328 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 22, 1905. 
Letters to the Editor. 
To be, or not to be, Apprenticed to Horticulture ? 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,—There is a good deal of slogging going on re i lie above, 
but I dare say that in the end things will go on as before. 
Personally I cannot see how a gardener can be classed with 
any other artisan, therefore I fail to see the use of a lad being 
apprenticed. Any sensible lad, or man for that matter, will 
gradually learn gardening, even if left to his own devices and 
papers. But no lad can become a. skilled engineer or a car¬ 
penter, save through good training. 
A gardener’s tools are few and generally simple, but a 
mechanic’s are many and often very complicated. 
There are many men who now stand acknowledged as clever 
gardeners, yet have never passed through an apprenticeship. 
Moreover, there are many men who have discarded one trade 
to take up gardening, and have proved equal to many skilled 
oardeners. Even among the amateurs there are men who 
could easily knock spots off some of the best professionals, 
and I doubt not that our editor can prove my words. It 
strikes me forcibly that many gardeners suffer from a 
swelled head, and when in such a condition they are apt 
to lay about them in a manner calculated to make them appear 
ridiculous. 
It is a pity also that some men cannot pen their thoughts 
without casting reflections upon their opponents’ sanity or skill. 
Mr. C. Blair, I must own, writes well in an argument, but, as 
a reader for years, I consider he becomes vicious and personal. 
His unveiled contempt for the parson’s gardener (I presume 
this term includes all single-handed gardeners) is certainly 
had taste, and I could very easily lay hands on single handed 
men who are every bit equal to the big man. In some cases 
it is their misfortune to be in such positions, but the majority 
I fancy prefer it. The head of a large place near here candidly 
admitted that the small man with his 3Us, a week was far 
better off than he, owing to the lack of responsibility. 
Respecting the apprenticeship, I think it will be found that 
the majority of our most famous gardeners never remained long 
at any place in their early days. 
A mechanic apprentice learns practically all he can learn 
in six years at one good place. A gardener never finishes. 
Every place is different, therefore a young man needs to be 
always on the jump, and, as “ Foreman ” remarks, the nursery 
should claim him for a time. 
The nom de plume complaint is on the wing also, I observe, 
and Mr. Blair still fails to see how a mere name can effect one. 
Personally, I am not really a modest individual, but I like to 
use a nom de plume. However, as a favour to Mr. Blair 
and others who demand names I will sign this. 
T. A. Weston.. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,—Is “ Homocea” a head gardener in receipt of premiums 
for apprentices? Because, if so, I can see his reasons for 
premiums with apprentices. Is a lad likely to do his work as 
lie is told if he is a free agent? I say no, whereas if he is 
bound he has to do it whether he likes or not, which is all 
for Iris good. When he is out of his time an honest foreman 
will not make a lad do anything that is unnecessary in his 
trade. I said a lad always learned his work better in a nursery 
than in a private garden. Can “ Homocea ” tell me where 
a lad is likely to learn to graft or bud in a private place, 
whereas in a nursery a lad is always kept attending on the 
man doing the work ? I give this as a sample. I could give 
■other items in support of my statement, which is founded on 
facts, not on hearsay. “ Homocea’s ” experience must be 
very confined when he makes such a ridiculous statement 
about men and boys being kept in one department. Does one 
department constitute a nursery experience? Does it teach 
a lad only one thing? I think not; and if our friend 
•' Homocea ” took and looked into it he would see that his 
ideas of the British apprentice are very vague, and I would like 
to see the firm where they will get a lad so simple as to stop 
in one department all his time. Who is going to give a man 
or lad an outside job who is used to inside work and vice versa? 
As far as my experience goes—and it is considerable—I have 
not met with the sort of firm our friend “ Homocea ” talks of. 
Perhaps he could guide me to it. Foreman 
Prunus Pseudo-cerasus. 
This is one of the ornamental-flowered Cherries that has 
come prominently into notice during the last ten years or so, 
and even now it is known better by its double-flowered vario 
ties than by the type. It is found in both China and Japan, 
where it forms a medium-sized tree. The habit is rather 
curious, for the branches are thrown out to a considerable dis¬ 
tance, and instead of being branched again in the ordinary 
way they are densely clothed with short spurs,' from which 
the flowers are borne. The blooms are 2 in. across, of a deli¬ 
cate shade of pink, and borne several together from each spur. 
The spurs, being produced close together along branches 6 ft. 
to 8 ft. long, give each branch the appearance of being a. long, 
dense raceme of flowers. Although the double forms are more 
in demand than the type, the latter is, if anything, more beau¬ 
tiful. Some showy varieties are flore pleno; with double ['ink 
flowers; flore albo pleno', with double white blooms ; Jas. H. 
Veitch, with rich rose, double blossoms : and flore luteo pleno, 
with yellowish blooms. In general appearance P. Pseudo- 
cerasus is very like P. serrulata from the same countries, a dis¬ 
tinct character, however, being found in the leaves; those of 
P. serrulata being hairy, and those of the other species 
glabrous. April and early May is the flowering time of both. 
Grown in pots, P. Pseudo-cerasus forms an excellent subject for 
forcing, and at the present time it is used largely for that 
purpose. W. Dallimore. 
Lobelia Maid of Moray. 
Lobelias of good form and colour are by no means rare. 
The plant, moreover, is, generally speaking, looked upon as 
“ only an edging,” therefore it must be something of outstand¬ 
ing merit to attract the special notice of gardeners, profes¬ 
sional or amateur. 
In Maid of Moray we have a. Lobelia so attractive in colour 
and perfect in habit that it has not failed to arrest the atten¬ 
tion, and elicit a word of praise from all who see it. In Scot¬ 
land, from whence it hails, it has enjoyed considerable popu¬ 
larity for a number of years, and we have seen it largely used 
of late years about the Midlands of England. It is more than 
a whit&eyed variety, for the white covers quite the half of the 
bloom, and is surrounded by a. particularly clear sky-blue. We 
can with every confidence recommend it to any who may 
desire a. change from the ordinary blues. Heather Bell. 
Corydalis cava alba. 
This extremely pretty Fumitory deserves to be much grown, 
for it is one of the choicest and most elegant of this interesting 
and beautiful family. Its white flowers are very conspicuous 
and decorative, being freely produced in close spikes, each 
bloom standing out from the; central stem on a short, slender 
horizontal foot-stalk, and the elegantly cut foliage and bracts 
set off the flowers in a most graceful fashion. Commencing to 
bloom in sheltered places as early as February, it maintains a 
nice show right on to May ; indeed, by planting in various 
aspects, some flowers may be assured right on to autumn. 
Heather Bell. 
Narcissus intermedius. —This species produces several 
flowers on a scape, and resembles a form of N. Tazetta. The 
yellow, starry flowers also suggest that the plant might be a 
hybrid between N. Jonquilla and N. Tazetta. 
