114 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 13. 
French, generally, are not much given to reading, and those 
interested in g.nrdening matters trust more to common 
routine then litei'ary discussion. Now and then, however, 
articles about flowers and plants aiipear in the regular 
journals; hut these are seldom reniarkahle for their practical 
value. I cannot help thinking that the mode of publishing 
here operates as a harrier to the circulation of such works. 
No single copies are sold, except to subscribers, and only at 
double price. Every subscription must date from the same 
day, and be for the whole year. This plan also applies to 
agricultural iieriodicals, of which the Journal Pratique takes 
the lead. In this \vay the publishers consult their own 
convenience, and not that of the public; but they overlook 
their real interest. 
Let the thistle keep up its head! If you have made out 
that Sir Joseph Paxton is not a Scotchman, it may be some 
comfort for Scotchmen, and Scotch gardeners in particular, 
to learn that the patron saint of gardeners, in Fr.ance, was 
not only “ frae yont the Tweed,” but also a real Scotch 
Prince, being the eldest son of a King who is stated to have 
reigned in Caledonia about the middle of the sixth conlui’y, 
and who was contemporary with Clotaire the Second, King 
of France. A biography of this personage, who is duly 
entered in the French Calendar as Nainl Fiacre, has just 
been published in the Almanack da Jardinicr, from which 1 
shall extract a few particulars. 
It appears that St. Fiacre was brought up under the care 
of Conan, Bishop of Sodor, to whom his father, the King, 
had intrusted his education. When scarcely twenty years 
old he became disgusted with the vanities of the world, and 
either under the impression that a prophet has no honour 
in his own country, or, like many more, having a moody 
penchant for roaming, he ignored his nobility and his fortune, 
bade adieu to the bleak mountains of his native land, and, 
in the garb of a devout and simple pilgrim, bent his steps 
to the capital of France. He ultimately established himself 
as a hermit in tlie dark forest of Breuil, with the authority 
and iirotection of St. Faron, who, besides having a great 
liking for the islanders of the west, was struck with the 
royal pilgrim's sentiments of humble devotion and contrition. 
In his solitude, St. Fiacre was not idle, but actively occupied 
himself in ministering to the necessities of the poor and 
sick. Ho laid out a garden, and cultivated vegetables and 
medicinal plants, which lie distributed gratis to all who 
came to ask his blessing or bis charitJ^ Even miracles are 
said to have been worked by him; but this Divine iiower 
was looked upon by impious persons as witchcraft, and at 
one time he had nearly lost the friendship and protection of 
8t. Faron, through the false and malicious accusations of a 
woman, who attributed his miracles to the agency of Satan. 
But this wicked woman was soon found out, and the good 
Fiacre lived down the slanders which had been raised against 
him. From this time he enjoyed tramiuillity, working in 
liis garden, during the day, for the temporal and spiritual 
wants of the poor, and devoting his evenings to calm medi¬ 
tation and prayer. In the course of time, he built a private 
chapel and a hospital for the sick and infirm, whom he 
ministered to and relieved with his own hands. But St. 
Fiacre was austre and ascetic, never allowing women to 
enter his hermitage; even (iueens and Briucesses were 
excluded—a circumstance which exposed him to persecution 
on the iiart of at least one royal lady. 
It is not stated to what age the saint lived; but we learn 
that he died on the doth of August, in the year 070; his 
chapel or oraloirc serving him for a tomb, to which the 
people, out of veneration for the illustrious hermit, were 
accustomed to repair during several centuries after. In 
1234, Bishop Fhilippe had the body removed to the cburcli 
of jMe.aux. In 1027, John de Bcllun opened the tomb, and 
te.ok out a portion of the bones, which were sent to the 
tiramlDuke of Tuscany, by whom they were richly encased, 
and deposited in a chapel built near Florence. So late as 
the last century, relics of St. Fiacre were to be seen in several 
churches in Baris, and other i)arts of France. Kings and 
1 Emperors, in ditl'erent ages, have venerated the memory of 
the good Scot, and have made pilgrimages to his tomb; 
but OOO years ela])sed before the Church ranked him among 
the number of those Avho have honoureil her by their piety 
and their virtues. 
On the 30th of August, which is the fete day of the vene¬ 
rated patron of gardeners in France, the churches in the 
country are decorated witli flow'errs and garlands of foliage ; 
sacred music resounds through the lofty aisles, and clouds of 
incense arise from the foot of the altar; then, in the im¬ 
posing solemnity of the scene, the priest asks a blessing for 
the humble labourers of the garden and field, who, kneeling 
before the throne of the Most High, acknowledge that 
“I’aul may plant, and Apollos may water,” but that the in- ' 
crease is from above. j 
The w'eather here for some days has been damp and j 
dismal enough, and the want of crossing-sweepers more 
than usually felt. There are now some signs of it clearing ! 
up again; but it has been real London weather lately—not 
that densely foggy Aveather, however, which the Barisians ' 
suppose to prevail every day round St. Baul’s. j 
Among the supplies of fruit in the markets, at present, a i 
great many lai’ge Quinces may be seen ; also. Medlars and ! 
Crabs. The commonest autumn Fig here is what is called ; 
Fi(jne de Marseilles, a round onion-shaped variety, of first- j 
rate (piality, fully an inch in diameter, and bloomed like an 
Orleans Blum. It is very ditl'erent from any of the summer | 
Figs, both in form and colour. A feAv Bine-apiiles may be i 
seen in the simps of some of the principal dealers; but, on | 
the whole, they are very scarce. Tliere is a large variety of 
Citron, called in French Poncire, somewhat common just 
now; but I have not had an opportunity of making out its 
real name. It is chietiy used as a spice in cookery. There 
have, also, been several arrivals of Lemons, Oranges, and 
Bomegranates, from Sjiain. Melons, Gourds,and Bumpkins, 
are in great gbundance, as there has been a heavy crop this 
year. They are used extensively in soup by the people ; 
and, indeed, soup made in this way is invaluable for purify¬ 
ing tlie blood and rectifying the whole system, without 
violent action. For persons subject to headaches and 
nervous disorders, Gizaumont soup is not only nourishing 
food, but also one of the best and cheapest medicines to be 
had; and 1 am inclined to believe that this fact explains, in 
some measure, why the hospital surgeons here have had so 
little to do this summer and autumn. I myself know of 
several cases which prove the correctness of this view. The 
common Bumpkin is sold by every greengrocer ; and a large 
slice, enough to make soup for several persons, may be had 
for two sous (Id.) ; but one of the best sorts is the Gizau- 
niont, or Turban Gourd, and it is selling at four and five 
sous, ten or twelve inches in diameter.—B. F. Keir. 
FUTURE MANAGEMENT OF THE LONDON 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
“ Suburban” offers the following suggestions, in addition 
to those given in number 30!) of your Journal, concerning 
the future management of the Horticultural Society of 
London. 
Six of the General Meetings Avere held at the Society’s 
House, in Regent Street, London: dating from Nov. 7th 
1854 to May 8th, 1855. One Exhibition Avas held at Gore j 
House, Kensington, on May Glh, and tAvo at Chiswick, on 
Juno 20th and July, 1855. | 
It Avas certainly a mistaken notion of the Committee to 
reduce the ChisAvick Exhibitions. 
AVithout further delay, it has become absolutely necessary 
that they should devote their attention to the reclaiming of 
the Society. Every kind of attraction that can be dcA'ised 
must be introduced, to induce the public to become sub¬ 
scribers at the moderate rate of subscription mentioned by 
you. 
Many living in the vicinity of these gardens, Avould, no 
doubt, bo glad to subsci'ibe a guinea, as an annual subscrip¬ 
tion; also those residing at Kensington, Bayswater, and the 
West End of London, provided tliat old formality of ap¬ 
plying to the Fellows for tickets of admission, and the bother 
of signing the name and address, at the entrance lodge, 
Avere entirely abolished; and tickets, signed by the Secretary 
of the Society, substituted for them, delivered by the visitor 
to the porter in attendance. 
The lodge referred to, placed, as it is, in an obscure posi¬ 
tion, Avill serve for a side entrance. But a iicav lodge, for 
the admission of the public, must bo erected in the main 
