[4] He became a tenant farmer and developed one of the largest potato farms in Scotland, occupying an extensive portion of land on the Drummond Castle estate of the Earl of Ancaster.
[6] During the Great War he served as a Member of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Potato Advisory Committee.
Gardiner's opponent was the Unionist Archibald Stirling who had represented one of the previous seats covering part of the same area, West Perthshire since winning a by-election there in February 1917.
Despite Gardiner's support for Prime Minister David Lloyd George, it was Stirling who was awarded the Coalition coupon.
[10] At the 1922 general election Gardiner stood as a supporter of Lloyd George under the description National Liberal and, despite the narrowness of his victory in 1918, he was returned unopposed.