Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-07-26
AMATEUR FLORAL GARDENING.
Hope Deferred Maketh the Heart Sick

Some months since, resident OF THIS Guy,
| who, like the great American Farmer, Phlloso-
| pher, Editor and Presidential candidate, Horace
Greeley, l.. l.. d., of Texas and Chapaqua, has
a taste for experimenting in the cultivation Oh
the soil, and whose lancy riots among squashes,
pumpkins, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and other
products of the vegetable kingdom, having at
the same time an eye for the beautiful be-
thought himself of sending to the Patent Office,
at Washington for the seeds of some rare and
magnificent specimens Of floral loneliness The
idea no sooner suggested itself, than it was car
ried into execution, the mail being the vehicle
for the transmittal Of prayerful letter to Col.
John b. Brownlow, imploring him to
examine thefchOicest selections of seeds in the
national seed store and TO forward at once to the
writer the rarest varieties to be found in that
wonderful repository. A few days elapsed,
when the arrival of several small yellow en-
velopes containing the germs of future beauty
and fragrance, with loud sounding latin words
printed in the corners Indicative of the genus
and species of the floral treasures rewarded the
impatient soul of our agricultural, horti-
cultural AGRICULTURAL and Horticultural friend.
Accompanying the envelopes aforesaid was
letter from Col. b., containing q mysterious
mint ABOUT q new KIM OF COD9CCO Dla0G, LDo pro-
duct of the care and toll of DR.. Greeley, which
plant, it was intimated, would, with careful Gull
tivation-the earth being prepared with Subsoil
plow-produce the best fne-cut which, when
mature could be gathered from the tree. encas
ed in tin foil and ready for use. The hap
ply recipient of these seeds at once repaired to
his premises, secured the service of an aged and
decrepid contraband and prepared the virgin
soil for planting.
One of the envelopes bore the magic words
"Ricueus Con,muniS rel Palma Christ! - Mel
ifluOus name-s0 suggestive of beauty, of bloom
and delicacy of perfumel A sunny spot was
selected for this choice variety. 1t was long
before the growing plant burst through the
earth. Eager and longing eyes watched for it
tears watered the spot wherein it was planted
and at last patient toll and prayerful hope had
reward-Lhe pride of the Patent Office showed
its delicate head. It's growth, when once be-
gun, was most extraordinary.
Neighbors called daily to watch its astonish-
ing growth, and to speculate upon what would
be the color of its flower or the nature of its
fruit.
The proud and happy owner in the meantime
became impressed with the idea that Col. BIS
allusion to DR.. Greeley's improvement in to-
bacco culture was no unmeaning sentence
Upon the tin foil-fne-cut producing tree might
be grated the plant from which the Lone Jack
smoking tobacco is manufactured and the Par
tagas cigars made, so that the former done up in
pound packages and the latter in boxes could be
plucked from the branch. The revenue law
couldn't touch them; the producer could not
be taxed; a revolution in tobacco culture was
to take place. VALLEY and Peter Ritter were to
be nowhere. Fine cut, Lone Jack and Parta-
gas cigars would grow on the same tree-in fine,
the smokers and chewer's Millennium was about
to dawn. ---e
He ceased to ridicule other theories of DR..
Greeley on stockraising and agriculture. He
was ready to unite with the learned farmer in
recommending a cross between the Berkshire
bull and the Cottswod sow, as likely to pro-
duce the best breed of sheep for mountainous
sections-that is taking into consideration the
two desideratG, mutton and wool. He went so
far as to advise w. A. Henderson, Esq, that if
he would more exactly conform to the direction
of Judge Brown, he would yet, by the careful
cultivation of the white onion set, derive at
once the advantages of a superior vegetable,
and be delighted with the beauty and fragrance
Of the hyacinth.
Meantime the plant continued to grow. It's
branches extended far and wide. Other plants
bad to be removed from meath its spreading
boughs. During the heat of noon, cattle would
gather at the fence and look loDgingly in, as if
seeking admittance, that they might rest under
its branches. Soon its shade extended beyond
the narrow limits of the yard. A croluet
ground was projected under its shelter A rope
ladder was ordered with which to ascend and
gather the fine-cut when it should mature. Still
no bloom appeared-no -four gave promise of
an early harvest of the weed.
Tie IeiI SOrely puzzled Wnetner or not 10 vote
for Greeley. In the first place gratitude for his
great achievements in tobacco culture would
seem TO command his suffrage, while on the
contrary it would be a manifest injury to the
agricultural interest to transplant the sage of
Chappaqua from the farm to the White House |
But alas, few human hopesl physician pass
ing one day pronounced the prodigious plant
caster oil bean. What a shock to a sensitive |
What melancholy commentary upon
bright dreams, and the fatality of noble aspira-
tiOns
The blow fell heavily upon one friend. He |
felt that Col b. or II. G. had deceived him. |
The blow was brushed from the peach; the |
dew was shaken from the flowers; the rose had |
lost its fragrance. He turned the oleaginous |
plant over to sympathisiDg friends by whom it |
was removable, and it now lies on hillside |
hard by the melancholy memorial of the blast |
ed hopes of its cultivator, who, when he buys |
his segars Lone Jack and fine cut, meditates |
upon the evanescent nature of all human aspi-
ratiOns and with Maud Muller mournfully muir
murs
'Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these, it might have been"