358 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 29, 1905. 
sal 1 ow-complexi on ed factory worker whose existence is as 
monotonous as the machines she works; the shop assistant, 
with her weary hours and meagre income; the waitress with 
her sickly smile and jaded looks, aye, and hundreds in a posi¬ 
tion no more amiable. What about the lady gardener? Can 
you, “ D. C.,” or anyone else class her in the same category? 
No, she is always cheerful, healthy, and above all, contented. 
In other callings women have entered, and are we going to be 
so selfish and greedy that we refuse to admit her - to one of the 
grandest of them all ? I do not intend to start another discus¬ 
sion in regard to our profession, but every true gardener 
knows what it is worth to him. Instead of persuading young 
women from taking such a course, I think they ought to know 
more of its advantages. Unsuitable morally and physically is 
it? Any reasonable person needs not to be told that such re¬ 
marks are without foundation. All our daughters cannot be 
what our friend wishes them. To waste their time and energy 
staying at home and doing all those fancy, cooling touches to 
the male biped's brow and the countless graceful nothings to 
the patient’s couch and coverlet somehow doe® not content the 
go-ahead girl of the present age, I wonder who is going to 
pay for all this sort of work. Perhaps “ D. C.” is a man of 
considerable wealth, and if so, by all means let' him humour 
his ideal women, but that sort of thing cannot suit everyone. 
All the same, I have not the slightest doubt that if the occasion 
did arise for the display of the finer nature of a woman, our 
lady gardener would not be backward in any respect when 
compared with her gentle sister. 
A Member of the B.G.A. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,—I have read “ D. C.’s” letter anent the above subject ; 
also the rather warm reply of “ A Member of the B.G.A.,” 
whom for convenience we will call B.G.A.” Now, the 
main question seems to me to amount to this: Is gardening 
in the full sense of the term a. suitable or congenial calling 
for women? 
According to " B.G. A.’s " theory, lady gardeners are to be seen 
digging, trenching, wheeling heavy barrows, stoking fires, etc. 
Does “ B.G.A.” consider this kind of work congenial to the 
tastes of the average woman? If so, then behold ! the woman 
is indeed endeavouring to change places with the man, for 
they have already stolen his raiment, and now they are trying 
their utmost to usurp man himself, SO' that presently there will 
be no need to take “ D. C.’s ” hint about devoting more energy 
towards cultivating more feminine or congenial avocations. 
With regard to the “ jam-making ” or preserving, I for my part 
shall be very willing to leave it entirely in the hands of the 
feminine gender, as heretofore, as I think a man in the still- 
room, jam-making, would look as much out of place as a 
woman would in a garden bossing a lot of men about. There 
is certainly a considerable amount of the ludicrous about both. 
Of course, my opinion does not count for much, probably 
less than “ D. C.’s,” but I cannot help thinking that if some 
women would pay more attention to things feminine and less 
attention to things masculine, so that they may fit themselves 
the better to become the-helpmate of man, it would be better 
for both. 
In conclusion, I should like to ask if “ B.G.A.” is a man or 
a woman; if the latter, then of course we can, “ as we have 
alwavs done,” allow her a large margin of talk as well as go 1 . 
E. T. L. 
To be, or not to be, Apprenticed to Horticulture ? 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,—Now that we have heard both sides of the question on 
the above subject to some extent, I think the majority of 
readers will accept the views of “ Heather Bell ” and 
" Homocea” as the most reasonable and which appeal most to 
common sense. 
The arguments of C. Blair and “ Cabbager ” concerning the 
garden boy and apprentices, are, I consider, as discreditable to 
them as are their remarks towards the garden labourer. Judg¬ 
ing from the letters of these gentlemen, one would almost 
imagine the garden labourer to be something apart from a 
human being altogether. Surely it is the duty of every man, 
no matter what station in life he may fill (and more especially 
if he has a. family to support), to better himself as far as lie 
can, and why should not the garden labourer? If C. Blair or 
“ Cabbager ” got the offer of a superior position to the one 
which they presently hold, though apart, from their own pro¬ 
fession, if they thought themselves capable' of filling that posi¬ 
tion would they refuse it, to give it, perhaps, to. a greater block¬ 
head than themselves simply because he had been apprenticed 
to that particular business? I think not. Why should the 
garden labourer? I think C. Blair and “ Cabbager” would lie 
better employed studying their fellow-creatures a little more 
than wasting valuable time and space demonstrating their 
prejudiced opinions. 
I will not take up any further space stating my views re¬ 
garding garden boy and apprentice, as they are fully contained 
in the letters of “ Heather Bell ” and “ Homocea,” but in con¬ 
clusion I wish to relieve “ Foreman,” who is apparently labour¬ 
ing under a. very severe pressure of imagination, by informing 
him that nurserymen do. not teach in their nursery the culti¬ 
vation of everything which is described in their catalogues. 
Helensburgh, Scotland. M. S. 
To the Editor of The Gardening World. 
Sir,—If “ Heather Bell ” was as good at producing facts as 
lie is at twisting those of his opponents, he would he unan¬ 
swerable'. He waxes merry over my statement that the. average 
lad is no fool, but very carefully stops in the middle of the 
paragraph. Had he given the context, the “ bone ” would have 
gone to 1 the other dog. It may “ delight ” him further when 
I state that I carefully planned the trap lie has so simply 
fallen into. I knew that he had so' little ground to work on 
that the simplest seeming flaw in my argument would he 
eagerly seized on, and I have not been disappointed. 
" Heather Bell ” accuses me of straying from the subject. I 
fail to see how I have done SO'. “ H. B.” himself chose the 
text, and if I tackle the whole subject instead of discussing 
only a. very small part thereof, why, I think “ H. B.” ought to 
be grateful rather than grumpy. 
“ H. B.” still maintains that to serve an apprentice to gar¬ 
dening is useless, and yet he is in favour of apprenticeship in 
other professions. He might kindly condescend to 1 explain 
why this should be. I may have a. great regard for his ability 
as a. pen wielder, but I have none for his consistency or logic. 
On the other hand, my ideas on the subject are both logical 
and common sense. I say that it is only fair that everyone 
entering a profession or trade should serve a regular appren¬ 
ticeship. Not only is it better for the profession, but it is 
better for the individual. Will " Heather Bell ” still say that 
the lad entering a garden as garden boy can possibly learn as 
much as the lad of the same age. and ability who enters as a 
regular apprentice, shares in all the work pf the garden, and in 
whom the gardener naturally takes a great interest ? On the 
other hand, the garden boy as I know him is principally em¬ 
ployed running messages, wheeling coal, ashes, etc. This may, 
of course, be “ H. B.'s ” idea of learning the hu-iness. I confess 
to having a. different opinion. 
There seems to have' been a considerable amount of dic¬ 
tionary swallowing by our valignt friend “ Homocea.” He 
should be merciful and remember that as my education was 
much neglected in my youth, my time is too limited to wade 
through Nuttall hunting up every second word of his instruc¬ 
tive (?) epistle. In reading his effusion, I am strongly re¬ 
minded of the old Scottish lady who went to hear a famous 
preacher. When leaving the church a friend asked her how 
she liked the sermon. She replied. “ Oh ! it was grand, grand : 
I didna [didn’t] understand a word o’t [of it]." I. of course, 
humbly admit that the fault is mine, but nevertheless there 
may be a few more of the ~ G.W.” readers as unfortunate as 
myself, so “ Homocea ” should really descend from his altitude 
