April  21,  1898 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
355 
treated  scientifically  and  practically  in  its  various  aspects  ;  but  the  problem 
is  not  solved,  for  the  talented  author  says  : — 
If  we  ask  what  causes  all  these  differences  to  arise  respectively,  at  present 
there  is  no  reply,  and  therefore  we  do  not  know  what  steps  to  take  to  induce 
them  to  form  respectively,  until  Nature  herself  has  supplied  the  first  indication 
of  a  change.  The  first  thing  to  do,  if  we  want  to  discover  a  cause,  is  to  look 
out  for  coincidences.  If  a  sport  appear,  I  would  ask  the  florist  to  note  anything 
and  everything  he  can  observe  as  to  the  conditions  surrounding  that  plant,  and 
to  find  out  its  ancestry.  It  would  seem  desirable  to  note  also  the  climatic  con¬ 
ditions  at  the  time,  as  sports  of  alike  kind  in  plants,  as  we  have  seen,  often  appear 
simultaneously  both  in  different  places  of  the  same  county  or  counties,  and  also 
in  different  seasons.  It  is  only  by  accumulating  coincidences  that  we  can  arrive 
at  the  first  suspicion  of  a  cause.  When  we  think  we  may  have  discovered  that 
a  certain  result  seems  to  occur  often  or  generally  under  certain  particular 
circumstances,  then  is  the  time  for  e.vperiments,  to  try  and  induce  the  same 
result  to  occur  by  artificially  supplying  those  circumstances.  Practical  men  are 
often  inclined  to  look  suspiciously  on  scientific  men  as  being  too  theoretical ; 
but  the  reply  is,  that  if  only  practical  men  would  observe  more,  and  record 
their  observations,  and  then  hand  them  over  to  the  scientist,  each  party  would, 
without  doubt,  benefit  very  largely  by  the  other.  The  scientist  has  no  such 
grand  opportunities  as  the  practical  man.  Thousands  of  facts  familiar  to  the 
latter  would  be  inestimable  boons  to  the  former,  if  only  he  could  get  at  them. 
The  practical  man,  unfortunately,  does  not  always  perceive  their  significance, 
but  if  every  sport  that  has  occurred  on  Chrysanthemums  had  been  recorded, 
coupled  with  the  whole  history  of  the  plant  and  description  of  its  surround¬ 
ings,  the  method  and  kind  of  soil  used,  &c.,  we  should  probably  have 
known  much  more  than  we  do  now,  as  Dr.  Masters  suggests,  who  thus 
wrote : — “  Whoever  will  investigate  the  cause  of  these  sudden  outbursts  of 
local  variation  must,  of  course,  sedulously  examine  each  case  for  himself, 
according  to  the  measure  of  his  ability  and  of  his  opportunity.  The  circum¬ 
stances,  the  history,  the  progress,  the  anatomy  of  each  particular  sport  must 
be  investigated,  both  absolutely  and  in  relation  to  similar  outgrowths  in  other 
plants.  Until  this  is  done,  and  it  has  not  been  done  yet,  any  explanation  as 
to  the  cause  of  the  phenomena  must  be  a  matter  of  speculation.”  Could  these 
admirable  recommendations  be  carried  out,  I  might  perhaps  at  this  moment 
have  been  holding  forth  on  “  The  Causes  of  Sports,  and  How  to  Produce  them,” 
instead  of  being  compelled  to  expose  my  ignorance  by  saying  that  neither  I 
nor  any  botanist,  as  far  as  I  know,  can  yet  fully  expound  the  “  why  ”  and  the 
“  wherefore  ”  of  bud  variation. 
All  will  hope  that  Mr.  Henslow  will  yet  have  the  opportunity  for 
“  holding  forth  ’*  on  the  text  he  suggests,  and  which  few  indeed  could  treat 
so  well. 
We  consider  the  entire  issue  well  worth  the  charge  that  is  made  (5s.) 
to  those  who  are,  unfortunately,  non-Fellows  of  the  K.H.S.  Those  who 
are  enrolled  have  it  for  nothing. 
THE  PLETHORA  AND  PROSPECTS  OF 
GAKDENERS. 
It  was  with  very  great  interest  that  I  read  the  remarks  of  “  An  Old 
Provincial,”  on  page  307.  Like  himself,  I  think  it  is  sad  to  see  the 
number  of  gardeners,  ever  on  the  increase,  seeking  situations  through 
our  journals  alone.  We  know  that  vacancies  are  very  few  in  comparison, 
and  that  a  large  number  of  good  gardeners  are  crowded  out  through 
the  numbers  being  so  great,  and  I  fear  that  it  will  continue  now  that 
the  premium  system  is  almost  done  away  with. 
Knowing  these  things  one  is  filled  with  wonder  when  one  hears  of 
the  modern  woman  taking  to  our  vocation,  for  which,  in  my  opinion,  she 
is  quite  unsuited.  I  should  like  to  know  if  she  goes  through  all  branches 
of  training  as  a  probationer,  which,  if  she  is  to  be  practical  and  capable- 
of  managing  a  gardening  establishment,  she  must  do.  I  can  seem  to 
picture  her  making  a  Mushroom  bed  on  the  top  tier  of  our  Mushroom 
houses,  stoking  the  furnaces  late  at  night  as  occasion  may  arise,  and  scores 
of  other  unwomanly  duties,  known  only  to  our  fraternity,  which  to  make 
a  practical  gardener  must  be  learned.  Perhaps  I  shall  hear  that  she 
starts  at  the  top  of  the  tree  and  leaves  these  duties  to  others,  and  if  such 
be  the  case  1  think  she  will  keep  few  situations  from  the  man  who  has 
worked  his  way  up  from  the  shed. 
Women  servants  are  in  demand  all  round  us,  and  their  remuneration 
is  quite  as  good  as  those  in  the  garden,  while  the  work  appears  to  me  to 
be  much  more  suitable  for  her.  In  a  florist’s  show  house  she  does  well, 
but  as  a  gardener  she  is  a  mystery  to  me. — G.  M.,  Sussex. 
Ip  a  ballot  could  be  taken  of  the  articles  appearing  weekly  in  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture,  as  to  which  were  read  with  greatest  interest  by 
hundreds  of  young  gardeners,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  those 
referring  to  the  prospects  of  gardeners  would  come  out  at  the  head  of  the 
poll.  It  is  doubtless  the  worthy  intention  of  those  correspondents  who 
write  on  this  subject  to  give  good  advice  to  the  rising  generation  of 
gardeners,  and  these  should  feel  gratified  to  know  how  great  is  the 
interest  taken  in  their  welfare.  At  the  same  time,  he  who  offers  advice 
to  young  men,  which  if  taken  may  alter  their  course  of  life,  assumes  a 
great  responsibility,  and  unless  he  has  the  best  of  reasons  for  what  he 
says  he  should  hesitate  to  advance  opinions  which  may  have  results  that 
he  does  not  foresee. 
^Everyone  who  understands  the  matter  will  agree  with  the  opening 
sentiments  of  “  Onward,”  on  page  204,  but  does  he  not  let  his  enthusiasm 
run  away  with  him  in  the  concluding  paragraph  ?  where  he  advises  young 
men  “  not  to  be  led  away  by  the  glamour  of  appearances  connected  with 
many  private  gardens,  but  if  they  have  energy  and  brains  to  get  into  one 
of  the  finest  schools  of  horticulture  in  this  country  or  the  world — viz.,  a 
great  'market  establishment.”  True,  the_  statement  is  qualified,  and 
assuming  that  the  majority  of  young  gardeners  are  blessed  with  energy 
and  the  average  amount  of  brains,  what  would  be  the  result  if  “  Onward’s  ” 
advice  were  generally  followed  ?  There  would  he  a  wholesale  migration 
from  private  establishments,  and  a  consequent  flooding  of  a  branch  in 
which  there  is  ample  room  for  improvement  in  the  way  of  shorter  hours 
andiucreased  pay.  Your  correspondent  concludes  as  though  he  had  solved 
the  problem  after  giving  the  foregoing  advice.  There  are  doubtless 
openings  for  ability  in  the  trade,  as  also  there  are  in  private  service,  but 
the  facts  of  the  case  seem  to  be  that  it  is  a  question  of  supply  and  demand, 
and  the  former  is  double  that  of  the  latter. 
Mr  Street,  on  page  284,  approaches  the  matter  from  the  point  of  view 
of  a  private  gardener,  making  suggestions  from  which  improvements 
might  accrue  without  taking  drastic  measures.  I  presume  that  your 
correspondent’s  idea  is  to  adopt  means  of  checking  the  output  of 
gardeners,  though  he  has  not  made  the  way  quite  clear.  Suppose  that  to 
every  head  gardener  in  good  establishments  there  are  half  a  dozen  juniors. 
They  are  all  aspiring  to  the  one  position,  therefore  the  chances  are  six  to 
one  against  them,  and  assuming  that  the  best  come  to  the  top,  there  must 
be  others  with  the  average  ability  who  have  to  be  satisfied  with  a  lower 
place.  As  long  as  this  is  so  the  difficulty  in  obtaining  head  places  will 
always  be  present. 
Perhaps,  with  a  little  sifting  and  more  discussion,  Mr.  Street’s  idea  of 
forming  an  association  might  be  helpful.  He  appears,  however,  to  have 
omitted  any  mention  of  the  most  important  section — viz.,  the  employers. 
The  majority  of  head  gardeners’  positions  now-a-days  are  filled  through 
the  personal  influence  of  friends  rather  than  the  recommendation  of 
gardeners,  and  probably  this  is  why  the  best  men  are  not  always  found  in 
the  best  places.  Would  the  formation  of  a  committee  obviate  this  ?  If 
so,  then  the  sooner  it  is  formed  the  better  ;  but  I  doubt  it.  As  long  as 
there  is  no  special  qualification  to  be  obtained  before  a  man  can  call 
himself  an  accomplished  gardener  the  trouble  will  remain  ;  and,  even  then, 
would  employers  confine  themselves  to  engaging  only  those  men  who 
possessed  the  necessary  qualification  ?  Without  the  coalition  of  those 
holding  the  purse-strings  I  fail  to  see  the  advantages  accruing  from  an 
association  such  as  your  correspondent  suggests. 
“Reform,”  on  page  290,  protests  against  the  custom  of  paying 
premiums — and  rightly  so,  unless  there  are  some  advantages  to  be 
obtained  from  it.  Anyone  paying  a  premium  expects  in  return  to  be 
taught  a  trade  or  profession,  and  when  his  apprenticeship  has  expired  he 
is  supposed  to  be  competent.  If  this  were  so,  then  a  young  gardener, 
after  paying  for  his  learning,  should  be  efficient  when  his  time  expires. 
But  it  is  not  so.  He  pays  a  premium  to  learn  the  rudiments  of  his 
calling,  and  then  has  to  go  through  a  course  of  training  in  several  other 
establishments  before  his  gardening  education  is  completed.  If  the 
custom  of  paying  premiums  were  a  general  one,  perhaps  there  would  not 
be  such  an  over-supply  of  gardeners  ;  and  if  such  payment  would  insure, 
or  even  assist,  in  the  obtaining  of  a  suitable  situation,  there  would  be  no 
cause  for  complaint ;  but  I  wonder  how  many  present-day  gardeners  who 
are  holding  the  best  positions  in  the  country  paid  a  premium  to  commence 
with.  One  thing  I  know,  there  are  many  who  did  not.  The  guiding 
spirit  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  has  always  shown  sympathy  with 
gardeners  old  and  young,  and  would  like  to  see  them  all  happy' ;  the 
methods  of  training  is  a  subject  of  more  than  passing  importance  in 
leading  to  that  desirable  end. 
The  three  correspondents  quoted  have  approached  the  matter  from 
different  standpoints  ;  but  is  there  not  another?  Could  not  a  great  deal 
of  work  that  is  done  by  young  men  in  training  for  gardeners,  be  done  as 
well  by  local  lal)our — men  not  in  training  for  professional  gardeners,  but 
as  worthy  garden  workers  ?  If  this  is  so,  would  not  a  better  class  of 
local  workers  be  raised,  men  who  would  be  perfectly  content  as  such, 
with  a  corresponding  reduction  in  so-called  trained  gardeners  jostling 
against  each  other  for  filling  vacancies  which  are  so  few  and  far  between  ? 
True,  an  occasional  bright,  energetic  worker  might  force  himself  upwards 
and  onwards  by  sheer  merit.  By  all  means  let  him  do  so.  By  the 
present  system  of  making  gardeners  are  there  not  hundreds  of  young  men 
who  are  neither  particularly  devoted  to  their  duties,  intelligent,  studious, 
or  energetic?  There  are  far  too  many  of  them  careless,  thoughtless,  and 
not  a  few  reckless,  more  given  to  sport  than  to  work,  yet  some  of  these 
by  accident  or  favour  crowd  out  intrinsically  better  men,  and  lower  the 
status  of  British  gardeners. — Ex-Foeeman. 
FRUIT  BLOSSOM. 
Tiieee  is  a  prolific  display  of  Plum  blossom  at  the  present  time. 
Green  Gage  Plums  have  not  had  so  fine  a  show  of  bloom  for  years. 
Victoria  Plum  trees  last  year  produced  little  blossom  and  less  fruit.  It 
is  exceptional  for  the  latter  to  fail  in  fruiting,  but  the  trees  claim  a  rest 
sometimes.  This  season  they  are  blooming  freely. 
Pears  also  are  exceptionally  loaded  with  bloom.  Williams’  Bon 
Chretien  failed  last  year  to  bloom,  and  there  was  only  a  poor  crop  of 
Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey.  Both  these  varieties,  however,  are  blooming 
well  this  season. 
Bigarreau  Cheivy  trees  promise  well  for  bloom.  Last  season  was  a 
very  poor  one.  Morello  Cherries  are  furnished  well.  Last  year  the  crop 
was  nil.  This  seldom  occurs  with  these  free  hearing  trees.  At  the  time 
of  writing  Cherries  are  not  in  bloom,  but  a  few  days  will  bring  them  on. 
On  the  whole,  there  will  be  a  good  display  of  Apple  blossom  shortly. 
Blenheim  Orange  failed  to  bloom  last  year,  but  this  year  there  is  an 
abundant  promise.  The  same  may  be  said  of  Wellington,  Keswick  Codlia 
and  Duchess  of  Oldenburg  as  regards  bloom.  Last  season  these  varieties 
produced  good  crops. — E,  D.  S.,  Gravesend. 
