The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-01-10
WHITE HOUSE coNsERvAToRIes
In the Rose. Houses Rare Orchids The
Holy Ghost" Flower.

In the Rose Houses Rare OrchidS-The
Holy Ghost'' Flower.
Washington Cor, Baltimore Amercan.l
An interesting feature of the enter
tainments at the White House this
winter will be the newly arranged con
servatories These have always atr
tractei great deal of attention, but
they have been so much improved dur
ing the summer months that they are
now far more attractive than ever before
The doQrways from the White House
corridor and state dining room open into
the beautiful palm house, where, amid
coral rockery and graceful grottoes, tai
palms of many rare varieties are ar
ranged in the most artistic manner, an
present a very attractive feature. Fro y
this apartment tho conservatory, with
its coo er and tropical wings, is reacho
These abound with rare and wonderful
plants. The tropical oud is pcrhap.
especially intcrC sting and instructive.
many of the specimens being the on,y
ones of their kind i'll this country.
From this apartment the visitor de-
sends to the camellia, fern, and prin-
rose house, raaaant and brilliant Wit
color, and delicious in perfume. From
it one passes into the rose hoIses AMI
the propagating-house, and is Son
among frames hIIed with pans'rs aal
yiolets. The rose-houSo is perhaps the
most beautiful Of all. Thousands
plants are blooming here. They ar
robbed twice day of their half-bloAu
beauties. The flower beds Of the Whit
House grounds contain altogether oyal
100 varieties of roses during the season
and will have much larger asSortmru
next year. Only about dozen varietoy
and these the most familiar and pop
lar, are preserved during the winter Ii
the rose-house.
The grapery is another attractiy.
sight, although not entirely SUGGEST
in vintages. The gnarled vines OF til
black Hamburg and muscatinc ha' q
made their way ever the walls and coi
ing forming rustic canopy, and freely
towering plants lend their brightness
color. Ono of the most intercstiil@
features of the collection is the asSor-
ment of aerial and terrestrial orchid
Nearly 100 varieties of these womb,
of the plant world are successfully cali,
waited, some of them 30 rare as TO III
,ract the interest Of botanlsts and sc !.
cntists throughout the country.
Not the most beautiful or the mos
wonderful, but the most striking an
odd of these. plants, are the nun
plants and the Holy Ghost" ilowt
Tho former in each blossom presents
perfect miniature Of nuns head, 81
rounded by the conventional VIII
bonnet, showing the features OF t.
face with startling fidelity to natur
and embracing neck and shoulders i
the tiny floral representation. In IL.
inner recesses of the holy ghost
over, amid the petals of the snow,
cup, tiny dove may be discovered, il
wings spread, its head lowered, its fec
perching lust as though the little isito
had just alighted to drink the deWdre)
sparkling in the flowers cup.
Others of the orchids find their stri
ing feature in their resemblance to hut
terhies and creeping things Othe
possess interest and claim admiration o
account of their gorgeous. colors, the
curious designs, and their strar i.
formation. Guests at the White How
?rtainments are privileged to waai4
at will among the conservatores, BIZ
they are apt to encounter some watch
person at every corner, who has be
placed there to keep an eye on the fl
gers of the visitors.