62 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  16,  1896. 
intelligent,  hardworking,  ard  grateful  for  benefits  conferred  as 
they  were  when  “  Another  Head  ”  occupied  a  subordinate  position. 
Fortunately,  perhaps,  for  the  youngsters  there  are  many  heads  who 
look  upon  comfortable  habitations  and  a  weekly  half-holiday  not 
altogether  as  “  favours,”  but  something  to  which  our  young  gardeners 
are  fairly  entitled.—  G.  H.  11.  ' _ 
Ox  page  12  “Another  Head  Gardener”  forcibly  p'aces  a  few  plain 
facts  before  young  gardeners  in  general,  and  “Another  Subordinate”  in 
particular.  In  so  far  as  his  first  and  second  paragraph  treat  of  the 
question  in  its  broader  aspect,  the  pertinency  of  his  remarks  cannot  be 
questioned,  nor  do  they  court  criticism  from  either  of  the  parties 
interested  ;  but  where,  in  continuation,  this  is  narrowed  down  to  his 
own  personal  experience  with  the  promulgation  of  his  “  reciprocity 
system”  it  strikes  one  rather  disagreeably.  The  only  inference  to  be 
drawn  from  it  is  that  our  young  men  of  to-day — head  gardeners  of  the 
future — are  a  bad  lot.  There  is  not  one  redeeming  feature  in  the  data 
he  adduces  to  lead  to  any  other  conclusion,  for  he  has  had  to  do  with 
fourteen  “  bad  ’uns,”  one  of  them  extra  bad,  who  treated  him  with 
“  marked  ingratitude  and  contempt”  (the  young  rascal). 
Now,  I  am  not  going  to  question  the  correctness  of  his,  “  Another 
Head  Gardener’s,”  judgment  only  inasmuch  as  that  it  is  possibly  some¬ 
what  premature,  and  that,  in  regarding  the  time  as  somewhat  limited 
for  them  to  show  “  ordinary  gratitude  and  consideration,  to  say  nothing 
of  any  deeper  feelings  ”  (whatever  shape  or  form  those  “  deeper  feelings  ” 
may  take).  From  a  longer  experience  than  that  upon  which  “  Another 
Head  Gardener”  bases  his  “reciprocity  system,”  I  conclude  that  our 
young  gardeners  are  apt  to  pay,  consciously  or  unconsciously,  tribute  to 
their  training,  and  consequently  to  their  trainer,  by  that  imitation  which 
is  the  sincerest  form  of  flattery.  Apropos  of  this  some  clearly  defined 
illustrations  could  be  given.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  truth  yet  in  the 
old  adage,  “Like  master,  like  man,”  and  it  is  one,  too,  worthy  of  the 
consideration  of  young  head  gardeners,  or,  indeed,  of  us  all.  Knowing 
pretty  well  what  young  gardeners  were  in  earlier  days,  and  having  a 
fair  opportunity  of  comparing  them  (with  all  their  faults  and  failings, 
views  and  aspirations)  with  the  same  class  of  to-day,  I  cannot  see  that 
the  latter  have  deteriorated  so  lamentably. 
Why  of  the  fourteen,  whom  “Another  Head  Gardener”  has  put 
through  a  stage  on  life’s  journey,  even  one  has  not  turned  back  to  show 
his  gratitude,  looks  bad  at  first  sight  I  must  confess ;  but  if  they,  or 
some  of  them,  have  those  feelings  (and  have  reason  to  have  them)  what 
matter.  Our  Anglo-Saxon  pure  and  simple  is  not  prone  to  effusive 
compliments.  If  they  have  them  not  there  is,  perhaps,  something  to  be 
said  on  the  other  side.  In  “  Another  Head  Gardener’s  ”  dealing 
with  them  on  a  reciprocity  system,  I  question  the  wisdom  of  his  new 
departure,  also  the  equity  of  it,  savouring  as  it  does  of  the  old  Mosaic 
law — an  eye  for  an  eye,  a  tooth  for  a  tooth.  From  personal  observation 
and  some  study  of  the  question,  I  beg  to  suggest  that  firmness  and 
fairness  in  dealing  with  young  men  will  at  least  entail  respect,  and 
although  “the  care  of  the  bothy  and  its  occupants” — its  occupants — 
“is  only  one  of  a  thousand  things”  claiming  attention,  it  is  one  to 
which  a  heavy  resposibility  is  attached.  I  have  always  had  a  measure 
of  sympathy  for  our  lads  of  the  bothy,  though  it  has  not,  I  fear,  often 
flowed  over  in  granting  “favours.” 
Therefore  no  immediate  returns  of  gratitude  or  deeper  feelings 
were  expected,  although  they  have  not  been  wanting.  Perhaps  the 
most  gratifying  expression  was  that  from  a  stranger,  a  young  man 
who,  on  the  conclusion  of  “  Bothiana,”  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture 
last  year,  on  behalf  of  his  compatriots  in  the  district,  courteously  in  a 
few  well-chosen  words  expressed  his  thanks.  This  was  the  more 
gratifying,  perhaps,  as  it  was  spontaneous,  and  quite  unexpected  by 
—Ax  Old  Boy. 
Readixg  on  page  12  the  letter  from  “  Another  Head  Gardener”  I 
could  not  help  remarking  the  way  in  which  he  speaks  of  his  young  men. 
I  am  sure  the  average  young  gardener,  if  treated  in  a  proper  manner, 
generally  returns  his  gratitude  in  some  way  or  other  ;  but  if,  in  addition 
to  working  hard  every  day,  he  is  expected  to  put  in  overtime  three  or 
four  nights  during  the  week  gratis,  and  then  has  to  be  in  the  bothy  by 
ten  o’clock  punctual  or  stand  in  risk  of  having  a  night  out,  I  think  it  is 
excusable  it  young  men  get  a  little  rebellious.  Young  as  I  am  I  have 
already  seen  enough  to  know  who  is  held  in  most  respect — a  kind  or 
severe  chief.  If  young  men  are  not  imposed  upon  they  do  not  generally 
mind  working  overtime  during  a  busy  period,  doing  so  with  spirit  and 
ungrudgingly. 
Another  thing  I  noticed  in  your  correspondent’s  letter,  which,  I 
thought,  did  not  speak  well  of  what  he  termed  his  kind  treatment,  was 
that  during  a  period  of  eight  years  fourteen  young  men  have  passed 
through  his  hands.  I  rather  think,  and  I  daresay  there  are  others  who 
will  agree  with  me,  that  bad  those  young  men  been  treated  with  due 
consideration  and  used  in  a  proper  manner  that  a  few  of  them  at  least 
would  have  shown  some  gratitude  in  return,  and  also  that  the  number 
would  have  been  considerably  less. 
One  head  gardener  whom  I  had  the  misfortune  to  serve  under  was 
certainly  kind  and  considerate  at  times,  but  those  times,  1  am  sorry  to 
say,  were  few  and  far  between,  he  being  generally  very  severe  and  apt 
to  consider  his  snbordinates  almost  beneath  hie  notice.  I  think  that  had  he 
not  kept  us  so  much  under  restriction  he  would  have  found  us  showing 
him  more  gratitude  when  he  did  choose  to  give  us  a  little  consideration. 
I  do  not  wish  to  speak  of  all  head  gardeners  as  being  unjust,  far  from 
it ;  some,  I  know,  give  their  men  too  many  liberties,  also  I  do  not 
intend  to  make  out  that  young  men  are  without  fault,  I,  myself,  have 
often  given  my  chief  cause  for  annoyance.  Then,  certainly,  it  is  his 
place  to  reprove,  but  not  bully  a  young  man.  A  bead  gardener  should 
always  keep  his  place  and  be  firm,  still,  at  the  eame  time,  he  may  be 
kind  and  not  refuse  favours  when  asked  for  at  certain  times.  It  is  true 
he  may  not  be  always  able  to  do  as  he  likes,  but  often  he  is  able  to  do 
more  than  he  does.  Doubtless  if  such  had  been  done ’oy  your  corre¬ 
spondent  he  might  have  experienced  a  much  more  pleasant  time  during 
his  eight  years  than  what  he  has. — Peentis. 
THE  E.H.S.  EXAMINATION— COACHING  RESULTS. 
It  is  evident  that  the  honours  of  the  present  year’s  examination  rest 
with  Chelmsford.  I  can  hardly  say  Essex,  because  I  do  not  find  more 
than  one  other  place  in  that  county  mentioned  in  the  published  list.  It 
would  seem,  therefore,  that  Chelmsford  has  been  a  special  coaching 
centre,  as  it  is  absurd  to  suppose  that  such  honours  as  are  presented 
could  have  been  obtained  in  any  other  way.  It  would  be  of  great 
interest  to  learn  how  many  of  those  thus  honoured  are  practical 
gardeners,  as  it  is  most  obvious  that  any  such  honours  can  be  of  little 
value  to  anyone  who  is  not  a  practical  gardener. 
School  teachers  perhaps  find  that  certificates  of  this  nature  are  of 
some  service  to  them,  but  can  hardly  be  of  such  value  as  to  gardeners. 
Unfortunately  it  does  not  always  happen  that  good  practical  gardeners 
are  equally  good  at  examinations — indeed,  I  find  many  shrink  from 
them  with  dislike.  They  know  their  own  capacity  in  their  work,  but 
do  not  feel  safe  at  all  when  subject  to  a  literary  examination.  Swanley 
Horticultural  College  may  be  said  to  even  excel  Chelmsford,  because  so 
many  of  its  students  are  females.  Out  of  118  persons  includtd  In  the 
lists  Swanley  has  the  very  large  proportion  of  thirty-two,  which,  deduct¬ 
ing  the  Chelmsford  candidates,  is  just  one-third  of  the  remainder.  Here 
again  we  have  a  striking  example  of  the  eifects  of  coaching,  as  most 
of  the  College  instruction  consists  in  coaching,  and  great  efforts  are 
specially  made  to  secure  honours  in  this  R  H.S.  Examination. 
Surrey  county,  which  before  stood  so  well,  drops  down  to  ten  success¬ 
ful  candidates  only.  That  is  due  first  to  the  fact  that  so  many  of  the 
best  men  in  the  county  have  previously  sat,  and  will  not  do  so  a  second 
time,  and  also  to  very  strong  objections  to  the  rule  which  admits  college 
students,  such  as  those  from  Swanley,  into  the  same  examination 
and  on  the  same  footing  as  those  whose  opportunity  to  gain  know¬ 
ledge  is  limited  to  jujt  a  few  attendances  at  horticultural  classes  during 
the  winter,  or  perhaps  to  such  information  as  they  can  gather  from  books. 
It  is  specially  worthy  of  remark  that  could  the  numerous  attendants 
at  classes  in  the  county  who  sent  in  such  admirable  papers  in  reply  to 
questions  on  horticultural  subjects  set  by  the  lecturers  have  been  induced 
to  sit  for  the  R.H.S.  exam.,  they  must  have  taken  high  positions. 
Unfortunately  many  of  these  refused  to  do  so  for  various  reasons, 
but  specially  because  of  the  inclusion  of  college  students  into  the 
examination.  It  is  worthy  of  notice,  however,  that  taking  out  Chelms¬ 
ford,  Swanley  College,  and  Surrey,  with  a  total  for  the  three  places  of 
fifty-six  candidates  taking  honours,  only  sixty-two  are  left  from  all  other 
parts  of  the  kingdom.  Again,  in  the  first  class,  out  of  sixteen  who  passed 
twelve  came  from  Chelmsford  and  Swanley,  and  only  four  from  other 
places  or  counties.  This  fact  strikingly  shows  the  value  in  matters  of 
this  sort  of  special  coaching  and  cramming. 
It  may  be  regarded  as  singular  that  not  only  Kew  and  Chiswick,  but 
hardly  any  prominent  private  garden  or  leading  nursery,  seems  to  put 
forth  candidates.  That  is  specially  noticeable  in  the  cases  of  Kew  and 
Chiswick,  because  it  might  have  been  expected  those  great  gardens 
would  have  sought  to  figure  very  prominently.  Again,  there  seems  to  be 
no  proof  that  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Associations  have  put 
forward  candidates — indeed,  taking  gardening  generally,  the  examina¬ 
tion  seems  to  be  entirely  ignored.  That  is  difficult  to  understand.  It 
would  be  indeed  interesting  if  some  of  the  highest  candidates’  papers 
could  be  published,  as  we  would  like  to  see  on  which  subjects  most 
stress  is  laid  by  the  examiners,  whether  it  be  theory  or  whether  it  be 
practice,  which  is  very  different  from  the  former. — A.  D. 
THE  FLOWERS  OF  JULY. 
SixCE  last  I  wrote  to  ihe  Journal  of  Horticulture  on  “  The  Leafy 
Month  of  June,”  many  fair  flowers  then  described  have  given  place  to 
others  in  our  cultured  enclosures  and  deep,  shadowy  woodlands  and  on 
the  picturesque  cliffs  that,  fringed  with  Heather,  tower  above  the 
encompassing  sea.  The  Maritime  Scilla,  on  the  western  rocks,  has  been 
succeeded  by  other  pictures  hardly  less  beautiful,  among  which  perhaps 
the  finest  are  constituted  (with  the  artistic  instinct  so  characteristic  of 
Nature)  by  dense  masses  of  Heath  and  fragrant  Wild  Thyme. 
Meanwhile,  the  Honeysuckle  is  everywhere  luxuriating,  like  some 
visitor  from  the  tropics,  in  the  grateful  incense-breathing  depths  of  our 
glens.  In  one  of  the  fairest  woods  that  environ  Logan  House  it  has 
climbed  up  the  trees  to  a  height  of  20  feet.  At  that  elevation  the 
effect  of  its  flowers  is  supremely  artistic  and  their  odour  exquisite.  Its 
invariable  companions  are  the  wild  Roses,  especially  the  Eglantine, 
which  also  grows  and  blossoms  superbly  in  the  glens  above  the  sea. 
Rosa  canina,  much  eulogised  by  the  late  Lord  Tennyson  in  his  greatest 
drama,  attains  to  vast  dimensions  on  the  shore  quite  close  to  the  waters 
of  the  spacious  Bay  of  Luce,  from  which  it  must  receive  incessant  con¬ 
tributions  in  the  form  of  saline  spray  throughout  the  entire  year.  What 
would  become  of  our  precious  Hybrid  Perpetuals,  Tea's,  Bourbons,  or 
delicate  Noisettes  ia  such  an  exposed  situation  as  this  X 
