Nov. 1st, 1884. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
131 
“ Gardening is the purest ot human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man.”— Bacon. 
Cjdarktratg SEorA 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1st, 1884. 
Gardening Statesmen. —Cincinnatus at the 
plough, resting by labour in his fields from the 
onerous responsibilities of statesmanship, presents 
to our minds a pleasing though exceedingly 
antique feature in history. Fortunately Cincin- 
uatus, whatever may have been his party politics, 
is of such ancient fame that reference to his 
recreative pleasures can hardly evoke party 
manifestation now. We do not now, in alluding 
to the associations of some modern statesmen 
with gardening, desire to evoke any kind of party 
sentiment. We rather refer to them as pleasant 
evidences of the charm which hinges round 
gardening to even those who, burthened with the 
cares of State, yet are glad, in moments of leisure, 
to turn to their gardens for change and rest. 
Mr. Gladstone, by reason of the high office he 
holds, is without doubt the foremost figure in 
political life, and his fondness for gardening is 
well known. Ordinarily he is most heard of in 
association with tree felling, and it is assumed 
that such labour, though with him recreation, is a 
sort of momonia, but that is a manifest absurdity. 
Mr. Gladstone cuts down only doomed trees, and 
finds pleasure even in such laborious work. 
But he is as fond of planting young trees as of 
felling old ones, and thus, if felling for present 
pleasure, plants for the pleasure and profit of 
posterity. Some persons, too, have thought that 
the Premier is just a little too sanguine as to the 
possible profits arising from Fruit and Vegetable 
culture for market. However that may be, at 
least we must all pay hearty respect to the warm 
interest thus shown in a vocation in which we are 
all so much concerned, but of course the chief 
object and desire is to secure for the masses a 
far greater share than is now obtainable by 
them, of the unquestionable benefits found in 
garden products. It will be a good day for 
England when statesmen can turn their attention 
from wars and rumours of wars, and from strictly 
party political movements, to those very serious 
and purely social reforms to be carved out of our 
land system and food production. 
Possibly by reason of his surroundings Mr. 
Joseph Chamberlain ranks in politics as the next 
most prominent figure to that of the Prime 
Minister, and therefore we have read with no 
inconsiderable interest in the pages of The 
Gardeners' Chronicle an able description of 
Mr. Chamberlain’s gardens at Highbury, near 
Birmingham, and of the very extensive collec¬ 
tion of Orchids there seen. Just what that 
estimable M.P., Sir Trevor Lawrence, is amongst 
Orchids on one side of the House of Commons, 
Mr. Joseph Chamberlain seems to be on the 
other; and an equal love, indeed we may say 
devotion, to these beautiful epiphytes seems to 
animate both. Mr. Chamberlain has sometimes 
given offence to some of the more querulous of 
his political opponents by appearing in the House 
of Commons with an Orchid flower in his button¬ 
hole. We hope that sort of feeling is rarely felt, 
for whilst the poorest may without offence sport 
Violets, Primroses, or Pinks without criticism, it 
is indeed hard that a prominent public man may 
not enjoy the pleasure which love for a favourite 
flower gives him to the full. 
It is to be feared that some regard the devotion 
of a man who has hitherto been but a manufac¬ 
turer of hardware to such aristocratic flowers 
(pardon the simile) asrather impertinent, especially 
as we must admit that Orchids, of all flowers, 
toil not nor do they spin for the advantage of 
mankind; indeed they almost invariably exist 
upon others. But few of us grow flowers of any 
sort merely for the sake of their toiling and spin¬ 
ning. The very poorest, as a rule, grow flowers 
for their exquisite sweetness and beauty, and from 
those elements we derive exceeding pleasure. Mr. 
Chamberlain, Birmingham man though he be, 
may well be permitted to enjoy his loved Orchids 
to the full without evoking envy. A century 
since and statesmen employed their leisure too 
often in less enlightened ways. We may, there¬ 
fore, well be pleased that whatever may be our 
political predilection, we have fallen upon times 
when prominent statesmen find pleasure in leisure 
moments in gardening. 
The late Lord Beaconsfield, as we have learnt, 
had something more than a common-place attach¬ 
ment for his garden at Hughenden. His appre¬ 
ciation took a sentimental order, and his stoutest 
opponents have not found their respect for his 
memory lessened because the greatest statesman 
the Conservative party has produced during the 
past decade, was fond of a pretty though old- 
fashioned garden. Glancing at somewhat more 
neutral though still prominent figures in the 
political world, we see in the late Speaker of the 
House of Commons, a lover of his garden and 
a learned agriculturist; and in Viscount Eversley, 
now a novogenarian and Speaker of the House 
twenty-five years since, one of the warmest lovers 
of gardening in the kingdom. Instances of this 
fondness for horticulture amongst statesmen 
might be abundantly multiplied. We have 
culled from the list a few prominent names, and 
in doing so, can hardly doubt but that our readers 
will feel as we feel, that in such associations 
Statesmanship is thereby honoured. 
The Weatheb. —If a change from singular 
dryness to much-needed rain has not taken place 
ere this appears in print, we shall be in the singular 
position of actually urgently wishing for rain at 
the end of October. It may be said that the 
weather has been lovely, and that whilst dry it 
is very delightful, which we cheerfully admit, 
but then there is work to be done at this season 
of the year which cannot well wait, and that 
work is planting. So dry is the soil and to an 
appreciable depth in most localities, that much 
surface rainfall will be needed ere we can plant 
with safety; therefore, for planters, the sooner 
rain comes the better. We may well look for¬ 
ward with feelings of considerable apprehension 
as to the probable nature of the winter season, 
which may be cold as the time of year suggests, 
but it may be excessively wet also, and that 
would give us a wretchedly uncomfortable winter 
season. The anticipation of a wet winter is 
based upon the natural anticipation that nature 
will in some way endeavour to compensate the 
earth for its long lack of rainfall. We have 
never before seen the subterranean or earth-water 
so low as now. Hitches have been dry that 
never were known to have been dried up before, 
and though trees do not seem to have materially 
suffered, yet it is certain that if the winter does 
not create compensation, we could not hope to 
face another dry summer without serious results 
following. Ho doubt all will come right in the 
end for the seasons, if now and then eccentric, 
fall back into their old ploddding ways presently. 
The weather too commonly forms the subject of 
light-hearted gossip, but it is almost the chief 
thing upon which hinges our material welfare and 
prosperity. 
Jerusalem Artichokes. —Some little attention 
has been recently drawn to the Jerusalem Arti¬ 
choke because this tall and by no means elegant 
plant has in not a few instances developed flowers. 
That these phenomena are chiefly due to a 
lengthened and dry season there can be no doubt, 
because it is only in seasons of similar nature that 
flowers appear. These bearing some resemblance 
to small blooms of the common Sunflower shows 
alliance with that now popular flower, as both 
are members of the Helianthus family, but the 
Artichoke is tuberous-rooted, and practically is a 
perennial. Artichokes bloom so seldom and seed 
so rarely, if ever, that it is a matter of surprise 
some of our enthusiastic experimentalists have 
not ere now attempted grafting or inarching a 
Sunflower top upon the stem of an Artichoke 
plant. If a successful fusion resulted the effect 
would necessarily be watched with exceeding 
interest. But whilst speculating as to the 
possible results of what might prove to be but 
speculative experiments, it must not be over¬ 
looked that the Artichoke is a useful garden 
plant, and in many cases is highly favoured. 
In the kitchen good cookery can accomplish 
much to render Artichoke tubers that naturally 
are far from being nice, very pleasant and en¬ 
ticing. In seasons when Potatos have been 
dear and scarce the Artichoke has proved a very 
profitable article to the market-grower, but just 
now when Potatos are so abundant as to be a glut 
in the market, it is feared that Artichokes hang 
heavily on hand. Yet this season, owing to the 
drought, they are probably not a big crop. Those 
who now and then write about Artichokes favour 
trenched and well-manured soil; good sets, and 
ample space for the plants to grow in. That is all 
very well, but few after all care about big tubers 
and prefer the medium-sized ones that are less 
watery and are most abundantly produced in any 
garden corner and in soil fertilized with leaf or 
garden refuse. 
Fruits and Vegetables v. Flowers.— It is, 
we believe, the common experience of editors of 
gardening papers that their contributors are 
always more ready to supply matter relating to 
flowers than to fruit and vegetables. Why this 
should be so it is not easy to explain, except it be 
that flowers present more attractive themes, and, 
perhaps, admit of wider dissertation. The Pose, 
for instance, is a flower respecting which some 
writers will dilate with wondrous enthusiasm and 
interminable prosiness. We have in fruits or vege¬ 
tables no subject which admits of such wondrous 
word painting as is found in these dissertations, 
although the Vine has proved to be a very 
fertile and to many an inexhaustible theme. 
Still the Pose and its myriads of beautiful 
congener flowers holds sway in the minds of 
contributors, whilst, we fear, fruits and vegetables 
are voted commonplace. And yet we are sure 
that in no department of the garden can horticul¬ 
tural papers render both amateurs and profes¬ 
sionals more real service than in making oft and 
practical references to products for the kitchen. 
In all private gardens we find, as a rule, the fruit 
and vegetable departments to be, if not always 
the most extensive, at least those most cared for. 
These really contain the substantial elements of 
gardening, whilst the flower-garden adds beauty 
and refinement. Again, we find most gardeners 
rather priding themselves upon their ability to 
cultivate fruits and vegetables than boasting of 
their flower-garden achievements, though these 
latter we freely admit, as a rule, deserve high 
praise. Still there remains the interesting fact 
that gardening writers so often fight shy of 
informing the public of useful facts relating to 
the culture of their kitchen-garden products, and 
prefer mention of flowers of some sort. In this 
rccinpet our a°'e is not so utilitarian but that it 
might usefully be a little more so. 
