The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-06-16
Our Garden Capital.

| poPlalS, UOx oluoIS, 0lmS, unuonS, put
tonwoods, willows and frs. OF naples
OF every variety there are 81, 100: box
elders, 44,945; elms, 4,570; lindens, g..
615; buttonwoods, 3,475; American ash
| 1881; catalpa, 500; horse chestnut,
| ~; miscellaneous varieties, about g.
600. Now, these include only the
represent the fruits Of about taSna ten years s
labor. The young trees thrive we'll and
give promise Of making the city more
and more attractive as yearly they in.
crease in size. The stately giants in
the public parks, also numbered by
thousands, are included in the grand
| army OF natures ornaments under the
charge of the Parking Commission. TO
the Superintendent Of Public Buildings
and Grounds, Colonel Rockwell, who is
an officer of the army, is assigned the
care of the government grounds. The
Propagating Garden, the nursery Of
all the parks and gardens, is also under
his charge, and is one of the three
special points Of interest to the student
OF botany. The garden is OH the banks
OF the Potomac, beneath the shadow Of
the Washington Monument and near
the Bureau Of Engraving and Printing.
Long rows Of buildings with their glass
roofs are seen as the visitor approaches
the place across the monument lot.
Here to-day, ready for planting, arc
l25.O00 bed plants, including every var
lety that will endure in this climate. A
month hence the entire lot will be trans
ferred to the parks, circles, squares and
reservations. Coleus, with their varie-
gated leaves in endless variety; gerani-
ums lnnumerable, vincaS, dusty miller.
dragon plants, lantanas, fuchsias by the
thousand, are awaiting the time when,
from the hotbeds Of sand, they will
grow and bloom in open air. It has
been found by experience that the 10Th
OF May Is as early as the climate will
permit outdoor planting. The force Of
gardeners and laborers employed by the
government is now preparing the soil
for the reception Of the new plants. 1t
Will perhaps he regarded as strange
that 80 large an area can be ornament
cd and the flowers allowed to flourish
without injury from the children who
throng the public gardens Of the city.
But it is to the credit of the people that
such ornamentation can be made, and
that but very few complaints are heard
Of wantOn destruction. The tempta-
tion to remove the young plants is al
ways great to those who are too Door to
purchase them, and yet who have
ground to beautify.
The coleus really for planting are
kept in tiny pots, and as ranged in the
hothouses present to the eye the velve-
ty appearance of the finest carpets.
They form the bulk Of the park orna-
mentation. Take, for example, Thomas
Circle, where the statue Of General
Thomas stands. It is as open as q
town lot, and yet for the next seven
months great beds Of coleus, garaniums
steiras-a new plant to this climate
will flourish as though the ground were
enclosed and the place private property
But the PrOpagatiug Garden not only
furnishes the plants, but the gigantic
palms, pandanas and other trees of these
species. In fact the law Of Congress
forbids anything being grown at tho
garden that cannot be used in adOrning
the public grounds. So these, too, will
| in few weeks be removed to Lafay-
cite and Franklin squares, to make
those enclosures more beautiful. Those
who remember the little forest of palms
| and the great sago plants which grace
the parlOrs Of the President on recep-
! tiOn nights; the walls of green which
| skirt the yestibule, will hardly believe
| that they are the same plants distribut-
| ed throughout the city during the sum-
mer time. The conservatory at the
White House is never stripped of its
! behuLy TO garnish the East Room, or
the Green, Red and Blue parlors. It is
| the democratic park ornaments, care
fully housed in winter, which are
brought into requisition on all state
occasions.
Not only plants and palms, but the
seedlings with which the parks are re-
| cruited are grown at the Propagating
| Garden. The trees on government
ground are mostly matured, Occasion
ally III happens that one has to be cut
down, but for every one destroyed there
are three planted to replace it. Now
| during the winter, when Washington is
! shOne of it's floral decorations, the aver
age member Of Congress looks over the
| list Of articles he is entitled to. The
new member reads about the the Botan-
ical Garden, the Agricultural Depart
ment and the nursery for the public
| grounds. He finds upon INJURY that
the Committee on the Library has
charge Of the verdant things Of nature.
Orders for bouquets are eagerly sought.
| During the session of the House, and
even the Senate, it is not unusual to see
the desks of members covered with
floral designs. The sweet simplicity of
the stranger in the gallery would lead
him to believe that somebody had paid
for the tributes, Not bit Of it, unless
you call the giver your Uncle Samuel,
for as sure as flowers are fragrant and
fair to behold 50 sure they came from
the government hothouses. And
throughout he season the parlors and
sitting rooms of members and their
families are redolent of the perfume Of
nosegays from our uncle's conservatory
les. An ordinary citizen may smell, bnt
he cannot possess these Pregnant gifts
during the term Congress is in session.
The grounds about the different pub.
lie buildings are evually as attractive
as the garden spots in the public
thoroughfares. The Treasury has it's
own conservatory, in which are houfed
during winter the rare plants used in
identifying the space between the NAN
entrances to the building. The front
Of the State Department presents d
pleasing appearance during tho summer
months, where every yarietysof the rose
is In bloom. The grounds aboutthe
Presidents house are dotted with tiow-
or haflai hi1t tha ora udaat. rf oil thn