HORTICULTURAL.

Evening Star, Issue 7431, 28 January 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

HORTICULTURAL.

The following paper was read by Mr Joseph Powell before the Jubilee Horticultural Society at its monthly meeting in December :

I stand before you to-night, in compliance with a promise somewhat hastily made some time ago—viz., to supply a paper to read before you this evening. Now, gentlemen, as the spade is a more familiar tool in my hand than tiro pen, and as this is my maiden effort in this line, I crave your indulgence while I read to you a few remarks that I have jotted down on “ Some of the Difficulties that Gardeners have to Contend Against.” In the forefront of those difficulties, then, I will place our wants of an adequate education to enable us to carry on our duties in a thoroughly intelligent manner, instead of, as I am afraid is too often the ease, in what I may call a liappy-go-lueky kind of style. If there are any gentlemen in the room who feel that they are not amongst that class, I hope they will not feel in the least offended. My remarks on this head will not apply to them, We know—or are told so atony rate—that there are exceptions to every rule, and they may be thankful that they belong to the exceptions and not to the rule. Neither do I wish it to be understood that as a class we stand lower in the matter of education than any other class of the same social standing—nay, I think I may say, without being accused of egotism, that we hold a high position for education and intelligence; but what I do mean to say is that our education is not adequate to our requirements. And what are those requirements? Well, they are so varied, and some of them so profound, that I know of no trade or profession I make no exception—that requires a more varied or general knowledge than the man who follows gardening as a profession. Take a medical man, for example, He has only got one species, with perhaps ten or a dozen varieties to deal with; yet ho is bound, and rightly so, to have a university education before he is allowed to practise. No doubt the doctor’s subjects arc far more important than any of the 120,000 species that the gardener may have to deal with, without taking into consideration the varieties—and they are not few. Yet I do not hesitate to say that some of the gardener’s patients require quite as careful treatment to rear and grow them successfully as do those belonging to the doctor. Take, again, the fact that plants are brought from all parts of the world, fi’om every kind of climate. It stands to reason that if the gardener is not possessed of a good geographical knowledge to enable him to understand what kind of climate and soil is suited to their requirements, he will be quite at sea as to their cultivation. Again, how can you expect a man who has, perhaps, had only the merest rudimentary education, to be able to study botany with anything like success? Why, the very names that are employed in botanical science—seeing that they are all derived from Greek or Latin—arc a complete stumbling-block to him ; even if he is ever able to pronounce them, they convey no meaning to him, as they would to the educated man. In the matter of the study of botany, then, the man must be possessed of a good education to enable him to do so witlx any hope of much success. Hear what a high authority says on this point: “ There arc few branches of Science so easily made popular as botany ; but they very much mistake its nature who suppose it to consist in a mere knowledge of the names of plants, or in a familiarity with the classes of an artificial system. What botany really is, and to what the true study of it tends, is better perceived if we consider that ‘ there is not a flower that blows but has some beauty only unveiled to the minute inquirer, some peculiarity in structure, fitting it to its destined place and purpose, and yet not patent to a casual glance.’ There is perhaps no branch of science whicli demands more than botany the application of the highest mental powers; and, like every other, to him who truly prosecutes it, whether little or much, it brings in duo measun an immediate reward in his own improvement and delight.” Again, I think the gardener should have some knowledge of chemistry, so as to enable him to analyse soils. How often do we hear of gardeners complaining that such and such things won’t do in his place ; and he will tell you how he has tried this, that, and the other, without any good result. Now, very likely the trouble is caused by some constituents being either in excess or deficient in the soil, which, if he were able to analyse, he would find out and remedy at once ; on the other hand, it may take him years in experimenting to find out what was wrong. I remember once hearing of a case in some part cf England, wlxere the farmers iu a particular locality found that their land was greatly benefited by the application of lime. Unfortunately, however, the lime-kiln was a long distance away, and they were only enabled to obtain the lime at great expense. However, some enterprising individual found out that there was limestone close at hand, and only required burning to render it fit for the farmers. That was soon done, and the farmer was enabled to put the lime on to his land to his heart’s content; but to his and his neighbors’ intense surprise, the crops, instead of being benefited by the application, as of old, got gradually worse and worse, and it was only after some years, and when the land was thoroughly poisoned, that they found out what was the cause—viz., that the lime contained some constituent that actually poisoned instead of benefiting the land. Now, if those farmers had been qualified to analyse the lime, instead of waiting for years and loosing lots of money, they would have known its qualities at once, and would therefore not have used it. Again, I think a gardener, to be able to keep his insect enemies in check, should know something of their habits and mode of life, so that if he cannot eradicate them altogether he may at least hold them well in check, that they may do the plants under his care as little injury as may be. Gentlemen, there have been men who have made entomology a life study, yet they did not find out all that is to be known ; therefore it would hardly be fair to expect a gardener to know all. Still, as I said before, he should know something so as to bo able to keep them at arms’ length. Again, a gardener is often called upon to carry out systems of drainage, and therefore he should know something about surveying and levelling. He will often be called upon to design garden structures, suitable to the requirements of the plants he wants to grow, and therefore should know something of architecture. He must also know something about treating horticulture structures with hot water. He must also know something about a hundred and one other things if ho wants to carry out his duties in a thoroughly intelligent manner, but which it is utterly impossible for him to do if he has not got a good education. Now, gentlemen, you will perhaps ask if it is true that gardeners require an education such as I have been trying to point out. I say you will perhaps ask why men are not educated for the gardening profession as highly as are those, say, for medicine and for the law, seeing that the requirements for the one are quite as high as for the other ? I will tell you—there is too much hard work attached to gardening, and in my estimation, they (the gardeners) have always been underand so long as these two points obtain, you. will not find cultured men going iu for gardening as a profession. It is not for a want of liking for gardening amongst what I may term tho cultured classes that keeps them from following gardening, as I know of no calling that has so many amateurs in its ranks as that of gardening. I said, a few moments ago, that I considered that gardeners were under-paid;

I will now tell you my reasons, Wo will take, for example, say a gentleman who has amassed a large fortune, and resolves to buy an estate, build himself a mansion, and settle down to enjoy his wellearned gains. Well, we will say that his house costs him so many thousands, including furniture, stabling, horses, carriages, pictures, and all that sort of thing, and his gardens cost him an equal amount to lay out, furnish, and maintain. Now, I venture to say that the retired millionaire will get more real enjoyment out of the gardening part of his expenditure than he will out of the other. If, then, the greatest and most lasting enjoyment that money can buy is produced mainly by the gardener’s skill, surely he is entitled to at least sufficient remuneration to enable him to educate his children in such a manner that those who come after him may be enabled to carry on their duties in a more capable manner than their fathers could ever hope to do. Instead of the above, however, what do we find ? Why, if any individual finds himself completely out at elbows, and fairly on his beam ends, or, as I have heard some express it, “fly-blown,” he immediately turns his attention to gardening. He thinks he can manage that, after he is found to bo perfectly unfit for anything else; and, unfortunately, there are plenty ready to employ him if he only offers his services at something below the current rate. There is a difficulty that young men who would like to follow gardening as a profession have to contend against—at least, round about Dunedin here, and I believe throughout the whole Colony. I mean the difficulty of being able to get into any place where they will be able to learu their business properly. As you know, in the Old Country there are any number of nurseries and gentlemen’s private establishments where boys are taken in and taught their business. Here in New Zealand it is quite different, and you might count the places on your fingers where they would be able to take boys as apprentices. The only partial remedy that I can see for this state of things is our Botanical Gardens, where, I think, every bit of work should be done by the head gardener and apprentices. Instead of that, what do we find ? Why, that the prisoners do most of that kind of work, instead of being employed breaking stones, as they ought to be. If the work at the Botanical Gardens were done as I suggest, I have not the slightest doubt that a good many young men would gladly turn their attention to gardening that have no chance whatever in that line as things are at present. As we are in the habit of importing the most of our gardeners from the Old Country, and as amongst our members there maybe some who are what we generally call new chums, I would like to say a few words as to the difficulties they are likely to meet with. The first difficulty, then, that is likely to present itself to the new arrival will be the one of obtaining a billot; and if he arrive in the same condition as I did—viz., with a comparatively large family and a very light purse—he will have a very anxious time until the situation is obtained. Well, we will suppose that difficulty has been accomplished, and wo will also suppose that he has held a good position at Home in the gardening world. He will find it a terrible let-down in his new place to know that he has about double the amount of ground to keep in order, with only his own pair of hands, to what he had in the Old Country with two or three assistants. He may at once bid good-bye to most of his old pets that he used to be in the habit of spending so much of his time training, etc. No, instead of directing his energies in that style, he will find that the grass wants mowing, tome part of his kitchen or flower garden wants digging, or, if neither of those two things requires his attention, the sprrel is sure to want the hoe run through it; and if he happens to find that all three want doing at once, and only his own pair of hands to do it, he must not grumble, but pitch into that part that wants doing worst; and if while he is still in the middle of his job the mistress sends out to say that the butcher has forgotten the chops, and that they are bound to have them fetched up from town, and there is no one to go for them but the gardener, he must pocket his pride, if ho has any, and “not stand upon the order of his going, but go at once.” In short, if the new churn means to get on, he must be industrious and obliging, and not go about continually grumbling, because he docs not find everything regulated in the same order as he did at Home. In fact, I think that any man coming out to this Colony from England, and expecting to find gardeners’ positions as strictly defined as they are there, had much better have never left Home, I would like now to say a word or two on behalf of my friend the amateur. I mean the real Simon Pure, not that hybrid kind of individual who does his gardening by proxy and competes at our shows in the guise of an amateur. Now, gentlemen, I maintain that the amateur who has to do all his work himself is handicapped at the shows in having to compete with what I max' term, if it is not unparliamentary, the Isd-glovcd hybrid ; and I will tell you why I think so. We will suppose that two individuals of the types I have described above decide to compete, say, iu cut blooms. Well, the first thing to be done is to obtain plants or seeds, as the case may bo. Now, Mr Opulent, who docs not mind spending a little extra cash to be able to get good things, is enabled to send for and obtain them, while Mr Scant of-cash is obliged to put up with what he can get. Well, after the seeds are bought and the season has arrived to sow them, my man of money simply tells his man to make up a bit of a hot-bed—or what is more likely, the man tells him it is time it was done ; at any rate the bed is made up, the soil is got ready, the seeds sown, the plants pricked out and grown on until they are finally planted out. And what do you think our kid - gloved friend has done towards growing those plants ? Why, he sowed the seed, I believe, but am not quite sure about that; and he gave them a drop of water on those days that the gardener was not at his place. On the other hand, Mr Amateur, scant of cash, had to do all the work in connection with the growing of his plants, and with this difference—that he had no hot-bed to help him along, but had to start his stuff in old kerosene tins or any old box that came in his way. In fifty ways you will find, if you look into this matter, that the man who can afford to employ labor has the whip-hand of the person who cannot. I hope therefore, gentlemen, you will do all you can to help the bona fide amateur ; and you will best do that by making all those men who employ professional assistance show in the open class. There is just another difficulty that I wish to bring under your notice—a difficulty that not only besets gardeners, but a good many other people besides. It is a difficulty, in fact, that a great many of our cleverest men have been quite unable to solve. I mean the solving of that problem of being able, after our physical energies begin to decline, and “ when service should in our old limbs lie lame,” to retire to some little nook we may call our own, and with sufficient funds at our disposal to supply us with the necessaries, if not all the comforts of life, until we are called upon to pay the debt of Nature. And when we are laid beneath the green sod, decked by that “ wee, modest, crimsontipped flower, ” may our friends that we leave behind be able to look along our backward track at any rate without pain, and be able to say that the world was something better for our having lived in it; then our lives will not have been lived in vain. To make such an ending, and with our small wages, I need hardly say that a close partnership with a gentleman named “ Barleycorn ” is completely out of the question, and if there arc any here who have joined the partnership, I would say—and I say it in all brotherly kindness—give him the cold shoulder at once.becauseifyou don’t, sooner or later he will give the cold shoulder to you. I believe him to be the greatest enemy of our race, for not only docs he rob us of our money, health, and character, but causes us to do deeds of violence, not only to ourselves, but to those dearest and nearest to us. Let us, then, have nothing more whatever to do with him. We must also study economy in other ways, always living within our means, and whenever there is a shilling to spare to drop it into the stocking at once, never forgetting the old maxim “ That if we take care of the shillings, the pounds will take care of themselves,” Gentlemen, there is nothing slings me to the quick more than to see some poor old

man, after spending the best years of his life in honest toil, beholden to cold charity, perhaps through no fault of his own, for the merest necessaries to keep body and soul together. Let us, then, by every honest endeavor, strive to avoid such a finish as that. To sum up, then, and conclude: Seeing that we have schools of agriculturd, schools of mines, music, and I know not what besides, would it not be possible to have schools of horticulture ? where our young men could be let into the secrets of “Madame How and Lady Why ” of Nature, so far as horticulture is concerned, and then with a thorough practical training, coupled with a sober and industrious life, they would be able to laugh at most of the difficulties that have beset their predecessors.