Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-05
A French Flower Doctor.


The seed IS sown, and the young plants. as
they peep out. have to be transplanted Herein
Is said to be one OF the arts OF gardening The
experienced man can distinguish between the
young plants which Will produce double and
single blossoms. choice has TO be made I'm
les6 The hortfculturist wishes to run the risk OF
losing the benefit OF hig In DORIS by producing
single Movers when double ones only are In de
mand. Win wallhJHeTS and asterS more than
ordinary care is required. ana the borlst who
cannot Judge for himself has to have recourse
10 the services Of the eSSiHpi1iu who goes
about from garden to garden, giving cons llta-
lions and advice In the same manner as a doc,
I5r cells On his patients and gives tien the
nr-".'. ~ hi. sGierlor knowledge. writing iii;
prescriptions etc. as fasl -. 'f' '.o'ief Is done
with, II is replaced by aEother 1or the maxim
OF the gardener Is never TO .lOH any portion OF
his ground TO remain idle. The tSSiIRp'p,ir has
learned now 90 become prophet in his own
country, he Is looked up to by his fellowme-rl,
Irs opinions, technical and political, are re-
spected, and honors are showered on him With
lavish hand.
An anecdote is told Of one OF these persons,
who has been returned for the eleventh time as
mayor or BIS, commune. He has been nick
named Pere Andre, and his reputation as eSSin-
p''ur has been established for upward OF
around, and his assertions are implicitly be.
lieved In, and are as unalterable as the laws OF
the Modes ana PersianS. He Is fatherly sort
or man, never abusing the power conferred
on him by the trt-colored sash he winds round
his abdomen on high days and holidays. On
Sunday last be put on his best attire, for he had
offered himself as candidate for the vacant
Office OF mayor, his tenure having expired He
took his seat In the village school room on the
Sunday morning, with the gendarmes sent
down from TaraScon to repreSs any attempt at
rebellion. AT the last moment something had
gone wrong With the ballot box, and it had to
be replaced by the broad beaver OF the mayor.
As each OF his constituents came In, he told them
that he knew which way they would vote, and
no hall nf yolyof
radical village coDbler, who opposed him as the
candidate OF the eleventh hour, brought for
ward by group OF ardent politicians In the
cooked bat of the gendarme or In the hat before
him, as they liked. When the hour for Closing
the ballot had sounded, the electors were again
admitted to the school and the votes were pub
licly counted. The constituents OF the cObblsr.
numbering between. thirty and forty, were very
particular, out they found that the ballot had
been conducted With scrupulous exactitude,
ard the result, received with cries of give lie
Pere Andrea caused his opponent to come for
Ward and shake hands with the successful can
didate, shrewdly suspected by the gendarme or
having Induced the radical 1ntransigente party
10 Ding forward an antagonist TO Increase bis
OWN popularity. Politics are not held In much
favor by the villagers. They concentrate their
minds On the ail-impOrtant subject OF Hover
growing and Pere Andre, In his double Capacity
as tSStHptfur aud agent OF several large Paris
ony els, is not only mayor, but king of the VII
lage. Public rumOr says that his daughter Will
have handsome doWry when she can find q
husband who can distinguish himself from cut
her suitors by his knowledge OF her fathers oc-
cupatlon, and the hand OF pretty Madeline win
be the reward TO the best esSinple,u of the
locality.