The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-09
YOUNG WOMEN LEARNING HOW TO PRUNE TREES.

In the manager of country places
! there is need in many instances for i'm
provements in methods. The best gardeners
are usually those who are descendants
of generations of gardeners, in England
Scotland, Ireland and Germany mainly.
Many have not received special education
for their work in the line Of the sciences
which is now necessary, but from their
boyhood they have had training for it and
they have a natural love for the business.
There are large numbers of men working
as gardeners who have very little knowledge
of the requirements nf the work. and such
are most unsatisfactory, They have no
knowledge Of insects or of their treatment;
they cannot always distinguish flower
from a weed. and unless one stands over
them to guide their work. they are quite as
apt to hoe out the most valuable flowers
as the weeds; they have no knowledge Of
pruning, and will prune and shear all shrubs
and plants alike.
Gardens under the care Of such men
are always disappointment from the loss
Of bloom through Lad pruning. from in
, juries ty insects and diseases that have
| full control and from the general condition
/ that results from the work of those who
possess little or no knowledge Of their
duties.
To secure thoroughly competent men
graduated salaries should be paid, and this
can well be done, for under the present
system large commissions are often paid
to superintendent on purchases made
through them, which in some instances
amount to more than their salary. An
illustration of this is afforded Ly a case
in which a pair of horses We're purchased
for $500 and charged up to the owner for
81 400
Commissions are often paid to superin-
tendents by gardeners who obtain positions
under them. and on all of the labor per-
formed, as well as on all purchases made
Of machinery. tools and materials. com
missions are collected. In some instances
gardeners collect commissions on the laLor
employed in their department,
In one instance, where this system of
graft had leen carried so far as to fecome
turdensome an entire change was made.
A new superintendent was employed at
double the salary Of the former and changes
were made in every department.
The superintendent increased salary
was more than repaid in the first year of
his mana cement by the reduction made in
the item of feed bills for horses alone, a
large amount having teen grown on the
place by competent labor, well managed
These abuses in the management of coun-
try places exist because of failure to dis.
tnguish between honest, capable super
intendents and gardeners and those who
are not. The former are often asked to
give their services for the same considera-
ton a. those who are willing to accept low
salaries and the opportunity that offers for
aft,
College graduates are now seeking such
places, and being trained in the agricultural
sciences they have the knowledge now
so necessary in all branches of land man
agement. They sometimes lack the prac-
teal knowledge necessary for good bust
ness managers if previous experience
on the farm has not been had, but an in
terest in and love for nature work will
soon make an educated man without
knowledge Of farming of far greater value
than the farmer without scientific knowl-
edge.
The college course does not give the
practical training that is required. The
college assumes that young men have
had that, but all do not leave farms to
take the agricultural course, and many
who do are so far behind modern re-
quirements in land management that their
experience is not Of the greatest value.
Too many young men on farms at the
present time follow in the footsteps Of
past generations; hence their practise is
defective.
Agricultural colleges should bo so
equipped as to give to students who come