Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-01

Flowers and Birds In Washington.
Washington Letter to Cleveland Leader.
The beds of the parks are filed with
flowers, and their trees are laden with
blossoms. franklin Square, on the
corner OF which Garfield used to live,
and on which Shsrman's new house
faces, is thronged daily with people
sdmiring the double blossoms of the
towering fruit trees. Apple, peach,
cherry, and other trees, with snow
balls Of double blossoms ranging from
their branches. The one near the
fountain Is as white az the finest of
we'll washed wool, and Is most wonder.
full In it's beauty. A noted gardener,
who attended to the park In times
past, planted these. They are one of
the sights of Washington. None
others are like them here. I doubt
whether there are any like them In
the country.
The tulips of Franklin Park are
another wonder. Large, and of sew.
eral varieties, they form circles of
blood, royal purple, snow white,
chrome yellow and v%sriegated colors
In halt a dozen different flower buds.
These tulips are the descendants of
those of Holland. They are 80 beau.
tiful that ono hardly wonders that the
Dutch went wild over them In times
past, and can easily imagine the days
Of 1000, when 120 sullps sold for $45,.
COO, and q single tulip, called the
"Vtceroy," brought 81, 600.
The Smithsonian lawn Is beautiful
ly green now, and In the agricultural
grounds to-day the grass was being
cut, The sweet smell was waited
over the whole southeastern part of
the city this morning. The crecuses
here have long disappeared, and the
great beds Of the many colored peonies
are breaking into bloom.
The park between the White House
and Mr. Corcoran's mansion has q
number of magnolia treeH, which are
covered with great crushed strawberry
blossoms, and the oid-fashioned burn.
Ing bushes ere seen on every side,
filled with a glory of bloody-red flow.
ers.
The markets have many peddlers
of wild flowers, and great lunches of
v~iolets, trailing arbutus and forget
me. no,s are sold for 5 cents apiece.
A day ago l took a trip to Mt.
Vernon and I found the spring beau
ties, the dandelion and the sweet
blue violet, all over the woods where
George Washington used to stroll
some ninety years ago. The birds
were singing sweetiy IN the trees
here, and l was glad to soc that one
pair have built a nest In the wall of
Washington's vault, just over the
place where his head reposes, As I
came up the Potomac to the capital
l noticed the thousands of cawing
crows which are always seen on the
fats of the river, and al I walked
through the parks to-day 1 saw hun.
dreds OF the English swallows which
have made this place their last home.
These English swallows are i~rreverent
birds. They don't appreciate the digni.
ty of the capitol nor of the church.
In the caves of st. Johns, where the
president goes, they have built their
meats. Thousands Of them live In the
scanthus leaves of marble which
crown the summit of the Corlnthian
columns of the capitol. Others have
their quarters In the treasury, the
postctfice, and the department of the
interior, and one adventurous pair
has a cosy little home built of twigs
on the brszsn boot of the statue of
Gen. Mcpherson, which stands among
the trees In the center of the park
near which BIB Ingersoll and Gen.
Sherman live. This statue cost $l5,.
600. The nest Is made on Its right
foot, and 1t Is shielded from the
heat md rain by the cover Of the
stlrrup