Comments on: The Revival Of The Vegetable Sermon https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/05/23/the-revival-of-the-vegetable-sermon/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Wed, 27 May 2015 17:15:58 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 By: Caroline Gilfillan https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/05/23/the-revival-of-the-vegetable-sermon/#comment-961998 Wed, 27 May 2015 17:15:58 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=134294#comment-961998 Fascinating. Thank you, Gentle Author.

]]> By: Anne https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/05/23/the-revival-of-the-vegetable-sermon/#comment-959733 Sat, 23 May 2015 22:25:25 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=134294#comment-959733 Since reading about the remarkable Mr Fairchild in your previous blogs and having visited his grave and read the book I wish I could attend the sermon…unfortunately that isn’t possible but I can admire my new rose called The Ingenious Mr Fairchild bred and grown by David Austin Roses which I bought this winter. Today I noticed its first bud showing!

]]> By: Gabrielle Dempsey https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/05/23/the-revival-of-the-vegetable-sermon/#comment-959439 Sat, 23 May 2015 10:11:59 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=134294#comment-959439 This is a wonderful history!…of a wonderful gentleman… And Mr. Tingey’s response is very interesting also.
Amazing that Fairchild’s investigation into cross-pollination was so provocative! But not entirely surprising, as you have both suggested… We have so many contemporary issues argued along the same lines.
I have the strongest feeling he would have been delightful to know…
I wonder who did the portrait…?

]]> By: Greg Tingey https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/05/23/the-revival-of-the-vegetable-sermon/#comment-959386 Sat, 23 May 2015 07:40:55 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=134294#comment-959386 One or two points …
In Hoxton, he kept a vineyard with more than fifty varieties of grapes, one of the last to be cultivated in England, … before viticulture temprarily dies out here – I assume you mean, given that there are now well over a hundred vinyards in England?

I don’t know if you have deliberatelyomitted the reason for the “Vegetable Sermon”?
It was a posthumous defence against the religious bigots of the day, who vigorously attacked Fairchild for “Interfering in god’s creation” & who claimed that hybridisation was blasphemous & the work of the devil (etc ad nauseam, as “Private Eye” would say).
Incidentally, does this sound familiar, regarding, say, genetic modification of plants?
As you say: Prefiguring the modern anxiety about genetic engineering
Except that there is a typical confusion, that often arises in these sort of cases – just because certain agrochemical manufacturers (whom I’m not going to name) should not be trusted, does not mean that “GM” is bad or evil or wrong.
The issues are separate.
People with strong, but ignorant convictions, opposing the advance of knowledge out of blind prejudice, & not stopping to think, for at least a minute or two.

Thank you very much for highlighting this …..

P.S. He was correct about Pears – my tree has a good crop coming, but this year looks good for all fruit already – I’m wondering if my Apricot’s branches will bear the full load, once the fruit ripens (!)

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