The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-12-13
UNCLE SAN, FLORIST.
A GLIMPSE or THE BOTANICAL GAR
pEtl IN WASHINGTON.

Finest CoiIecticn Of Palms I'm the World.
The Victoria Regia, "a Lily Which VIII
Hold Una Cflid-plants Included Ainong
Congressional Perauisites.
Uncle Sans Botanical garden in Wash
ington occupies a tract of between eight
and nine acres of land almost in the
shadow of the capitol.
If You gre u newly elected member of
congress and have not been initiated
into the full scope of your perquisites,
YOU will probably receive within a short
time after your arrival q letter from
some person you never knew and v
heard Of, asking you fer an order on the
superintendent for sone choice ferns,
palms or hanging baskets to be filed at
their w suggestion. Perhaps the let
ter comes from some resident of Wash
ington. for there are many here who are
on the outlook for new members of con-
gress. especially those who Go not bring
their families with them, or it may come
from one Of your own constituents, who
is well versed in all the congressional
perauisites. So ii will not be long be-
fore you learn that there is y vast vari-
ETY. of things beside seeds and congress
sional reports, which only await your
order informing the c~ustodians where
the articles may be sent. =
Each member of congress is entitled to
a certain amount from the botanical gar
den each year, the kind and the amount
being of course subject to the rules of
the superintendent. If u senator should
send for one of the rare specimens of
palms or c~actuses, it is very doubtful
about the request being honored. The
last specimen of a rare plant would not
be given up under any circumstances
The most of the orders sent in are for
roses, geraniums and blooming plants,
Of which there is a great supply. Ii the
representative or senator prefers to have
his quota Of plants sent to his green
house in his native town or city, he is
furnished by the clerk of the house Of
representatives with a wooden shipping
box. in which the plants are securely
packed and shipped by express to thei,
proper destination.
Upon entering the botanical garden
by the west gate you will notice on eacl
side of the broad walk an endless va
riety of cactuses, in all of the varied con
ditions of growth and sc~ratchiness. Some
seem to grow after ideas peculiarly theil
!, own. as if their chief charm lay in thei,
! scrawny ugliness. Others are very pref
! ty and would help wonderfully to adovr
any conservatory o bay window. Thi
> avenue extends for about $50 feet, whel
= the decorations of the avenue change
o and you find yourself amid an avenue o
palms.
2 You may nave hurried by the great Va
/, riety of cactuses, but you will certainl.
: loiter along among the choice collection
of palms gathered from every quarter o
. the globe where palms grow.
The largest Of all the Conservatives i
the Farmhouse, with its immense dom
shaped roof. The building has to be
large one to accommodate some of til
immense palms which it contains, man
u of which are 40 feet high. Here youswil
d find palms from Mexico, Brazil, Centrs
c America, South America New Caledonia
. Australia and the South Sea islands
y palms with long trunks, palms with thi
Il leaves, with broad leaves, with Ion
i names and with short M that yo
9 read and forget with an ease that is wor
q derful, so that the most you carry ava
II with yon is a memory that you have see
the largest variety of palms in the work
Is In the large basin, 90 feet in diamete
le is the Bartholdi fountain, which WI
Is purchased at the Centennial expositio
of 1876 by the library committee for Il
u Botanical garden. The fountain Is
q cast iron and cost $4,000. In the basi
i of the fountain grows the Victoria Regi
10 the largest species Of water lily in ii
> world. The lily is an annual, and asst
season in Washington is too brief for ii
l lily to reach its maturity, the seed has
y be imported each year. The plant Is
he native of Brazil, and the seeds are II
3. ported in water, for if they were Ike.
as dry duri~g the length OF time whnt
"a would required for transportatit
s. the sc would be worthless. In a.
st gust 10 1ictoria Regia is in its fl
glory, and it is during this month tn
DC the amateur photographer delights hin
self by posing a small child upon 81
Q. of the immense leaves. BY this nov
n experiment we are better able to jud
of the size of this giantess of the Ii
II family.
ng Among the other wonders of the /
n ~tanical garden is a large bed of elepha
grass, which grows to the height of
nc or 20 feet. As a rapid growing pla
this grass seems to be the first in
he class, but during the winter season
dies down to the roots. When in biz
he som. the bed looks like a small sect
les of the jungle transplanted to Americ
soil.
The trees in the botanical garden ha
been selected more with a view to tn
ric ~adaptability TO the soil and climate q
to their worth as shade trees rati
than to illustrate peculiar kinds or var
ny ties of trees, and altogether the gene
re effect Of the tree planting has been VI
MS successful, in that the requisite amor
of shade has been secured as well ~
lnK harmonious touch of general embeli
nc ment OF the garden.-Bosto Herald.
Ky
ons National Flowers.
n #a