The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-12-16
UNCLE SAN. FLORIST.
A GLIMPSE c. THE BOTANICAL GAR
DEN IN WASHINGTON.
Finest Collection of Palms In the World.
The Victoria Regia, u Lily Which Will
Hold upa C~hild-PlantsI Included Among
Congressional Perquisites.

The Victoria Regia. u Lily Which Will
Hold TIP Child-Plants Included Among
Congressional Perquisites.
Uncle Sans botanical garden in Wash
ington occupies a tract of between eight
and nine acres of land almost in the
shadow Of tbs capitol.
If you are Il 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 a letter from
some person you never knew II never
heard Of. asking you for an order on the
superintendent for some choice ferns.
palms or hanging baskets TO be filed at
their own suggestion. Perhaps the let
ter ZONES from some resident OF ash
ington. for there are many here wlo are
on the outlook for new members of con-
gress, especially those who DO not bring
their families with them. or it may come
from n Of your own o t%ituents, who
is well versed in all the congressional
perauisites. So it will not be long be-
fore You learn that there Is a vast varl-
ETY. Of things beside secs and congress
sional reports. which ~ await your
order informing the ~,ustodlans where
the articles may be ser &.
Each member of Coz. gressiS entitled to
a certain amount from the botanical gar
den each year. the kind and the amount
being Of course sui ject to the rules of
the superintendent. II a senator should
send for one of the rare specimens of
palms or cactuses, 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 ia#tr
proper estimation.
Upon enterlns the botanical garden
by the west -ale EVu VII H0.fc o. ttel
side of the braa6 r= al tl4esf -
1iety II cactrsts, II ri. = 'az *a~i"tea1-
dltiansnf -rn@r5rea1. erHtsriH SIS. -.
seem t. esayr stzfz l.a= ger~: + 1s,5.
own. ~ :. IEefr chic. r.sH A+F 11 t.s .
scrawny uelite-. -. .-. }.," y.
" and voal% Up @ole a.a03. i5+. -
any conservatory ~ a-@ a5oE. -.
avenue extends fer s6oGE ~ ri, r .
the decorations &C the arertla o. 81
anal you fH5 yourself a@sial IN ayeu-se a.
palms.
You may have hurried by TIE creative
riety Of c~actuses, but yoR viii cerfaisls
loiter along among the choice collection
of palms gathered from every quarter 4.
tie globe y aere palms grow.
The largest IF al the eouseryatories j.
the palmh6ase, with lis immense dCEIs
shaped roof, The building has to be :
large one to accommodate some OF tht
immense palms which it contains, manl
OF which are 10 feet high. Here you vii
find palms from Mexico. Brazil, Contra
America, South America New Caledonia
Australia ami the South sea islands
palms with long trunks, palms with thu
leaves. with broad leaves, with Ion!
names and with short names. that vol
read and forget with al ease that Is won
derful. 50 that the most you carry ava,
with YOU Is a melnGrytnat you have seel
tue largest variety OF palms III the world
In the large basin. 81 feet i'll diameter
is the Bartholdi fountain. which wa
purchased at the Centennial exposition
of 1876 by tine library committee for tn
Botanical garden. The fountain Is 0
cast iron and cost ST. 900. In the basil
of the fountain growsthe Victoria Regla
the largest species Of water lily in tn
world. The lily is an annual, and ast
season in Washington is too brief for tn
lily to reach its maturity. the seed has I
be imported each year. The plant is
native of Brazil, and the seeds are in
ported in water, for if they were kel
dry during the length Of time whic
would DE required for transportatio
the seeds would be worthless. In AL
gust the Victoria Regia is in its fu
glory. and it is during this month thu
the amateur photographer delights hin
self by posing "A small child upon OIL
Of the immense leaves. By this nov
experiment we are better able to judy
of the size of this giantess Of the III
family.
Among the other wonders OF the ID
t~anical garden is Large bed OF elephat
grass, which grows to the height OF
or 90 feet. As a rapid growing plal
ynis grass seems to be the first in ]
class. but during the winter season
dies down to the roots. When IN bio
son. the bed looks like a small sectit
of the jungle transplanted to Americi
soil.
The trees IN the botanical garden ha
baen selected more with a view TO the
a~daptabilty TO the soil n climate al
to their worth as shade trees fath
than TO illustrate peculiar kinds or Var
ties Of trees. aud altogether the sene'
.fect of tne trsa planting has been y