The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-06-14
The Horticultural Department.

partment of the Exhibition embrace
forty acres, in the midst of which is
Horticultural hall. The walls embrace
an area of nearly two city acres, each OF
200 feet square. Tho grounds are laid
out in walks, borders, miniature lawns,
flower beds and ornamental gardening.
The space allotted to exhibitors and
occupied is trife over eight acres.
The walks, roads and passageways are
substantially made, mostly paved with
asphalt, and collectively they reach q
distance Of two miles. Both foreign and
domestic exhibitors present large dis
plays of flowers, plants, forest and ornar
mental trees, among which are choice
new species from China and Japan. In
some special lines England is e1celling
all others. France, Germany, Neither
lands and Cuba are we'll represented.
The decorative ground embraces a
parterre or sunken garden, so planted as
to show carpet, bedding, ribbon and
geometric gardening. Here all kinds OF
bulbs suited to the season are in bloom,
others are to bloom in the future, and
the vast extent OF this planting is to be
gathered from the statement that their
number is over 5000. AS part OF the
decoration are to be seen fountains,
statues, kosks, summer houses, rustic
seats, clumps of evergreens and all such
adornments, place with due regard to
the rules of landscape gardening, and as
such are worthy of study by amateurs
and professionals.
The hall stands on an artificial eleva-
tion, ornamented by artistic terraces
which are reached by flights of marble
steps. At q distance the chief object
connected with the hall and being a
part of it are the glass conservatories on
the sides. The structure is divided into
several. departments for the exhibitors.
The architecture is in the Moresque
style, of the twelfth century, and the
principal materials are iron and glass.
On the north and soath sides are the
conservatories, four in number, each 30
x1OO feet, The heating is done by hot
water in q most effective manner, and
one which will attract great attention
from those Interested in heating
apparatus for propagating purposes.
J The main hall is 8O123O, ornamented
by handsome marble fountain, sur
rounded by choice tropical plants, and
near by is a grove of oranges and lemons,
loaded with ripe fruit, intermingled
with statuary and works of terra-cotta
and porcelain. Prominent citizens Of
Philadelphia have contributed largely
from their houses Of rare and choice
plants. as have also the joint library
committee of Congress and the Agri.
cultural department. The number OF
exhibitors occupying the grounds ex-
ceeds 200, representing many Of the
States, also Cuba, Philippine islands,
Spain, Netherlands, Portugal, Brazil,
Argentine Republic, Germany, France,
Luxembourg, New Zealand and Sandwich
islands. The English exhibition covers
nearly an acre, and it is largely devoted
to display of rhododendrons, which
will far excel anything Of the kind ever
seen in America. Portugal occupies
half an acre. The show from New
Jersey has money value of $4,000.
Among the most noticeable objects
that can be mentioned at this time are :
A fruit cabinet of all the various kinds
of fruit done in oa1oier-mache from
Cincinnati the fan palm from japan,
pines on which grow the pine apple, the
Phenix palm, Hibiscus Of Australia,
India gum, or rubber tree banana
tree, new arbutulum, with striking
blossoms the Mexican Yucca, sage
palm, Australian evergreens, a large
philodentrum in fruit ; hoya, bearing
fruit similar to strawberries, from Japan;
figs bearing fruit. In the east green
house is larga palm stalk or stump,
with cactus growing from the top. In
another room is great variety of bud
ding plants. On the other side is a
magnificent fernery, among which IS q
new caladium, white and lovely; South
Mexican plants, quite curious; the
deer's tongue, with young leaves grow.
ing out of old ones the ceonoma pamia,
from Africa, sugar plant draccena, a
rare decorative plant, blood red; Dutch
pipe plant, which is gorgeous a
marapthum, from the Amazon river, sell
dom seen !; Livingstone palm, from
Africa; Maiden lane hair fern. Near
the north entrance are specimens Of cof'
fee, tea and suger plants. On the
grounds is a large collection of roses
from Paris, notable from tie fact that
many varieties are budded on single
stocks of the native wild rose Of Europe.
It is said that the French will be likely
to excel all other nations in roses. At
no great distance is large planting OF
American tea roses, now coming into
bloom, and all old and new sorts are
presented. America will make the best
show it is able to make.