The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-12
STRAWBERRY HILL LAKE.
A Beautiful Spot Neglected
by Visitors.
ANOTHER VICTORIA REGIA.
Plants in the Conservatory In All the Luxuri
ant Fulln So Of Their Autumnal Bloom.
An Egg Plant.

The visitor who goes to the park for pleas
ure and recreation misses treat when he
does not take trip to strawberry Hill.
Thousands visiSted the park yesterday.
The cars could hardly accommodate those
who journeyed there.
The picnic season being over and exeur-
sions being few, people on Sundays now
take in the park. That is why it was So
crowded yesterday.
1t is a pity these large crowds do not
scatter more, for there are more beautiful
things to be seen in Golden Gate Park than
one imagnes The great majority content
themselves with sitting In the sun listening
to the music. When the last piece is played
away they rush for the ears. and 60 home.
The birds sing for nothing, tie flowers
bloom for naugEt and the fair landscape
presents its loveliness on the visitors gaze.
OF the many thousands in the park yester-
day not one hundred visited Strawberry
Hin Yesterday. Yet there is large and
beautiful lake there with water as clear as
crystal. 1t is nothing like the little pond
in the deer park, it is q little lake.
This lake is at the base Of Strawberry
Hill and yet is suffice ntly elevated TO give
fine view of the surrounding landscape. The
lake at present is around only one-Ihird of
the hill. and the idea is 10 bring it ali the
way round. Workmen are constantly en-
gagged on IT,
During the last week considerable work
was done on the second third of the lake.
The ground has been dug to the required
depth, and the sides walled up. 1t will be
necessary TO pave the bottom with stones
and rock in order TO make hard bed 10
prevent the water sinking in the sand. The
sides will also be built with the same ma
teral. Connection will be then made with
first third part already built. and the lake
will be about three blocks long.
What makes the visitor imagine the lake
to be much larger than it is, is the meander-
ing curves of the shore line. which twirl
and wind with q bewildering sinnosity.
There is nothing artificial in the laying-out
of the shore line. 1t has all the appearance
of being natures handiwork. Above the
lake is Strawberry II and the observatory
from which can be obtained In magnificent
view
The park conservatory was never in
better condition than it is now. The plants
and exotcs are exhibiting all the lcxuriant
fullness Of their autumnal bloom. The air
is so heavy with the perfume Of the flowers
that one not used to such concentrated
sweetness Is almost oyerpowered. As an
old lady remarked yesterday: There is
too much cologne in the air for me here"
The conservatory has received consider
able attention Of late on account of the
victoria regia, which had several flowers
recently.
Superintendent Cole stated yesterday that
one of the largest buds ever seen on the
Plant was IN bloom during the week. The
bud outbrOke into its dream OF lOvelineSs at
about 9 o'clock in the evening. and kept open
for forty-eight hours, when it dropped into
the water and its beauty disappeared like
shooting star.
There are in bloom at the conservatory some
very rare orchids, particularly Of the Stan
hOpea variety, the blossoms hanging in
buff ana yellow clusters over foot below
the baskets. Several Holy Ghost plants are
also IN bloom. The flower is known in
botany as the Presteria Elata.
The greatest curiosity in the conservatory
yesterday was an egg plant in bearing
In the aviary, which is attracting more
attention every Sunday, number of little
canaries were born during the week and the
tiny yellow birds played in the grass, to the
great delight Of the children.