to protect it. Trees on walls , 
can be saved a, little by placing! nets over them, but be careful 
in placing them to See that, they are a, considerable distance off, 
or they will be almost sure to rub off some of the buds. 
Last, but by no means least, I will take the flower garden. 
What is there more pleasing to one’s eye than, to see a, plentiful 
supply of flowers? Take the herbaceous borders. How proud 
they look through the summer months, showing up the various 
colours of the different subjects that dwell therein. Not only 
that, but a, good, supply of flowers can generally bei depended 
upon for cutting. Time should now be taken advantage of, 
and see that they are all in good order as far as cleaning and' 
tidying up, goes; and where the operation of overhauling has not, 
been accomplished, forking over and a good sprinkling of wood 
ashes will he found very beneficial to them. In most places a 
spot, in the kitchen garden, is generally allotted to the growing 
of annuals for cutting and decoration during the summer. 
T'hei ground should now be deeply dug and a good supply 
of manure worked in where not already done. 
In conclusion, to ensure success', take every advantage of 
bright days,, for they have not been very plentiful up to the 
present this year. Push forward the work with all energy, and 
when the end of the year comes look back and be able to say 
there: has been a great improvement on the previous one, and 
f lien satisfaction will be sure to follow. W. 
Readers’ Competition. —Particulars of weekly prize see 
centre: page. 
