The Portland daily press., 1871-08-02

straWDeffhes ana POLITICS..
BY CHARLES d. WARNER.
When man retires to his farm, Dow-a-
days, it is in Pickwickian sense; everyone
knows that he has Cincinnatus in his eve as
model, and that, when he puts his hand to
the plow, he is always looking back to see if
the messengers are not coming across the
fields with the senatorial robes. We all like
to see our politicians retiring to their rural
acres, and then reluctantly coming forward
again to serve the people. There is a dignity
in this higher kind of agriculture. Most of
our presidents have been countrymen, who
dated their political manifestos from Nj nti-
cello, the hermitage, Wheatland, Linden
void, and other delightful retreats. There
was something very fascinating about it..
There is an old time prejudice that farmers
are honest, and that man on his farm, in
such sweet contact with nature, must be free
from the tricks OF the thorough paced
politician. The farmer-candidate is just the
one for the city districts. There is some
thing about the thought of the calm Cincin-
natus, sitting among his cabbageS, that capti-
Yates the civil Imagination. Every body runs
better if he has farm attached to him, if
there is a rural flavor about him, a little hay
seed in his hair. Lawyer, soldier, or man Of
LEISURE he is all the more popular if he can
date the acceptance of his nomination from
some country side.
There has been, of late years, an attempt,
on the part of our great men in politics, to es-
tablish a rural connection in a new way-a
sort OF horticultural way. They give their
names to some plant or berry, which is expect
ed will be popular, and make them house
hold words. These may, perhaps, be called
nursery candidates. We have had the Patch
potato; Patch jumped off Niagara Falls, and
was immortalized in poem by Sands. We
have had the Hubbard squash; Hubbard has
been in Congress, and was one of the best
patrons of pumpkin-pie in the Capitol restau-
rant. We had the Doolittle raspberry; Doo-
little has been in the Senate. We are now
trying the Colfax strawberry, and so on, and
and so on.
1t seems to me, that if 1 were candidate
for Office, should hesitate about sending out
a berry with my name. 1t is very risky busi-
ness. You never can tell what a strawberry
for instance will do. 1t may promise well in
the nursery, and utterly fail when it runs ov
er the country. A berry may do well in In
diana and miseraby in New York. The soil
of every locality is new trial TO it. Mr..
Senator Wilson, to be sure, did very well with
MS strawberry. There was never before such
strawberry for the market. 1t is handsome
in form, OF good color, firm texture, will keep
sound long time, aud it is very hardy and
prolific. 1t is, in all respects, says a horticul-
tural friend OF mine, first-rate berry except
in One-it is not good to eat. 1t is, however,
an excellent berry to raise, and it is good to
give away to the neighbors. 1t is easy to be
generous with it. You have all the credit OF
giving away Strawberries, and none of the re-
gret at parting with them. This is coming as
near to a virtuous action without self-sacrifice
as is possible in this world. And, after ALL
as the world is constituted, with not too nice
taste, should as lief take my chance of run
ing on the Wilson berry as any other
But It does appear to me that Mr.. Colfax
has made a mistake in sending out his straw
berry. As symbolical berry it has its good
points. 1t does not incline TO run; perhaps
this is a bad omen; but what we are all look
ing for, in berries and politicians, is some
thing that is more anxious 10 do we'll in the
place where it is set, than to run all the time.
The Colfax vines grow prodlgiousy, with a
sort of western wdness, large, strong plants.
They blossom profusey. The promise is ex-
traOrdinary. And they bear, each hill, hat
full OF berries, which are small, sour, soft, and
when fully ripe, have an unpleasant taste.
The birds will not eat them; the smallest and
most illterate boys will not steal them-boys
who will eat unripe cherries and green cur
rants. The attempt to raise Cofax strdwber
berries for the poor is failure. l have had
to let them go to decay on the vines. You
caInot even be charitable with them. They
are probably the poorest berries in the world;
tucy uc WOlSC LLul buC IlIbiC DIydutS, Ut-
cause the Bryants didn't bear enough to men
tion; and 1 suppose that even "protection"
would not help the Bryants. Besides, our
Collax injected the adjoining plot of Hoveys,
and inoculated them with their own crudity
1t is possible that the Colfax might do bet
ter in other soil but it is condemned, because
political berry must have unlversalty. 1t
Is easy to fancy your strawberry patch sort
of test of character; you come to recognize
| the individuality of the kinds, and to intense
| y like and dislike them. Therefore, say,
| that for politician to send out his berry is
very hazardous. A decided hit is rare. The
Charles Downing, for instance, has put itself
in good position. II the Jocunda, the ele
gont, high bred Jocunda, is the queen of
stra wberries, the wnng is the king-the
royal "a flavor and royalty prolific, as prolific
as the Queen Victoria. If Downing (who
NAV have been the colored oysterman for
aught knowj wants to run for president,
now is the time for him to come forward. He
will run well, and the fruit is superb. Hor-
ace Greeley began his political career by send
ing out strawberry plants, and it is partially
owing to the popularity OF his vines that he is
now mentioned as candidate for the highest
office in the gift of the people. Grants ne
glect of horticulture may cost him dear.
The cultivator need not apologize for con-
fining his political attention, in the month Of
June, 10 his strawberry beds. There is
great delight in watching the development of
the different varieties; one can almost imag-
inc be is studying the nnfoldings of character.
There are the great promises and the small
fulfllment; the modest beginnings and the
abundant fruit; the sourness oil one, the de-
licious sweetness of the other. Ishould think
that every politician would like to have beds
of his rivals and watch their growth. He
might learn charity. He will see how much
depends upon opportunity after all. The
strawberry is the most sensitive OF fruits.
There never yet was year that was not too
hot or too cold for it, too wet or too dry. The
weather, which is tickle thing, stands ior
popular favor. There is abundant disaPpoinit,
ment in all occupations, but there is, with al
its uncertainty, a peace in strawberry cultuie
which politics takes away but cannot gVe.-