Evening star., 1903-07-13
White HOUSE. P0S|ES
Floral Favorites of First
Ladies of the Land.
CUCUMBERs FOR GRANT
GARDENER PROVIDED THEM FOR
HIM AT CHRISTMAS.
Mrs. Andrew johnson Loved Grapes
Major Pruden a Painter
of E1otics.
CUCUMBERS FOR GRANT

Residing in this vicinity are just three
men who, In their time, have been on duty
at the White House in the capacity Of gar
| dener. florist. the latter-day phrase
is. Alexander McKerichar, now the super
intendent Of Genwood cemetery. and who,
as his name might imply, opened his eyes
upon the light of this world in bonnie
Scotland, began tilling the soil in the
White House grounds when Franklin
Pierce President, and was gardener,
having charge of the conservatory. and
horticuturist generally until within two
years of the end of General Grants second
administration, when Mr.. Field, another
we'll known florist. became the man with
the hoe his experience lasting until the
advent of the Hayes administration.
Mr.. Field is an Englishman, and his
successor, Mr. Pister, a Swiss. President
Hayes knew Mr.. Pfister in Ohio, and when
he came to the Executive Mansion he
called Pfster to preside over the conserva-
tory, which had grown vastly in dignity
and floral wealth from what it was in past
decades.
When McKerichar was clipping roses for
bouquets to grace the parlors of the Presi
dents House the conservatory was the
greenhouse and nurtured only the sim
plest of flowers. There were no orchids
with the most unpronounceable Of names.
and few ferns of any description. The
rarities and special delights of visitors
were lemon and orange trees century
plants the trailing cypress and few
other simple flowers.
The White House grounds themselves
were always open to everybody, and
more than Jeffersonian simplicity the
order of the day. In fact there are resi-
dents of Washington today who can recol-
lect when there was cow stable at one
end of the mansion. and when Genera!
Taylor's old war horse Whitley" broWsed
and disported his equine majesty generally
on the spacious green lawn fronting Penn
sylvania avenue.
Came Into Being Since the War.
But to return to the flowers. 1t can be
said truly that the existing mania for va
rieties and profusions of plants came into
being since the war between the states. H.
as in the days of Buchanan, when the
Prince of Wales visited this country, an
extra floral display was considered neces-
sary, there was a contingent fund from
which to purchase 1t, and this fund was
frequently availed of. Some fine hot-house
fruits and vegetables were. and still are.
produced in the government botanical and
horticultural gardens.
Mr.. MckeriChar relates a pleasant little
incident based upon this circumstance. 1t
happened during the Administered ton of An
drew Johnson Mrs. Johnson. who was
feast of grapes. There We're none in the
market. Mr.. Mckerichar thought that
from a little private winery he owned in the
neighborhood of Alexandria he might OBJ
tain a supply, and so lie did. Mrs. John
son was gratifed beyond measure at the
feast of hot-house grapes and the Presi-
dent himself was delighted. He sent for
the gardener and fairly embraced him.
Nov, Mac " said the President, We'll
have drink. Come along with me and
take whatever you want
Now. what could Mac do? In the first
place he was Scotchman. and irpthe next,
irk of ha of IIch Ola wi
the President of the grea test country on
earth. He took drink, of course.
General Grant was very partial to cucum-
bers. He was very fond of them out of
season. and could relish them on Christmas
or New Year day with the same zest or
even a keener guSto as on the Fourth OF
July. But the cucumbers obtained from
the hot houses hereabouts, or from south
err points. had not the sort of twang to
them 10 satisfy the general.
McKerichar set his Caledonan wit to
work. He thought 1t was up to him to sup
ply something in the shape of cucumber
that would pass muster even when the
SHOWS of winter encompassed the earth He
sent to Scotland for supply, and from
these as a plant he produced a vegetable
that met with earnest commentator.
Thereafter General Grant indulged in first
class esculents of the cucumber family, at
least so long as he was President.
But the days of White House conserva-
ton and flower beds are gone. The recent
extensions to the main building caused
their destruction, or rather their transfer,
and the lovely green houses no longer grace
the grounds. Their transfer legislated Pts
ter out of office and drove him to the
shades of private occupation. His term of
service went through several administra-
tions, beginning with that of Hayes and
continuing, without intermission, until he
forced to submit to the march of prog
reSS.
First Ladies' Favorites.
The ladies of the White House, as a rule,
had their favorites among flowers. though,
like cultured women in general, they loved
all flowers. The particular flower held in
high favor by Miss Harriet Lane, the fas-
cinating and accomplished niece of James
buchanan, who presided the White
House during the rather stormy regime of
her bachelor uncle, and who died a few
days ago, the crinum amabli-in plain
English. the lily. That lady had also a
fondness for the ever sweet and fragrant
mignonette. Mrs. Lincoln was fond of all
sorts of flowers. Numbers of them were
sent from the conservatory during the first
term of her husbands administration to
the hospitals and she personally Supern-
tended the cutting and sending of them on
numerous occasions. Her husband passed
Ii lie or no time in the conserva tories. Stern
er thoughts than flowers possessed his sad
heart, and 1t was seldom he wished his
desk decorated with their beauty He had
often expressed his desire that sick and
wounded soldiers should have them
MRS. JOnnSOns 3 fancy Tor mowers fingered
almost altogether among the sweet and
simple ornaments of the fields. & but her
room always filled with rare floral
products. Mrs. Grant took special delight
in every variety of roses. She was great
admirer of the American beauty. On the
day Mrs. Hayes succeeded her as mistress
of the Executive Mansion that lady
found her new residence transformed into
a thorough bower Of roses made so by the
courteous thoughtfulness Of the retiring
mistress OF the mansion. The favorite
flower of Mrs. Hayes herself was the rose
geranium.
Poor Mrs. Garfield. whose fate was so
unhappy and whose noble estate first
lady in the land was marred by the assas-
sination of her husband had hardly any use
for flowers. Early in the administration
she was stricken with Illness at the unveil-
ing of a statue in one of the public parks,
and this was followed by the tragedy
planned and carried out by Guiteau. The
flowers that smiled their welcomes when
she entered the White House had not long
withered when fresh ones covered the bier
of her murdered husband.
Mrs. Clevelands special fancies were
Cape Jessamine and pansies and the gar
denia. while Mrs. Harrison had a very soft
spot in her heart for orchids and took de-