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P A U T IV .
STATISTICS OF BRITISH GAEDENING.
628.5. Artbb haYing considered gardening as to its liistoiy, as to the seicntiflc principles
on which it is founded, and the application of these principles to the diflcrent branches
of practice ; it remains only to take a statistical surmij and estimate of its present state and
future progress iu the British Isles.
BOOK I.
TEBSENT STATE OE GAEDENIilG IN THE BRITISH ISLES.
6286. The present state o f British gardening, as to knowledge, has been the subject of
P a r t s II. and III. of this work; hut its importance, in the general economy of society,
can only bo learned by a statement of the manner in which it is actually ciuricd on ; the
moaiiications to which it has given rise in the pursuits of thoso who have embraced
the ai-t as a som-ce of livelihood ; the kinds of gardens employed by men of dtftereiit
orders in the state ; and tho private or professional police, and public laws relative to
o-.ardeners and gardens. In the flrst and second editions of this work, we included a
chapter enumerating the prmcipal gardens of Britain an-anged according to the counties
in which they were situated ; and also a chapter on the bibliography of gardemng, g-ivmg
a slight notice of all the prmcipal works which have been written on the subject, and
their authors. Wo have omitted the flrst of these chapters in the present edition,
because, after every endeavour on our own part, and aftor receiving the assistance of a
o-rcat many fl-icnds and correspondents, we have found it impossible to attain accuracy
as to the names of proprietors, or to give satisfaction as to what places ought to be
noticed, and what omitted. The chapter on gardening- bibliography has not been
inserted, because the list of books referred to, which follows om- preface, is considered a
sufiicient substitute for practical men.
Chai'. L
Different Cmditions o f Men engaged in the Practice or Pursuit o f Gardemng.
6287. Gardeners may be arranged as operators or serving gardeners ; dealers in gardening
or garden tradesmen ; counsellors, professors, or artists ; and patrons.
S e c t . I. Operators, or Serving Gardeners.
6288. The garden labourer is the lowest gi-ade in tho scale of serving gardeners. He
is occasionally employed to perform the common labours of gardening, as trenohing,
digging, hoeing, weeding, &c,: men for the more heavy, and women for the lightei-
employments. Garden labourers are not supposed to have received any professional in-
sti-iiction, farther than what they may have obtained by voluntaiy or casual observation.
Ill all gardens where three or four professional hands ai-e constantly employed, somo
labourers aro required at extraordinary seasons.
6289. Apprentice. Youths intended for serving or tradesmen gardeners are gcneraliy
articled or placed under master or tradesmen gardeners, for a given period, on terms of
mutual benefit: the master contracting to supply instruction, and generally food and
lodging, or a weekly sum as an equivalent; and the parents of the apprentice granting
the services of the latter dm-ing his apprenticeship as their piu't of the contract. The
term agi-eed on is generally three years ; or more, if the youth is under sixteen years of
age; but whatever may be the period, by the laws as to apprentices, it must not extend
beyond that at which tho youth attains the age of manhood. No ono can ever expect
to attain to the rank either of master-gardeiier or tradesmaii-gai-dener, who has not
served an apprenticeship to the one or tho other. In general, it is preferable to apprentice
youths to mastcr-gardeners, as there the labour is less than in commercial gardens,
and the opportunities of instruction generally much greater.
6290 Journmman. The period of apprenticeship being finished, that of journeyman
commences and continues, or ought to continue, till the man is at least twenty-flvo years
of age During this period, he ought not to remain above one year m any one situation ;
thus supposing he has completed his apprenticeship in a private garden at the age ot
twcntv-one and that his ultimate object is to becomo a head-gardener, ho ought first to
fi . . nr. iroiiro rvnvi-in-n . tLo nG-vf vp».r ITI ens-asre himself a year in a public botanic garden ; the next year in fal, ppuuoblliicc nnuurrsseeiiyy;;
that following, he should again enter a private garden, and continue making yearly
changes in the most eminent of this class of gardens, till he meets with a situation as
headirardencr. The course to be followed by an apprentice intended for a tradesman-
irardcner is obvious : having finished his period in a private garden, let him p^s through
a botanic and nursery garden, and then continue in the most eminent oi the class ot
public or tradesmen’s gardens, to which he is destined. . , ,
6^91 Foreman (before-man, or first man). In extensive gardens, where a number
of hands are employed, they are commonly grouped or an-anged in divisions, and one oi
the iourneymen of the longest standing is employed as foreman or sub-master to the rest.
Whenever three or more journeymen are employed, there is commonly a foreman, who
has a certain extent of authority at all times, but cspeciaUy m the absence of the master.
Tliis confers a certain degree of rank for the time being, but none afterwards.
6292. Master-gardener. A journeyman has attained the situation of master-gar-
dener, when he is appointed to the management of a garden, even if he has no labourer,
apprentice, or journeyman under him; but he has not attained to the rank of raaster-
eardener till having been a year in such situation. Afterwards, should he be obliged to
work as journeyman, he still retains the rank and title of master-gai-dener, but not of
head-gardener. . .
6293 A head-gardener, or upper gardener, is a master who has apprentices or journeymen
employed under him. Out of place and working as a journeyman, he retains the
rank and title of master-gardener, but not of head-gardener.
6294 Nursery-foreman. This is an important situation, the foreman bemg entrusted
-ivith the numbered and priced catalogues of the articles dealt in ; authorised to make
sales • entrusted to keep an account of men’s time, &c. (see Time Book, § 167 5.) ; and in
consequence it entitles the holder to the rank of head-gardener while so engaged, and to
that of master-gardener ever afterwards: the same may be said of foremen to public
botanic gardens, and royal or national gai-dcns. „ , „ ,
6295. A travelling gardener is one sent out as a gai'dener, or coUector ot plants, along
with scientific expeditions; lie is generaUy chosen from a botanic garden ; and his busi-
ness is to collect gardening productions of every kind, and to mark the soil, aspect, climate,
&c, to which they have been habituated.
6296. Botanic curator. This is the highest situation to which a seiwing gardener can
attain next to that of being the royal or government gardener. He superintends the culture
and management of a public botanic garden ; maintains an extensive correspondence
with other botanic curators -, exchanges plants, seeds, and dried specimens, s o ^ to keep
up or increase his own collection of living plants, and herbarium siccum. Abroad, tor
want of sufficiently intelligent practical gardeners, they have what are called directors and
inspectors of botanic or other government gai-dens; but no such office is requisite in this
6297. Boyal gardener, court-gardener, or govemment-gardener; jardinier de la cour, Fr, ;
hoffqartner, Ger. ; and giardiniere della corte, Ital. This is tlie highest step, the sum-
mum bonum, of garden servitude. In foreign countries, the court-gardener weai-s an appropriate
livery, as did formerly the head gardeners of the principal nobility, as well as
the court gardeners of this country. At present this remnant of feudal slavery is laid
aside in every grade of British garden servitude.
S e c t . II. Tradesmen-Gardeners.
6298. O f tradesmen-gardeners, the first gi-ade is t\i<ijohbing-garden€r, who lays out or
alters gai-dens, and keeps them in repair by the month or year. Generally he uses his
own tools, in which he is distinguished from, the serving gardener; and sometimes iie
supplies plants from a small sale-gai-deii of liis own.
6299. Contracting gardeners, or new-ground workmen, ai-e jobbers on a larger scale.
They undertake extensive works, as forming plantations, pieces of water, i-oads, kitchen-
gardens, and even hothouses, and other gai-den structures and buildings. Formerly, and
especially in Browm’s time, this branch of trade was combined with that of the artist-gar-
dener; hut now, since the principle of the division of labour has been so much refined on,
they aa-e generally separated.
6300. Seed-growers are as frequently fai-mers as gardeners; their gardens or fields are
situated in wai-m districts, and they contract with seed-merchants to supply certam seeds
at certain rates, or to raise or grow seeds furnished to them by the seedsmen ou stipulated