166 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
February  2D,  1896. 
under  this  name  by  Mr.  Kay  of  Finchley  and  others  has  oval-shaped 
berries,  and  is  easier  to  cultivate  than  the  true  Cannon  Hall.  I  consider 
it  to  be  Muscat  Escholata. 
Duke  of  Buccleuch  is  a  very  handsome  Sweetwater  Grape  of  excel¬ 
lent  quality,  but  unfortunately  it  is  too  delicate  for  rough  handling  and 
travelling,  therefore  can  never  become  a  fruit  for  the  million.  It 
requires  a  house  to  itself,  and  where  it  is  appreciated  and  can  be  used 
locally  it  will  amply  repay  for  special  treatment.  It  was  raised  by  the 
late  Mr.  William  Thomson,  and  is  well  grown  at  Clovenfords. 
Buckland  Sweetwater  is  a  very  showy  Grape  when  well  done,  and  is 
frequently  seen  in  good  condition  at  the  August  shows  ;  but  its  flavour 
only  keeps  good  about  a  fortnight  after  it  is  ripe,  and  this  variety 
should  never  count  for  much  if  exhibited  after  August. 
Foster’s  Seedling,  on  the  other  hand,  is  less  showy,  but  it  is  possible 
to  keep  it  good  till  Christmas,  and  its  flavour  never  deteriorates  till 
decay  commences.  Mrs.  Pearson  has  been  well  shown  by  Mr.  Kirk  of 
Alloa  and  Mr.  Ward  of  Longford,  and  in  the  condition  they  showed  it 
it  rivalled  in  appearance  the  best  samples  of  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  but 
it  requires  a  long  season  and  a  great  amount  of  heat.  Many  people  fail 
altogether  to  bring  it  to  anything  like  perfection. — Wm.  Taylor. 
(To  be  continued.) 
YOUNG  GARDENERS. 
iTheir  Hours  and  Habitations. 
The  above  heading  was  really  the  gist  of  Mr.  W.  Bardney’s  able 
article  on  page  122,  and  doubtless  many  of  the  juniors  would  be  gratified 
to  see  that  someone  was  taking  up  the  cudgels  on  their  behalf. 
Mr.  Bardney  speaks  from  experience,  and  states  that,  “  generally 
speaking,  gardeners  make  longer  hours  than  agricultural  labourers.” 
This  is  doubtless  the  truth,  because  when  Hodge  has  finished  his  long 
day’s  labour  he  shoulders  his  basket,  with  the  gratification  that  he  has 
done,  and  is  at  liberty  to  follow  his  own  devices  till  next  morning.  But 
is  this  the  case  with  the  young  gardener  ?  Experience  tells  me  not ; 
he  is  always  liable  to  be  called  out  after  the  work  hours  proper  are  over, 
in  order  to  fulfil  one  of  the  many  duties  connected  with  his  calling, 
which  are  too  well  known  to  need  any  mention  here — in  short,  a 
gardener’s  time,  whether  he  be  head  or  subordinate,  is  never  really  his 
own,  and,  as  Mr.  Bardney  states,  Sunday  is  very  often  the  hardest  day 
in  the  week. 
Everyone  is  ready  to  admit  that  the  condition  of  young  gardeners 
has  been  greatly  improved  during  recent  years,  but  when  we  look  round 
and  note  the  much  better  state  of  the  entire  working  population, 
then  we  must  confess  that  there  is  nothing  remarkable  about  the 
advancement  of  the  gardening  fraternity  in  this  direction — in  fact,  we 
are  still  a  long  away  behind  the  times.  A  weekly  half-holiday  is  the 
rule  now  rather  than  the  exception,  whereas  many  will  remember  when 
artisans  were  the  only  class  of  workers  who  were  allowed  this  privilege  ; 
now  we  find  men  of  all  trades  and  professions  enjoying  their  weekly 
half-holiday. 
Combination  and  legislation,  aided  to  some  extent  by  agitation,  have 
been  the  means  of  bringing  this  about,  yet  with  a  few  bright  exceptions 
we  find  gardeners  still  making  six,  and  too  often  seven,  full  days  a  week. 
Who  is  to  blame  for  this,  and  to  whom  must  we  look  for  redress  1 
may  be  the  two  chief  questions  asked.  Mr.  Bardney  asserts  that  head 
gardeners  might  do  more  to  bring  about  the  weekly  half-holiday,  and  to 
improve  the  condition  of  the  young  men  generally.  In  many  instances 
he  is  doubtless  right,  for  in  spite  of  the  improvements  which  have 
admittedly  been  made,  there  is  still  a  certain  amount  of  conservatism 
remaining  amongst  gardeners,  particularly  those  of  what  is  known  as 
the  old  school.  A  feeling  still  appears  to  exist,  that  having  gone 
through  a  certain  amount  of  hardships  themselves,  it  is  only  part  of  the 
training  necessary  to  the  making  of  a  good  gardener,  therefore  such  a 
thing  as  a  Saturday  half-holiday  is  only  to  be  considered  as  something 
preposterous.  Others  may,  perhaps,  urge  that  in  many  places  owing  to 
agricultural  depression  and  other  causes  expenses  have  been  lowered  and 
staffs  reduced  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is  impossible  to  get  through  the 
work  now  and  on  these  grounds  object  to  the  half-holiday.  Certainly 
there  is  something  in  this,  but  not  sufficient  for  a  good  argument,  and 
even  under  such  circumstances  we  venture  to  assert  that  there  would  be 
nothing  lost  by  granting  this  weekly  privilege. 
Others  will  not  even  entertain  the  idea,  and  regard  it  as  being 
altogether  impracticable  without  even  giving  it  any  consideration. 
Those  who  thus  dismiss  the  question  are  obviously  not  in  a  position 
to  judge  fairly.  In  all  cases  that  have  come  under  my  notice  where 
the  change  has  been  adopted  the  results  have  been  so  satisfactory  that 
those  in  authority  have  no  reason  for  regret,  while  the  young  men  are 
much  more  ready  to  give  extra  labour  when  circumstances  call  for  it. 
We  do  not  mean  to  assert  that  gardeners  in  all  cases  are  in  the  position 
to  bring  about  this  desired  change,  but  in  many  instances  they  could  if 
they  would  use  their  influence  for  the  benefit  of  those  under  them. 
I  have  a  case  before  me  as  I  write  of  an  establishment  where  the 
young  men  petitioned  the  employer  for  the  Saturday  half-holiday.  The 
gentleman  in  question  was  willing  to  grant  the  request,  provided  the 
head  gardener  raised  no  objection.  It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  he  did 
not,  and  the  men’s  wish  was  complied  with.  Had,  however,  this 
gardener  possessed  any  of  the  scruples  already  mentioned,  the  chances 
are  that  the  men  would  now  have  been  working  till  at  least  four 
o’clock  on  Saturdays. 
Whilst  admitting  all  this  there  are  also  numerous  establishments 
whare  any  suggestions  of  this  kind  would  be  met  with  a  direct  rebuff  on 
part  of  the  employer,  otherwise  the  gardener  would  be  only  too  glad  for 
those  under  him  to  cease  work  at  noon  on  Saturday.  How  the  difficulty 
in  such  cases  is  to  be  overcome  is  a  matter  for  argument.  No  efforts 
however,  Bhould  be  lost  in  keeping  the  matter  before  the  notice  of  those 
who  employ  a  staff  of  gardeners.  Time  alone  will  probably  bring 
about  the  half-holiday  as  a  custom,  and  the  success  of  the  experiment 
in  one  establishment  will  lead  to  its  adoption  in  another. 
1  quite  agree  with  Mr.  Bardney  that  a  general  crusade  in  favour  of 
the  half-holiday  would  be  a  step  in  the  right  direction,  and  if  brought 
before  the  notice  of  employers  in  a  proper  light,  the  proposition  in  the 
majority  of  cases  would  receive  favourable  consideration.  Mr.  Bardney 
advocates  the  institution  of  cricket  and  football  clubs,  and  here  again,  I 
am  of  like  opinion.  The  adage  of  “  All  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a 
dull  boy  ”  applies  to  young  gardeners  as  well  as  to  any  other  class,  and 
how  can  the  monotony  of  continual  labour  be  broken  better  than  by 
healthy  recreation?  I  feel  sure  that  if  something  were  done  in  this 
direction  to  enliven  the  somewhat  humdrum  existence  of  the  surround¬ 
ings  of  country  houses,  the  privileges  would  be  appreciated  without 
being  violated. 
Mr.  Bardney  deals  at  some  length  with  the  management  of  Sunday 
work,  and  this  reminds  me  how  many  establishments  there  are  where  the 
young  men  receive  no  pay  for  Sunday  duty.  I  know  of  no  argument 
that  merits  such  a  system,  which  is  by  no  means  uncommon,  as  I  am 
acquainted  with  many  places  where  young  men  are  obliged  to  be  on 
duty  all  day  on  Sunday  without  any  thought  being  given  to  extra  pay. 
Payment  for  Sunday  work  is  certainly  more  general  than  it  used  to  be, 
and  I  hope  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  it  will  be  a  rule  without 
an  exception.  In  most  occupations  time  and  half  is  paid  for  Sunday 
work  ;  why  then  should  gardeners  be  excepted,  and  not  receive  at  least 
a  full  day’s  pay  for  the  seventh  day’s  work? 
I  recollect  an  instance  of  ayoung  gardener  urging  somewhat  strongly 
the  justice  of  Sunday  pay  to  his  chief,  who,  as  the  argument  will  Bhow, 
belonged  to  the  old  school.  The  reply  the  young  man  obtained  was  to 
the  effect  that  young  gardeners  should  show  their  love  for  their  work 
by  giving  the  seventh  day  gratis.  This  is  all  very  well  from  a  senti¬ 
mental  point  of  view,  but  I  think  the  day  (if  ever  it  existed)  when 
work  was  done  for  the  Bake  of  love  has  gone  by,  and  men  show  greater 
affection  for  labour  when  they  know  there  is  hard  cash  at  the  end  of  it. 
It  may  be  urged  that  as  a  counterbalance  young  gardeners’  pay  is  not 
stopped  for  loss  of  time.  Granted  ;  but  the  justice  of  Sunday  payment 
still  remains  the  same,  as  my  experience  of  bothy  life  is  that  young 
gardeners  work  sufficient  overtime  during  the  week  to  make  up  for  the 
holidays  they  obtain,  and  even  now  I  have  an  instance  before  me  of  a 
well-known  garden  where  no  payment  is  made  for  Sunday  work,  and  yet 
the  men  are  stopped  for  all  lost  time.  Is  “  Hodge  ”  any  worse  off  than 
this  ?  No,  I  think  not,  as  young  gardeners’  remuneration  is  not  sufficiently 
high  as  to  allow  for  much  reduction  if  there  is  to  be  anything  left  for 
himself. 
Referring  to  habitations;  here,  again,  all  will  readily  admit  that 
great  improvements  have  been  made  during  recent  years,  especially  if 
we  pay  a  visit  to  such  well  arranged  bothies  as  those  of  Sandring¬ 
ham,  Eaton  Hall,  and  other  well  known  places.  Admitting  all  this, 
there  is  yet,  however,  a  side  as  seamy  as  was  the  case  half  a  century 
ago,  and  in  numerous  so-called  first-class  establishments  the  young 
gardeners  are  not  nearly  so  comfortably  housed  as  the  hunter  in  the 
squire’s  stable.  Where  the  fault  lies  I  am  not  going  to  say  ;  perhaps  it 
is  the  gardener,  perhaps  the  employer,  but  in  either  case  it  is  a  discredit, 
and  head  gardeners  should,  at  any  rate,  acquaint  their  superiors  with  the 
state  of  affairs,  and  urge  the  desirability  of  improvement. 
Judging  from  the  position  and  style  of  structure  noticeable  in  many 
bothies  the  chief  aim  has  been  to  stick  them  in  some  out-of-the-way 
corner,  as  if  such  necessities  as  proper  light  and  ventilation  were  not 
reckoned  worthy  of  consideration.  A  lean-to  “  shed  ”  along  the  back  wall 
of  a  vinery  is,  or  was,  a  favourite  site,  in  close  proximity  to  the  sulphury 
fumes  arising  from  the  stokehole  next  door,  and  a  back-yard  view  from 
the  window  opening  on  to  a  rubbish  heap.  I  know  of  a  bothy  similarly 
built,  barely  high  enough  for  an  averaged-sized  man  to  stand  up  in. 
The  floor  is  below  the  level  of  the  yard  outside,  and  in  times  of  heavy 
rains  the  comfort  of  the  inhabitants  is  hampered  by  the  inflow  of  the 
surface  water ;  and  yet  the  proprietor  objects  to  any  alterations,  as  it 
would  spoil  the  old-fashioned  appearance. 
In  another  well-known  establishment  is  a  bedroom  away  from  the 
living  apartment,  approached  by  a  ricketty  iron  ladder,  and  each  night 
when  the  young  men  retire  to  rest  they  undergo  an  experience  some¬ 
thing  similar  to  that  of  a  railway  porter  as  he  carries  his  lamp  to  the  top 
of  a  signal  post.  The  room  is  low,  with  the  light  bad,  and  the  ventila¬ 
tion  worse  ;  and  yet  four  or  five  men  are  huddled  together  in  this 
unhealthy  apartment,  while  there  are  scores  of  other  rooms  in  the 
establishment  much  more  suitable  standing  empty.  These  are  but  a  few 
solitary  instances  in  the  many,  and  when  speaking  of  the  habitations  of 
young  men  as  “  having  been  ”  but  a  little  better  than  hovels,  Mr. 
Bardney  would  have  spoke  just  as  truthfully  if  he  had  said  "are.” 
There  still  remains  much  to  be  done  before  the  position  of  young 
gardeners  is  what  it  should  be,  and  as  an  important  step  in  the 
right  direction  I  would  urge  on  all  in  authority  to  make  them  com¬ 
fortable,  pay  for  Sunday  work,  and  grant  a  Saturday  afternoon  holiday. 
— G.  H.  H. 
I  WAS  pleased  to  see  Mr.  Bardney  (on  page  122)  contending  for 
shorter  hours  on  behalf  of  under  gardeners.  Surely  the  time  has  come 
when  the  old  system  of  working  from  6  A.M.  to  6  P.M.,  with  four  o’clock 
