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JOURNAL  OR  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  6,  1887. 
and  doubly  fortunate  is  it  when  those  garden  lovers  with  knowledge 
also  posseis  the  means  for  affording  what  may  be  termed  grants  in 
aid  during  a  time  of  pressure,  and  the  benefit  of  which  would  be 
seen  and  felt  all  through  the  season.  It  is  common  to  make  such 
grants,  both  in  many  public  parks  and  private  gardens,  at  this 
period  of  the  year,  and  this,  though  quite  unknown  by  admiring 
visitors,  largely  accounts  for  the  cleanliness  and  orderly  condition 
of  the  enclosures  which  are  so  much  admired. 
That  late  work  involves  the  greatest  cost  in  time-absorbing 
labour,  and  gives  the  least  satisfactory  results  is  seen  in  all  the 
departments  of  a  garden,  and  nearly  all  the  duties  of  the  gardener. 
Let,  for  instance,  walks  become  encrusted  with  weeds :  they  are  not 
only  glaringly  unsightly,  but  thrice  the  time,  and  often  very  much 
more,  is  required  in  making  them  presentable  that  would  have 
sufficed  for  the  prevention  of  the  evil,  especially  if  the  gardener 
had  at  his  command,  before  other  work  became  pressing,  one  of 
those  cheap  preparations  by  which  walks  and  drives  are  kept  free 
from  vegetation  throughout  the  year. 
Let  lawns  and  verges  be  left  untended  ten  days  or  more  beyond 
the  proper  time  for  the  use  of  the  machine  and  shears,  and  note 
the  heavier  labour  required,  and  extension  of  hours  occupied  while 
the  garden  during  the  period  of  enforced  delay  has  had  a  more 
or  less  unkempt  appearance ;  and  even  when  the  work  is  at  last 
done  the  effect  on  the  lawn  is  never  the  same  as  if  it  had  had  the 
right  treatment  at  the  right  time. 
Let  beds,  borders,  and  vegetable  quarters  become  masses  of 
luxuriant  weeds,  each  day  increasing  in  height  and  vigour  till  they 
almost  master  the  hoe,  and  hand-pulling  has  to  be  resorted  to  ; 
then  ten  hours  have  to  be  spent  for  clearing  a  given  area  when 
one  hour  or  less  wouid  have  amply  sufficed  if  the  hoe  could  have 
been  run  through  the  surface  periodically  when  ihe  weed  seeds 
were  germinating.  Moreover,  by  this  practice  the  richness  of  the 
soil  is  conserved  and  even  enhanced,  whereas  the  great  gangs  of 
thieves,  the  weeds,  drain  it  of  its  nutriment  to  the  prejudice  of 
useful  crops  or  whatever  it  may  be  desired  to  grow. 
Let  seedling  lines  in  the  vegetable  garden  be  left  uuthinned 
too  long,  then  the  superfluous  plants  themselves  become  robbers, 
taking  from  the  soil  its  virtues  and  giving  nothing  in  return  ;  but 
this  is  not  all,  they  spoil  those  plants  which  should  remain,  and 
which,  if  afforded  the  requisite  space  to  develop,  would  utilise 
the  resources  of  soil  and  air,  return  profit  to  the  owner,  and  be 
creditable  to  all  concerned. 
It  is  precisely  the  sarno  with  overcrowded  plants  which  are 
being  raised  for  the.  beautification  of  gardens.  Jf  i  o;.  him<**u  or 
transplanted  when  fcL*~v  ought  to  be,  and  often  caopot.  h ..  nr* 
more  an.,  mere  weakened  every  day,  suon  ca) urinating  in  mne>aoie 
spindlings,  and  mere  apologies  for  the  plants  they  ought  to  be. 
There  are,  or  soon  will  be,  millions  of  plants  on  the  road  to  ruin 
through  the  want  of  timely  relief.  Gardeners  know  this  quite 
well,  and  not  a  few  grieve  over  the  evil  they  cannot  avert,  because 
one  pair  of  hands  cannot  be  engaged  in  three  or  four  occupations 
at  once,  each  about  as  urgent  as  the  other.  Something  must  thus 
of  necessity  wait,  and  get  worse  daily  in  the  struggle  to  escape 
from  the  crowd. 
Gardeners  also  know  full  well  in  the  cultivation  in  pots  of 
various  plants  which  they  are  expected  and  hope  to  produce  in  the 
best  condition,  that  if  these  plants,  no  matter  what  they  are,  cannot 
be  afforded  more  root  room  at  the  right  time,  they  must  suffer ; 
and  if  they  perforce  must  be  left  week  after  week,  either  by 
want  of  materials  or  the  urgent  demands  of  other  duties,  it  is 
well  known  that  anything  like  the  success  the  growers  hoped  for 
and  expected  when  the  year  was  young  becomes  a  practical 
impossibility.  Neither  plants  nor  their  cultivators  can  have  a  fair 
chance  under  those  conditions,  and  both  are  often  objects  to  be 
pitied  rather  than  envied. 
Just  one  other  example  may  be  noted  of  the  loss  of  time, 
and  what  might  be  valuable  produce,  caused  by  delay  in  an  im¬ 
portant  operation  in  gardening— ^namely,  the  thinning  of  Grapes. 
Let  this  be  done  at  the  right  moment,  and  five  bunches  may  be 
thinned  in  the  time  that  is  necessary  for  thinning  one  bunch 
when  the  berries  are  wedged.  Then  think  of  the  drain  on  the 
Yine  of  the  myriads  of  useless  berries  which  have  been  permitted 
to  hang  so  long,  and  of  the  “  mauling  ”  of  the  bunches  that  have 
been  neglected — in  some  instances  it  may  be,  perhaps,  through 
want  of  energy  and  promptitude,  but  in  many  cases  certainly 
through  overwhelming  pressure. 
A  week  ago  we  found  two  men  sedulously  engaged  in  thinning 
Grapes  till  the  last  hour  of  daylight  permitted.  “  We  can  only 
touch  them,”  the  senior  said,  “  from  daylight  till  seven  o’clock  in 
the  morning,  and  again  after  six  o’clock  in  the  evening.  The 
conservatory  must  be  done  before  breakfast,  then  we  have  3  acres 
of  pleasure  grounds,  over  an  acre  of  kitchen  garden,  five  houses  for 
plants,  Cucumbers,  Melons,  and  Tomatoes,  besides  pits  and  frames. 
We  can  do  nothing  in  Grape-thinning  and  Vine-dressing  in  the 
daytime,  and  the  thinning  nearly  beats  us.”  Then,  in  reply  to  a 
question,  be  went  on,  “  Overtime  !  No,  we  are  not  paid  ;  it  has 
nevtr  been  mentioned,  and  I  should  be  satisfied  if  I  could  keep 
the  place  to  my  mind  and  have  really  good  houses  of  Grapes.” 
That  represents  the  earnest,  zealous,  devoted,  active  British 
gardener,  and  his  employer  has  probably  no  conception  of  the 
pressure  under  which  his  two  men  work. 
This  example  of  diligence  in  duty  came  to  mind  when  Mr. 
Wilks,  in  his  earnest  speech  in  response  to  the  toast  of  “  Gardeners 
and  Gardening,”  at  the  dinner  of  the  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan 
Fund.  It  was  to  the  effect  that  no  men  worked  so  strenuously 
over  ho  many  hours  for  the  emoluments  they  received  as  did 
gardeners.  .  Impelled  by  devotion  and  by  zeal  they  sought  for 
knowledge  and  applied  it  from  dawn  till  dusk  in  Bummer,  and 
watched  the  fires  through  the  midnight  hours  in  winter  lest  harm 
should  befall  the  tender  products  which  they  loved  as  if  they 
were  their  own.  For  gardeners  there  were  no  such  luxuries  as 
eight  hours  a  day.  There  were  no  strikes  among  them  ;  few 
holidays  for  change  and  repose,  or  brilliant  rewards  for  faithful 
loyal  service,  and  duties  discharged  so  well. 
The  words  were  not  uttered  to  tickle  the  ears  of  working 
gardeners,  for  few  of  them  were  there  ;  and  it  was  all  the  more 
pleasing  to  note  the  responsive  cheers  of  employers  of  gardeners( 
of  whom  the  meeting  was  so  largely  composed.  It  is  clear  the 
work  of  gardener*  i*  appreciated,  if  not  in  all  cases  adequately 
recompensed.  Then  Mr.  Wilks  went  on  to  make  significant 
allusions  which  were  n  >t  of  a  cheering  character  for  gardeners 
uriug  rhi*  \e*r  of  r  j  ucmwr  on  th^  occasion  of  the  great  reign 
o:  ur  «•>  o  ^ra  o«k  Q;ie  n  With  the  n  o-t  wo-th\  object 
o.  uoiiig  honour  in  various  •  Ways  to  the  r*  markable  event,  be 
feared  s;  me  diversion  of  means  usually  devoted  to  gardens,  and 
even  to  charities,  might  occur  ;  in  fact  in  one  great  organisation 
of  rescue  (of  “  beggars  and  outcasts,”  for  whom  the  Princess  of 
Wales  is  pathetically  pleading)  known  as  Dr.  Barnardo’s  homes, 
a  fall  of  £4000  was  already  a  melancholy  fact,  and  the  total  loss 
during  the  year  was  expected  to  amount  to  £6000,  became  of 
the  diversion  indicated. 
It  can  only  be  hoped  that  there  may  be,  as  in  innumerable 
instances  there  will  be,  local  compensations,  and  as  gardens  will 
contribute  largely  to  the  joyousness  of  gatherings,  public  and 
private,  it  is  much  to  be  desired  that  eminent,  faithful,  and  hardly 
pressed  gardeners  will  not  be  forgotten ;  but  that  where  a  little 
extra  help  can  be  afforded  to  worthy,  striving  men  it  will  he  granted, 
and  that  is  why  this  reminder  is  given  of  the  existence  of  great, 
and  in  some  instances  of  almost  crushing  pressure  in  gardens  at 
this  period  of  the  year.  In  numbers  of  cases  relief  could  be 
given  at  a  comparatively  small  outlay,  especially  if  given  in 
good  time.  Then  would  the  season  be  made  happier  to  the 
gardener,  while  the  gardens  would  afford  the  greater  satisfaction 
to  thjse  who  may  be  privileged  to  enjoy  them  during  this  memor¬ 
able  year. 
It  is  a  little  singular  that  the  first  MS.  examined  after  writing 
