Evening star., 1941-09-27

trees in a space which was duly
walled and beveled."
The position of keeper of the
Mulberry Garden went to William
Stallenge. One of his duties was the
publishing of pamphlet entitled,
instructions for the Planting and
Increase of Mulberry Trees, Breed
ing of Silk Worms and the Making
of Silk"
The importation of seeds and
plants was carried out on a gram
diose scale, but the scheme failed
through simple error. There are
two kinds of mulberry trees-the
black or berry-bearing variety, and
the white, on which the worms feed.
The black species occupied the royal
mulberry preserve, and the mistake
went undiscovered.
In 1923 Charles I inherited his
fathers experiment, and shortly
thereafter disposed of the property
to Lord Goring. BY the time the
middle of the century came round
the fortunes of this nobleman had
undergone pronounced change.
England was ruled by Dictator
Cromwell and Goring had joined the
ranks of royalist exiles on the conti-
nent. His house and lands were
confiscated, and by 1854 the former
Mulberry Garden had become a
place of public entertainment. On
May 10 of that year John Evelyn,
the celebrated diarist, wrote, MY
lady Gerard treated us at the Null
berry Garden, now the only place
Of refreshment about town for per-
sons of the best quality to be ex-
ceedingly cheated at, Cromwell and
his partisans having shut up and
seized on Spring Garden"
The prestige of the Mulberry Gar
den was enhanced when King
Charles Stuart was restored to the
throne in 1860 He frequently gave
it his patronage. so it was a popular
rendezvous for the court circle and
their satellites. Famous Restoration
dramatists like Shadwell, Ether
edge, Wycherley and Sedley found
much of the copy" for their plays
at the Mulberry Garden. There
was plenty of gossip to be picked
up in the restaurants that now oc-
cupied the homes of the royal silk
worms and in the leafy arbors
formed by the mulberry trees.
The public career of the Null
berry Garden closed in 1875 when
Charles II leased it to Henry Ben
nett, Earl of Arlington. He built
a handsome house which was pulled
down some 20 years later, when
John Sheffield, Duke of Bucking-
ham, bought the property Bucking-
ham entertained in princely style
in Buckingham House, as his new
mansion was named, and it became
queens dover in 1862 when
George III bought it for his consort
Charlotte. Fourteen OF their Is
children were born within its walls,
and under the name of "the Queens
House" it meant home to the royal
couple
Neither George w nor William "
cared for the Buckingham mansion,
but young Queen Victoria was fasci-
mated by its size and grandeur and
gave it new prominence as Bucking-
ham Palace.
Buckingham Palace in London
and the White House in Washington
have this feature in common-the
backs of both buildings face the
public street. The front of Buck
ingham Palace, like the front of the
Presidents mansion, faces south on
the largest of London's private gar
dens. It is 40 acres in extent, in
cluding a 5-acre lake that has been
the joy of the young princesses. The
garden has been a bit of sanctuary
at the empires heart since queen
Victoria and the Prince Consort
planned it together.
There have been no royal garden
parties in the palace grounds these
last few years. They used to be
colorful feature of the London sum-
mer, and a brilliant note was intro
duced by figures like the kings
watermen. Resplendent in scarlet
and gold livery, they rowed guests
over the miniature lake. But the
storied old mulberry garden has not
been left alone with its memories. 1t
bears honorable scars earned in this
war. The havoc wrought by bombs
will be repaired, and brave new
chapter added to the history OF
the mulberry garden.