December  4,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
513 
as  we  usually  see  it  at  its  best  during  the  summer,  and,  I  am 
bound  to  add.  sometimes  at  its  worst,  owing  to  the  prevalence 
of  tlirips.  With  this  treatment  it  grows  as  strongly  and  as 
freely  flowers,  while  I  think  the  colour,  if  anything,  is  enhanced. 
It  is  greatly  appreciated  here ;  we  frequently  use  it  for  table 
decoration,  the  flowers  lasting  a  long  time  when  cut  and  placed 
in  water.  This  is  not  an  attempt  to  alienate  your  love  for  the 
Autumn  Queen  or  to  usurp  any  of  its  space  in  your  pages,  but 
perhaps,  like  us,  you  can  find  room  for  both. — E.  J.  P.  [The 
flowers  were  exceptionally  fine. — Ed.1 
•  I 
H.C.S.  Judges. 
In  fairness  to  the  management  of  this  society  ,  I,  as  one  of  the 
independent  judges  at  the  late  November  Show,  wish  to  inform 
the  public,  and  “  F.  W.”  in  particular,  how  we  were  ciceroned 
while  in  the  building  preparatory  to  commencing  our  duties  on 
the  morning  of  the  show.  A  week  before  the  date  I  received  a 
letter  asking  me  upon  entering  the  building  to  go  direct  to  a 
room  in  the  gallery  and  wait  there  until  I  was  required.  I  entered 
the  building  at  10.45,  carrying  out  my  instructions  to'  the  letter, 
and  I  can  answer  for  eight  of  the  other  judges  doing  the  same 
thing;  perhaps  there  were  more,  one  or  two  are  not  personally 
known  to  me,  therefore  I  cannot  be'  quite  accurate  beyond  the 
number  given.  Whether  or  not  “  F.  W.”  had  other  reasons  to 
complain  of,  it  should  certainly  be  widely  known  how  the 
management  acted  in  this  detail.  I  suggested  previous  to  the 
day  that  we  poor  mortals  should  be  blindfolded  and  escorted  into 
the  building  and  past  those  exhibits  which  we  were  to  adjudicate 
upon  later  in  the  day  ! — Edwin  Molynettx. 
The  Scarcity  of  Journeyman  Gardeners. 
The  question  that  should  be  at  present  engaging  the  serious 
attention  of  gentlemen,  nurserymen,  and  head  gardeners  is  tlfe 
scarcity  of  young  journeymen.  Of  practical  qualified  head  gar¬ 
deners  there  are  abundance,  but  I  maintain  that  the  supply  for 
young  men  as  practical  and  efficient  gardeners  is  very  much  ex¬ 
ceeded  by  the  demand.  As  we  all  know,  an  advertisement  in  the 
paper  will  bring  dozens  of  replies,  but  sift  them  out,  and  how  many 
young  men  will  you  find  to  take  the  under  gardener’s  position 
who  have  any  knowledge  at  all  of  horticultural  work  ?  A  gardener 
of  my  acquaintance  recently  advertised  for  a  journeyman.  It 
is  true  the  salary  was  not  munificent,  but  the  following  are  a 
good  sample  of  the  replies  he  received,  and  will  serve  to  bear 
out  my  remarks.  One  letter  went  on  to  explain  that  the  appli¬ 
cant  was  a  carpenter  and  painter,  but  he  had  an  allotment  piece 
under  cultivation,  and  lie  had  been  so  successful  with  it  that 
he  was  sure  he  would  be  a  first-rate  gardener,  and  would  not 
object  to  fill  in  time  at  any  odd  jobs  at  his  trade.  Another  had 
been  working  as  a  groom,  but  having  noticed  that  coachmen  and 
gardeners  were  advertised  under  the  same  heading,  was  confident 
that  he  could  manage  the  work. 
Of  course,  my  observations  do  not  apply  to  the  kitchen  gar¬ 
dener,  but  to  the  all-round  gardener,  who  has  to  spend  a  lifetime 
at  his  work,  and  then  can  ever  be  learning  and  finding  out 
something  new  in  the  cultivation  of  plants,  fruits,  and 
vegetables. 
The  pertinent  question,  however,  is;  Why  is  there  such  a 
scarcity  of  young  gardeners?  One  reason  is  that  the  amount 
paid  them  is  not  as  a  rule  sufficient,  and  when  the  young  man 
has  to  face  life  on  his  own  initiative  he  finds  that  other  trades 
and  professions  offer  him  special  inducements,  but  in  the  garden¬ 
ing  world  there  are  none.  He  wants  to  become  a  practical 
gardener,  but  what  are  his  chances?  Going  right  away  from 
home,  he  is  very  likely  installed  in  a  bothy;  he  does  not  live, 
but  manages  to  exist  somehow,  with  absolutely  no  comfort  what¬ 
ever.  If  there  is  no  bothy,  then  there  are  lodgings,  which 
swallows  up  three-fourths  of  his  salary.  No  wonder  he  hesi¬ 
tates  ;  and  so  it  is  that,  although  the  man  has  a  natural  liking 
for  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  interesting  professions,  the 
inducements  offered  other  ways  by  far  out-balance  those  offered 
by  gardeners. 
On  the  other  hand,  supposing  a  man  decides  to  go  in  for 
horticulture.  He  starts  at  a  low  salary,  living  a  life  of  dis¬ 
comfort,  but  taking  an  active  interest  in  his  work,  and  studying 
in  spare  time.  Having,  after  a  number  of  years’  hard  work, 
obtained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  his  profession,  he  desires  to 
get  a  situation  as  head  gardener.  Are  there  any  obstacles  in 
his  path?  Merely  the  fact  that  dozens  of  able  and  experienced 
men  are  working  as  under-hands  in  a  nursery,  waiting  for  their 
long-coming  chance.  When  it  does  come,  is  the  salary  as  a  rule 
good,  and  likely  to  repay  the  man  for  his  years  of  hard  study 
and  labour?  Emphatically  I  say  no!  More  than  likely  it  is  just 
above  the  amount  paid  to  the  unskilled  labourer. 
There  is  no  doubt  whatever  that  the  welfare  and  training  of 
the  coming  generation  of  gardeners  demands  expert  considera¬ 
tion,  and  something  should  he  done  to  bring  forward  a  combined 
movement  on  the  part  of  nurserymen  and  gardeners  to  consider 
what  in  a  few  years  threatens  to  become  a  serious  problem. 
Although  horticulture  has  flourished  in  this  country  of  recent 
years  to  a  surprising  degree,  the  credit  is  chiefly  due  to  the  large 
nurserymen  and  growers.  I  do  not  mean  for  one  moment  to 
cast  any  reflection  upon  gentlemen’s  gardeners,  because  the 
majority  are  skilled  and  capable  men.  My;  point  is,  that  the 
gentlemen  do  not  encourage  their  gardeners  to  test  their  skill ; 
on  the  contrary,  they  prefer  quantity  to  quality.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  nurseryman  is  always  striving  to  outdo  a  competitor, 
and  therein  lies  the  secret  of  his  success.  I  am  afraid  the  coming 
generation  of  gardeners  will  not  enjoy  the  palmy  days  of  their 
predecessors.  The  good  old  county  gentry  are  fast  dying  out, 
and  the  self-made  commercial  man  is  taking  their  place.  He 
has  no  eye  for  beauty  or  love  for  horticulture.  Imbued  with  the 
modern  theory  money  makes  money,  he  wants  to  see  the  garden 
paying  its  expenses ;  if  it  does  not,  then  it’s  bad  for  the  poor 
head  gardener,  and  worse  for  his  struggling,  half-paid  journey¬ 
man.  My  view  of  the  situation  may  seem  gloomy,  but  it  has 
been  upheld  by  a  number  of  horticultural  experts  whom  I  have 
consulted.  Perhaps  some  of  your  readers  will  like  to  express  an 
opinion  on  the  subject. — E.  E.  R. 
- oOo  ■  — 
CHERRY  HOUSE. 
Attend  to  the  pruning  of  the  trees ;  this  is  a  light  affair  where 
the  trees  have  been  regularly  stopped  during  growth  and  are  full 
grown.  Shoots  not  wanted  for  extension  or  filling  vacant  space 
should  be  cut  back  to  about  an  inch  from  the  base  of  the  current 
year’s  growth,  and  the  worn-out  spurs,  as  well  as  the  dead,  may 
be  removed.  The  terminal  shoots,  in  the  case  of  young  trees  not 
full  sized,  must  not  be  shortened  unless  the  extremity  of  the 
trellis  is  reached,  and  the  central  shoots  of  young  trees  will 
require  to  be  cut  back  as  may  be  necessary  to  originate  shoots 
for  filling  up  the  space  regularly,  care  being  always  taken  to 
prune  to  a  wood-bud.  Fan-training  is  the  most  eligible  system, 
particularly  suited  to  the  Cherry,  as  it  admits  of  replacing  any 
branch  that  may  fall  a  prey  to  gumming.  The  house  should  have 
a  thorough  cleaning,  the  trees  being  dressed  with  an  insecticide 
after  washing  with  softsoapy  water.  A  composition  formed  of  a 
solution  of  softsoap,  4oz  to  half  a  gallon  of  water,  one  quart  of 
tobacco  juice  diluted  with  a  similar  quantity  of  hot  water,  with 
slaked  lime  and  flowers  of  sulphur  in  equal  part®  sufficient  to 
form  a  thin  paint,  is  an  excellent  dressing  for  Cherry  trees,  apply¬ 
ing  with  a  brush,  being  careful  not  to  injure  the  buds.  The  roof 
lights  need  not  be  put  on  until  the  time  arrives  for  starting 
the  trees,  which  may  be  with  the  new  year  to  have  Cherries 
ripe  in  April  and  May. 
FIELD  AND  GARDEN  =  GROWN  TURNIPS. 
It  is  a  fact  commonly  acknowledged  that  Turnips  grown 
quickly  in  the  open  field  are  invariably  more  tender  in  flesh  and 
of  better  flavour  than  those  produced  under  conditions  afforded  in 
the  garden.  This  has  especial  reference  to  the  late  summer  and 
autumn.  In  the  field  the  farmer  treats  Turnips  strictly  as  a 
catch  crop  ;  it  may  fill  in  a  space  of  time,  or  provide  an  auxiliary 
crop  for  the  winter.  In  the  garden  when  the  weather  is  droughty, 
and  the  Turnip  flea  is  ever  ready  to  devour  the  tiny  seedling  as 
it  emerges  from  the  soil,  there  is  often  a  deal  of  anxiety  raised  as 
to  future  provision.  The  garden,  always  stocked  with  vegetables 
of  the  Brassica  species,  affords  a,  cover  for  the  troublesome  fly; 
but  in  the  field  this  is  not  the  case  generally,  though  in  some 
seasons  the  farmer  need  to  anticipate  these  troubles. 
Apart  from  these  seed-bed  anxieties,  there  is  in  autumn  a 
much  better  textured  root  obtained  from  the  open  field,  because 
their  growth  advance  under  so  much  better  conditions  :  air,  light, 
and  freedom  from  obstruction,  such  as  fruit  trees  afford,  give 
them  an  unfettered  opportunity.  The  method  of  tillage,  too, 
differs  from  the  garden  :  and,  treated  as  a  catch  crop,  there  is  an 
absolute  change  of  soil,  which  to  almost  everything  we  grow  is  so 
important.  This  season,  with  its  frequent  showers,  Turnips  have 
done  much  better  than  usual ;  and  the  winter  prospects,  instead 
of  being  a  dread,  are  a  source  of  hope.  A  dearth  of  Turnips  is 
sure  to  give  rise  to  friction  in  the  kitchen,  and  the  gardener’s 
life  assume  a  worried  tone  if  this  important  root  vegetable  is 
unavailable  for  its  daily  purpose. 
Despite  the  frequent  rains  and  lower  range  of  summer  tem¬ 
peratures,  there  lias  still  been  times  of  scarcity  in  Turnip  crops; 
but  the  greater  consolation  comes  in  having  a  good  store  for  the 
winter.  When  these  fail  in  August  seed-beds  from  the  effects  of 
summer  drought  and  war-like  attitude  of  the  Turnip  flea,  there 
is  a  very  dull  hope  for  recurring  months.  It  is  in  such  times 
when  the  field  gives  a  reserve  to  draw  upon  that  is  both  welcome 
and  satisfying — satisfying  because  of  their  good  quality,  and 
welcome  because  of  the  abundant  store  to  draw  upon.  No  crop 
repay  open-air  treatment  more  than  Turnips,  and  no  ordinary 
garden  afford  the  same  conditions  as  do  the  field  for  a  winters 
supply. — R-  A. 
