The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-11-12
JAY GouLD,S GARDEN.
The Largest Floral Conservatory ia
America.

The sojourner who happes into the charm
ing little village of Iryington, located on
the Hudson river, about miles ride by
steamer from New York city, learns very
quickly that it is the summer home of New
Yerk's most original and successful hnanc-
ial genius, jay Gould. Visitors who express
desire to see the country seat of the noted
Spectator find no bar to their entrance. A
dozen haekmen await to take you over the
mile drive to Mr.. Gould's and back for the
reasonable item of 81. With polite note
from Mr.. George Gould to Mr.. ferdinand
Mangold, who has entire charge Of the Iry-
ington property, drove up to the conser-
vatories.
Mr.. Gould has two acres under glass.
The ccnservatories, which cast 100000,
are not very far from the mansion, and ore
surrounded by plants and trees carefully
arranged in beds and plats. The green
houses rise in great and graceful curves
from the ground, and are painted white and
glazed with small panes of glass. They in
clude four houses for grapes and peaches,
one for camelias, one for rhododendrons, a
centre house foi palms, q ternery, pitcher
plant house and number of others devot.
cd to specialties from the tropics and other
distant points. The collection of plants is
beyond question the largest and finest in
the United States.
Under Mr.. Mangold's Instructive guidance
made rapid circuit of the buildings.
The collection is amazing in its character,
extent and variety. It comprises over $40
palms, including one that cost 81 900 (the
most valuable in all the collection), $50
ferns, one of which cost 5000, 800 roses,
100 pitcher plants, and rooms full of others,
all very curious and rare, from Brazil, Aus
tralia, the Fiji Islands, Madagascar, and in
fact from every section of the globe, except
ing the northern Alps. An attempt was
made, by the liberal use of ice, to grow
specimens from the snowy Alps, but it was
not a success. Only four varieties of grapes
are cultivated. They are trained to run
like vines across the ceilings of the green
houses. Great clusters of White Muscats
and Black Hamburgs, some Of them weigh
ing six pounds, hang from the vines. Some
of the grapes ripen in May, and the same
may be said of the peaches, of which 26
varieties are cultivated. The peach trees
are trimmed to run up the sides of the con-
seryatories like wall flowers. A few persim-
mons were seen in one of the houses, but
no other fruits are raised by artificial heat
The visitor takes special pleasure in look
ing at the curious plants, in some cases also
the rarest flowers. One large room is full
of the pitcher plant, the common variety Of
which many have seen. But Mr.. Gould's
noble specimens from Madagascar, with the
pitchers in some cases as large as o gill
cup, are incompatible with the little pro-
duct OF the marsh and swamp found in our
zone. Mr.. Mangold called my attention to
his butterfly plant, with delicate wingy
flowers, pendant from thread-like stalks
and looking for all the worll like pretty
butterflies poised in the air. One of the
most curious plants he calls "the fly trip"
II is a low shrub upon which may be seen
what look like clover leaves jointed at one
side, and all the edges armed with tiny
spikes or spines. Thrusting a pencil be-
tween the two little discs they snapped to-
gether and held it very firmly. saw some
that had closed upon flies. In one case the
sharp spines had impaled fly and he hung
Ifeless and sfriyeling. Another plant had
Iong leaves, each twisted like screw. II ia
called the corkscrew plant" then there
was the well-known sensitive plant, and one
in water the leaf of which as you looked
down through it was full of tiny intersticss
so that it resembled skeleton leaf. This
is called the lace plant" Another has
leaves like spoon and is called tho spoon
plant" Many of the specimens were in
blossom, but the time to see the most radi-
ant blossoms is in spring.
Mr.. Gould's ownings at Irvington EN-
braces about 700 acres of farm land upon
which over 60 men are employed under the
direction of Mr. Mangold. The improve
ments include some fine apple and pear
trees, and Mr.. Gould's cider and vinegar
and some Of the claret are homemade. -
Correspondence Albany Journal.