The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-02-06

bugs. And you, who love to eat beau.
tifully colored red candies, imagine
the extreme delicacy of the bug juice
which gives the candy its brightness
If nor its sweetness. However, let me
say that it is harmless, which can moi
be said of most other coloring material
Besides there are large shrubs o.
camelia, both white and red lowered
Their waxy, exquisite flowers are just
beginning to show. Attached to the
main Hall is hot house; this is a part
of the building but is an apartment on
the sunny side and is filled with orchids
and other plants from Mexico, Guata'
mala and Jamaica, which need special
heat. AS these flowers are only begin.
ming to come out, will describe them
some other time.
The great attraction at present is the
fruit display. The apple show is at its
best. Imagine hall rooted with glass
l14x6O0 feet, with four lines of tables
each six feet wide. running the entire
length, except fountain space in the
center, and all closely covered with
plates of fruit. Imagine these lines
flanked with curious and beautiful
plants, land divided in the center by
stately palms and spraying fountain
and you have a faint idea of the splen.
dor here displayed. 1t is by far the
grandest fruit show the world has eveI
attempted. The expectations of the
managers are fully realized. Not only
has the United States responded to the
call, but Canada, England, France
Mexico, Jamaica and Russia have
brought of their fruits to compare one
with the other. have, in the same
minute, tasted apples from England
and Mexico; from Colorado and France
l must say that although these for
eign apples are inferior in looks they
taste quite as good as ours.
Then there is fine show of grapes
from Minnesota, Wisconsin, New
York, Ohio and California. But
France vies with California in the size
and looks of her pears. Ihave tasted
the Keiffer pear to my entire satisfac-
ton. 1t is from New Jersey, and is in
its highest state of excellence, so Mr..
Parry, the grower and great admirer of
his pear says. Well it does look well,
there is no denying, but, oh the taste.
Many of you have tried green persim-
mons, and if I was called to judge,
should put it just trifle higher in the
scale of excellence, if such a word is
allowed, after trying this fruit. 1t is
a grand fraud upon the American pub
lie. Turnips are far better. Apples
are too good to be mentioned the same
day. It is claimed that 1T is blight
proof. Well, I am sorry, for the SOON
er extinct the better. Florida and ia
maica have favored us with several
large clusters of cocoanuts Just as they
were found growing on the tree. Each
cluster has nuts from the size of a
mans head to little green ones the size
of walnut. Some Of these clusters 1
guess at 200 pounds, and all were hung
by their branches to one stem, not as
large as my wrist. We are largely
indebted for this fine horticultural dis
play to the vigorous efforts of Parker
Earle, of Illinois, president, and w.
H. Raglan, of Indiana, secretary of the
Mississippi Valley Horticultural So
ciety. The sessions of the society are
over, and the most of the members
have gone home.
On last Monday the society having
accepted a very kind offer of the Shell
Beach R. r. Co., about one hundred
and fifty of US, including the ladies,
took an excursion to Shell Beech on
Lake Borgne, which is about thirty
miles from here. We passed over
Jackson's old battle ground, and the
train stopped for US, at a grand old ru-
ined mansion, where Gen. Packing
ham, in command of the British forces.
spent the last night before the battle
in which he was killed. Although
deserted it is surrounded with large
and wild orange trees, full
Of fruit. Here are the grandest old pc
can trees ever saw, and hanging full
Of moss, that added greatly to their
majesty. After gathering a |
lot of these sour oranges and great
bundles of moss, and looking about
the house, we were hurried on through |
the greatest vegetable garden district
Of this region. Remember, this warm
,oil is the very best of our northern al
uvium floated down here and deposit
ID to an unknown depth. Here they
grow cabbages, onions, beets, peas,
lettuce, radishes and turnips princi-
pally, or at least, that is what they
how have growing. Three crops
II garden stuff are raised all seasons.
Much Of the cabbage is now ready to
,e cut, and someis later. These vege-
able are sold IN the markets and 1