The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-08-04
Jay Gouid's Conservatories.
Neac York World.

The people Of Irviugton had most inter-
ssting and delightful way of spending the ,
Fourth, offered to them by Jay Gould, whose
grounds aud conservatory Al
Lyndehurst were thrown open freely TO all
visitors under the supervision Of his mana |
ger, Mr.. Maugold. scientific German horti- |
cullurist and practical botanist, who has
conducted the improvements on the Lynde-
hurt property. 1t Is now one OF the hand
soonest private estates in the country, and
contains conservatory which has no rivals
In the United States.
Mr.. Gould's hobby, however, Is horticul-
ture, and, with limitless means at his COM
mapd, he has INDUCED himself in this mat
TER with the same enthusiasm that other men
bestow on fast horses or paintings, though
he has keen eye also for the good points OF
a horse and Is quietly making one Of the best
collections Of pictures In the country. The
cou.ervatories, which are new, those which
Mr.. Gould bought with the estate having
been destroyed by great fire In December
1880, cover vast area Of several hundred
feet In length. They are constructed on
ground plan Of the form Of . Greek cross,
the limbs centering upon . noble palm
house. beneath the dome Of which plays
large fountain, supplied, . are all the build
ings Of the estate, with water brought. from
xn inexaustible natural spring on the prop
ery.
While the old cOnservatories were still
burning, Mr.. Gould made his contracts Tor
constructing these new and more magnificent
buildings, which are absolutely freproof,
word being used only in the framing Of the
glass between the great iron ribs.
The new conservatory can be seen Tor
miles up and down the river, there being .
river view from the mansion Of forty. five
miles. The conservatory Is four hundred
feet long on the northern line and thirty-two
feet wide. There are already In this mon
ster conservatory over four thousand varie-
ties of plants. There is room for twice that
number. The gardener estimates that there
are from six thousand to eight thousand
plants IN the conservatory and on the
grounds. These are the products OF every
cline and Of every country. But 1t 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 European conservatoriss, and especially
from Belgium. There 10 no other private
conservatory In this country Of equal size
and scope. Almost every wealthy gentleman
maiu, aims q hoi-house for flowers, but no
other has undert AIKEN to establish full col
lection Of plants. In Europe there are many
| privste conservatories, but few which can
compete with this. A walk through the
building 10 enough to explain how 1t is that
men spend lives in studying one plant oi
species Of vegeta able life. There is an Inn
mite variety Of forms and colors, aud the
senses are bewildered by the luxuriance o
the scene. In one room there are ahundree
varieties Of geraniums In full bloom, max
ing . bank Of color simply gorgeous. Ont
section, eighty feet long by twenty-five feet
wide, Is devoted 10 roses, Of which there aT'
four hundred varieties. There are four hun
dred varieties Of palms, three hundred
them from America and one hundred from
Asia. Some Of the specimens cost from sZa
to $500 each. There are forty varieties .
the " Dit cher" plant from Madagascar alone
There are one hundred varieties OF ero,on
from the Fiji and Solomon islands i've hun
dred varieties Of plants from Central Amer
ica, East Indies, and the Archipelago islands
, ,xtv varieties of msrantas from the Amaze
river a collection Of ferns from Central si'
: South America and the East Indies, thre
3 hundred varieties, including some exceE
! tionally fine tree ferns; one hundred an
and twenty varieties Of gloxinea. The co
lection of oracenas is the largest In tn
!. world. There are sixty kinds Of bromelii
:. and tillandsias. In . room artificially moi
r tened are some twelve hundred orchid
o many Of which are now in bloom, taking u
eve xt every turn with the weird amin
Q forms and the inexpIessibly delicate ar
II beautiful hues Of their blossoms. The co
lection Of caladiunis is very large. The
,, are two hundred varieties Of camelias fro
>. japan and China four hundred varieties
u azaleas, and many kinds OF Indian rhod
= dendrons. One or two sections are devote
: to exotic grapes. In the fruit house inscio
T. espalier peaches were almost dropping
n reason of their weight. Among other int
n esting objects In the open grounds was
century plant, which has been shooting
its tai, blossom at rapid rate for We
= past, and will break into flower when it h
vs. attained . growth Of twelve or fifteen fe
e. The diopaa ,nuscipula Of Carolina, viii
~ devours the flies which are so unfortunate
x to enter its delicate throat. and the elk-ho
er fern from the East Indies, attracted the
As pecial attention Of the visitors. The dow
W garden comprises three acres and the vel
table garden four acres. There Is also
vineyard of two acres, and large orchi
containing some four hundred apple tr'
q. and five hundred pear trees. In Mr.. M
~ ritt's time about fifteen hundred ornamen
Il. trees, chiefly Of foreign importation, VI
or planted, which are now in full growth.
nd , An importation Of rare plants from u
In ,rl Africa Ia expected to arrive soon tor I
nd conservatory.