204 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  10.  1808. 
were,  the  quintessence  of  the  graces  and  charms  of  the  floral  world  in 
spring.  Golden  or  white  and  yellow  Daffodils  nod  gracefully  to  each 
other;  Crocuses  spread  open  their  lustrous  flowers  to  the  call  of  the 
sun ;  Violets  delight  us  with  their  delicious  fragrance  even  more  than 
by  their  simple  beauty  ;  Forget-me-nots  look  up  with  sparkling  eyes 
to  the  heavens  above,  whence  their  colouring  came  ;  queer,  quaint 
Snake’s  Head  Lilies  from  quivering  stems  sway  to  and  fro  their 
chequered  bells,  and  stately  Crown  Imperials  look  disdainfully  down 
upon  them,  as  if  denying  that  they  may  claim  to  be  cadets  of  their 
noble  race.  Blue  Scillas  and  the  Glory  of  the  Snow  are  bright 
companions  for  the  Grape  Hyacinth,  with  its  clusters  of  blue  and 
pearly  bead-like  flowers.  Like  well-drilled  regiments  stand  in  gardens 
where  they  are  grown  the  prim  and  waxy  Hyacinths,  and  Tulips  in 
brilliant  array  salute  us  as  the  winds  of  spring  come  past.  Gay 
Anemones,  golden  Alyssum,  w'hite  Arabia,  purple  Aubrietias, 
powdered  Auriculas,  sweet  Primroses,  showy  Polyanthuses,  and  a  host 
of  other  flowers,  are  called  into  birth  by  the  sweet  springtime. 
What  can  we  say  of  the  attractiveness  of  orchards  and  shrubberies  ? 
Apples,  Pears,  Cherries,  and  Plums  give  us  clouds  of  white  or  rosy 
tinted  flowers,  and  hopes  of  fruit  in  later  days ;  add  to  these  the 
wealth  of  flowering  trees  and  shrubs  in  wonderful  variety,  of  stature, 
form,  and  colour,  then  will  it  be  admitted  that  they  impart  an  aspect 
all  their  own  to  the  diversified  beauty  of  spring.  So  far  we  have  dwelt 
upon  the  more  attractive  aspects  of  the  season,  but  we  cannot  end  thus. 
We  must  not  be  mere  lotos-eaters,  doing  naught  but  enjoy  the 
pleasures  of  the  time  among  the  blossoms.  There  is  work  to  be  done, 
work  which  brings  with  it  much  pleasure,  as  we  can  see  from  the 
many  who  follow  gardening  not  for  gain  of  money,  but  for  love. 
There  is  pleasure  in  turning  over  the  fresh  soil ;  in  making  the  garden 
trim  and  neat ;  there  is  pleasure  in  sowing  even  the  commonest  seeds, 
for  we  can  think  the  while  of  their  future  growth.  What  though 
they  only  produce  the  homely  Onion,  tha  curled  Parsley,  or  the  other 
products  which  minister  to  our  creature  wants  ?  All  life  is  not  play. 
“The  trivial  round,  the  common  task,”  if  well  performed,  bring 
enjoyment  in  their  train.  Yet  we  cannot  but  think  ’mid  all  our 
pleasure  of  the  overburdened,  who,  in  undermanned  gardens,  have  to 
toil  from  daylight  until  dark.  Dig  !  dig  !  dig  !  is  the  refrain  which 
is  so  often  in  their  minds.  Think,  we  pray,  ye  who  have  such 
gardens,  and  see  that  to  none  of  your  employes  will  the  happy  time  of 
spring  become  a  crushing  weight — a  season  to  be  dreaded — because  of 
the  excessive  toil  it  brings.  It  is  such  to  many. 
And,  ere  we  close,  let  it  be  said  that  much  of  the  garden’s  year 
depends  upon  the  spring.  If  the  tide  be  taken  at  the  flood  with 
timely  forethought  it  will  be  well  for  all  copcerned.  Plans  thought 
or  carried  out  too  late  result  in  eyesores  or  failures.  Wise  prevision 
will  prevent  this,  and  will  see  that  little  is  left  unprovided  for.  Still, 
with  all,  disappointments  await.  Blossoms  may  be  blighted,  flowers 
and  fruit  may  fail,  vegetables  may  be  unsatisfactory.  These  things, 
much  as  we  dislike  them,  generally  bring  their  lesson. 
As  has  been  said,  “  To  the  brave  man  good  and  evil  fortune  are  as 
his  right  hand  and  his  left ;  he  makes  use  of  both.”  Misfortune  never 
comes  empty  handed,  though  the  gift  be  hard  to  find.  We  began 
with  joy ;  we  end  with  a  homily.  In  life  these  are  interwoven. 
Spring  is  full  of  joy  yet  full  of  instruction.  He  will  indeed  be  wi.se 
and  happy  who  can  read  its  lessons  aright. 
THE  PROSPECTS  OF  GARDENERS. 
Fortunate  it  is  for  the  prosperity  of  this  island  that  the  inherent 
love  of  gardening  is  as  strong  in  humanity  to-day  as  when  vegeta¬ 
tion  flourished  in  the  “  Fair  Garden  of  Eden.”  Throughout  the  land 
there  is  no  lack  of  candidates  to  fill  the  many  situations  which  become 
vacant  in  the  horticultural  world  ;  indeed,  in  regard  to  private  garden¬ 
ing,  the  sad  side  of  the  picture  is  that  so  many  good  men  are  unable  to 
obtain  such  positions  as  they  are  undoubtedly  well  qualified  to  fill. 
The  death  of  an  employer,  and  the  serious  reduction  of  an  establishment, 
throw  out  of  employment  many  gardeners  who  in  reality  are  in  their 
prime,  yet  because  they  happen  to  be  on  the  “  wrong  side  of  forty,” 
are  not  regarded  with  favour  when  they  apply  for  a  vacant  post. 
Considering  how  comparatively  late  in  life  the  average  gardener — who 
has  been  trained  in  good  establishments — succeeds  in  obtaining  a  good 
head  place,  his  best  opportunities  usually  occur  during  the  limited 
neriod  of  ten  years.  Things  are  not  likely  to  improve  in  this  direction, 
because  we  are  passing  through  a  peri^  of  evolution  in  gardening, 
which  has  been  brought  about  by  economic  laws.  There  is,  however, 
in  my  mind  nothing  to  be  alarmed  at,  we  have  only  to  accept  things 
as  they  stand,  and  shape  our  course  accordingly.  Among  gardeners, 
as  among  all  other  bodies,  there  are  many  grades.  Some  have  been 
induced  to  take  up  the  work  because  they  possessed  a  thorough  love 
for  it,  and  have  been  satisfied  with  securing  a  fairly  comfortable  place 
where  the  staff  has  never  been  a  large  one.  For  such  men  there  are 
many  openings  during  the  worst  times. 
There  seems  to  be  a  great  future  ahead,  for  the  well-to-do  middle 
class  and  the  number  of  successful  business  men  increases.  These,  at 
the  present  time,  keep  up  their  gardens  in  good  style,  and  pay  such 
wages  to  those  employed  in  the  gardens,  that  many  a  garden  chief 
who  serves  a  duke  or  an  earl  may  well  envy  his  contemporary  in  the 
smaller  or  less  high-sounding  establishment.  For  men  with  good 
cultural  ability,  who  neither  lack  energy  nor  brains,  there  is  a  good 
field  open  yet ;  but  for  those  who  have  false  ideas  of  refinement,  who 
think  more  of  a  name  in  regard  to  an  employer  than  of  substantial 
advantages  in  the  struggle  for  existence  at  the  present  time,  they  are, 
I  fear,  likely  to  be  “  handled  roughly.”  Let  me  try  and  make  my 
meaning  quite  clear,  and  also  to  adduce  the  condition  of  affairs  which 
lured  many  on  to  the  fatal  quicksands. 
A  large  proporHon  of  gardeners  are  drawn  from  rural  districts,  in 
which  mansions  and  castles,  surrounded  by  extensive  gardens,  are 
situated.  The  young  men  from  the  bothies  are  regarded  with  envy 
by  the  village  lads,  and  the  great  ambition  of  many  of  these  is  to  get 
into  the  hall  or  castle  gardens,  because  it  seems  to  offer  the  one 
opportunity  to  rise  in  life  which  the  village  affords.  By  persistent 
application,  or  perhaps  the  influence  of  a  friend,  they  in  time  succeed 
in  entering  the — to  them — charmed  domain.  Their  ambition  is  not 
great,  and  in  time  they  succeed  in  reaching  their  goal,  in  the  shape  of 
a  place  with  two  or  three  hands  under  them.  In  this  they  are 
contented  and  happy,  and  seem  to  have  found  their  especial  sphere  in 
life.  Now  let  us  consider  the  case  of  another  type  of  village  lad — one 
brought  up  in  fairly  good  circumstances,  with  an  inherent  love  of 
gardening.  Such  see  and  envy  the  head  gardener  of  some  neighbouring 
lord,  Avho  happens  to  be  fortunately  situated  in  serving  a  wealthy, 
generous,  and  garden-loving  employer.  The  youth  takes  the  position 
of  such  a  gardener  as  his  model,  begins  his  gardening  career  with  a 
determination  to  reach  a  similar  position  himself,  and  makes  up  his 
mind  that  with  that  and  nothing  less  he  will  be  satisfied.  He  toils 
assiduously  for  years,  makes  work  and  study  his  chief  considerations, 
and  passes  on  steadily  from  one  stage  to  another,  till  he  has  been 
foreman  in  some  princely  establishment  for  some  years.  Here  he 
has  given  his  chief  every  satisfaction,  and  the  time  comes  to  seek  a 
responsible  position  for  himself.  His  chief  does  everything  in  his  power 
for  the  faithful  worker,  but  he  cannot  make  places,  and  so  the  weary 
years  roll  on,  till,  through  being  tired  of  what  seems  endless  waiting, 
apposition  is  at  last  accepted  to  take  charge  of  some  fine  old  garden, 
which  “  has  been  ”  well  kept  in  its  day,  but  through  adverse  circum¬ 
stances  dwindled  down,  till  it  is  only  a  ghost  of  its  former  self.  The 
expenditure  in  labour  and  material  is  cut  down  to  the  lowest  possible 
point,  yet  the  requirements  do  not  materially  decrease.  The  result  is 
that  a  few  years  of  this  attempting  to  “  make  bricks  without  straw  ” 
ends  in  disgust  with  the  whole  business. 
Still  some  are  compelled  to  plod  on  because  they  lack  the  ability  to 
adapt  themselves  to  altered  circumstances  and  strike  out  in  a  new 
direction.  Fortunately,  however,  there  are  many  bright  examples  who 
have  shown  what  can  be  done,  for  by  their  foresight  they  have  realised 
that  gardening  is  not  “  decaying,”  but  only  changing  in  form ;  they 
have  noted  there  is  a  greater  demand  than  ever  for  good  garden  produce, 
that  flowers,  plants,  and  fruit  are  required  in  enormous  quantities  by 
the  rising  masses ;  that  fact  being  grasped,  their  energy  and  pluck  has 
induced  them  to  strike  out  boldly ;  difficulties  were  of  course  met,  but 
fought  with  determination  and  overcome.  Some  of  these  men  to-day, 
instead  of  holding  shaky  positions  on  trust  in  their  old  age,  have 
prosperous  businesses  of  their  own,  in  the  conduct  of  which  they  can 
end  their  days  in  content,  and  bequests  to  their  children.  There  have 
been  failures  of  course  in  this  direction,  but  any  man  at  middle  age 
ought  to  be  able  to  judge  of  his  capabilities,  and  act  accordingly.  Often 
the  failure  has  been  brought  about  by  flying  to  the  neighbourhood  of 
London,  where  the  market  is  often  overstocked,  while  good  openings 
occur  in  other  parts  to  work  up  a  local  trade. 
And  now  for  a  few  words  to  the  young  who  have  settled  to  embark 
in  some  form  of  horticulture ;  to  them  I  say.  Do  not  be  led  away  by 
the  glamour  of  appearances  connected  with  many  private  gardens. 
If  you  have  energy  and  brains,  get  into  one  of  the  finest  schools  of 
horticulture  in  this  country  or  the  world — viz.,  a  great  market  estab¬ 
lishment.  The  appearance  of  such  is  often  not  so  inviting  as  a 
private  one,  but  the  work  is  child’s  play  compared  with  the  drudgery 
that  prevails  in  some  private  places.  The  wages  given  are  better 
throughout,  and  to  a  good  worker,  not  inclined  to  be  a  spendthrift, 
the  prospects  in  after  life  are  infinitely  better,  for  the  time  has  come 
when  those  who  provide  for  the  wants  of  the  general  public  rather 
than  for  a  special  class,  will  reap  the  surest  reward.  The  matter 
may  be  put  in  a  nutshell  in  this  way.  In  private  gardens  bricks  are 
often  expected  without  straw  being  supplied  to  make  them  with ;  in 
market  establishments  the  necessary  straw  is  freely  provided,  but  the 
bricks — in  the  shape  of  good  results — are  not  only  expected,  but  also 
demanded. — Onward. 
