Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-21

the attendants with water for the plants.
There are already in this model con.
servatory, over 1000 varieties of plants.
There ia room for twice that number.
The gardener estimates that there are
from 5000 to 5000 plants in the conserva-
tory and on the grounds. These are the
products of every cline and every conn
try. But it must not be supposed that
these are all imported directly from their
native country. Some of them are, but
the vast majority come from the Euro
pean Conservatives, aud especially from
Belgium. There is no other conserva-
tory in this country of equal size and
scope. Almost every wealthy gentleman
maintains Il hothouse for flowers, but no
other has undertaken to establish full
collection of plants. In Europe there
are many private Conservatives, but few
that can compete with this A walk
through the building is enough to ex-
plain how il is that men spend lives in
studying one plant or species of vegcta-
BILE life. There is an infinite variety of
forms and colors, and the senses are be-
wildered by the luxuriauce Of the scene.
In one room there are 100 varieties of
double geraniums in full bloom, making
bank of color simply gorgeous. One
section, eighty feet long by twenty-five
feet wide, is devoted to roses, of which
there are 400 varieties There are 400
varieties OF palms, 300 of them from
America and 100 from Asia. Some of the
specimens cost from $3.50 to 300 ench.
There are forty varieties Of the "pitchcr"
plant from Madagascar Mone. There are
| 100 varieties of crotons from the Fiji and
Solomon Islands 800 varieties of plants
from Central America, East indies, and
the Archipelago islands sixty varieties
of marantas from the Amazon River n
collection of ferns from Central and
South America and the East Indies, 300
varieties, including some exceptionally
fine tree ferns 100 varieties of gloxinea.
| The collection of oracenas is the largest
in the world. There are sixty kinds of
bromelias and tillandsias. In room ar
tificially moiRtened are some 1900 orchids,
many Of which are now in bloom, taking
the eye at every turn with the weird ami
nal forms and the inexpressibly delicate
and beautiful hues of their bios sons.
The collection Of caladiums is very large
There are 300 varieties OF camelias from
Japan and China 400 varieties of aza-
leas and many kinds of ludian rhododen-
drons. One or two sections are devoted
to exotic grapes. In the fruit house lus-
cious espalier peaches were almost drop
ping by reason Of their weight Among
other interesting objects in the open
grounds was century plant, which has
been shooting up its tall blossom ut at a
rapid rate for a week past, and will break
into flower when it has attained a
growth OF twelve or fifteen feet The
Diohaea m"scip"ia of Carolina. which
devours the flies which are 30 fortunate
as to enter its delicate throat, and the
elkhorn fern from the East Indies, at
tracted the especial attention of the Wis.
itors. The flower garden comprises three
acres, and the vegetable garden foui
acres There is also vineyard of two
acres, and n large orchard containing
some 400 apple trees and 500 pear trees
In Mr.. Merritt's time about 1900 orna
mental trees, chiefly of foreign importa
ton, were planted, which are now in full
: growth.