Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-11-14
BAssETT g. co.
WHITE HOUSE PLANTS.
Rare aud curieu. Specimens That Attras
the AttsntloB of vlsitorA

Rare aud curieu. Specimens That Attract
the AttsntIes ef visitorA
Curious plants abound In tho White
House conservatory, and the history OF
some OF them is decidedly interesting
10 visitors who arc permitted 10 inspect
this attachment To tho Executive Man
sion. Probably the plant to which tho
gardeners arc most attached Is the big
sago palm, the age Of which Is hxed at
$50 years II was from time immemo-
rial one OF the attractions OF Washing
TONS conservatory at Mount Vernon.
and before his death he presented IL To
n friend In baltimore. who made =
speciality OF collecting palms Upon
tho death OF tho Baltimorean
his estate was settled, and q
gardener from the White House
received the precious sago palm.
For upward OF forty years Il has
been located between tho doors leading
into the state dlning-room and the pri-
vato corridor at tho base OF the stairway
used by the family Of the White House.
and II Is usually tho first object to greet
visitors from tho mansion. Ono Pc
cullarity noticed about tho plant Is that
one year II will throw out n crown OF
leaves, probably fifty or sixty in nun.
bcr, and the succeeding year II win con-
tent itself with towering. When the
foliage is full, as at present, the plant
measures Twelve feet in diameter and
tho trunk has q diameter OF fourteen
inehel Almost at the base OF the
big square box containing the sago is
q large oarthen pot, from which
springs = beautiful and novel cluster OF
leaves known rs ths Australian BIRDS
nest fern, the leaves being from three
10 four feet long and attaining \ width
OF six 10 ten inches As Its name inn
plies, this fern Is favorite with birds
who do not care TO be troubled about
gathering materials for their nests but
find an agreeable substitute already
formed OF the hirsutc attach ment from
which tho leaves appear to spring. In
this soft hairy bed eggs are deposited.
and whom hatched the brood leaves for
other quarters. and the most only awaits
another occupant
Several years ago Gardener Phoster
received from friend In Drasil n
rare specimen OF the orchid family.
which he treated with the attention
1t deserved. Upon opening the pack
ago ho discovered scedling OF some
sort astray. and no took personal
charge OF It. and was abundantly recon-
pensod for his trouble. Itturned out TO
he q magnificent lily, tho botanic name
being antharium vepricosum, and It
thrived remarkably under the troatmont
prescribed by tho White House garden
CIR. subsequently IL was ascertained
that only one other specimen OF this
lily is owned outside OF Brazil. and that
IL by the Kew Garden at London, En-
gland. Botanists, and those who mako
speciality OF raro plants, value the ilnd
at upward OF $1,000, and tho flower.
which is \ creamy white, spotted at the
base with maroons, has fragrant odor
not unlike that Of magnolia grandi-
fora. 1t is now In pot sixteen
inches In diameter, and tho beautiful
groen leaves aro at least Ave feet
in diameter. Half dozen shoots or
seedlings have boon takon from the
parent lily, and ono Of them is being
cultivated at the Government botanic
garden, adjacent to the Capitol building
on tho avenue.
Probably plant that attracts as
much attention as any in tho White
House conservatory Is n small red one,
which Is named the artillery plant,
from peculiar habit that II has Ono
OF the branches containing small, red
buds. II dampcned In water will cause
swelling and bursting. the pollen pop
ping into tho air like the smoke puffs
from cannon. After all the buds havo
burst tho plant looks as II fino whito
snow had fallen upon the blooms, which
are shaped not unlike small Maltese
crosses. Cor. N. Y. Sun.