The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-12

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 representa-
tives with a wooden shipping box. in
which the plants are securely packed and
shipped by express to their proper desti-
nation.
AN AVENUE LINED WITH CACTI.
Upon entering the botanical gardens
by the west gate you will notice on each
side of the broad walk an endless variety
of cacti, in all Of the varied conditions of
growth and scratchiness. Some seem to
grow after ideas peculiarly their own,
as if their chief charm lay in their
scrawny ugliness. Others are very pretty
and would help wonderfully TO adorn any
conservatory or bay window. This ave-
nue. extends about for $50 feet, when the
decorations Of the avenue change and you
find yourself amid an avenue of palms.
You may have hurried by the great
variety of cacti, but YOU will certainly
loiter along amid the choice collections of
palms, gathered from every quarter of
the globe where palms grow.
After Oct. 10 you will not find this
main avenue decorated with palms as
they are moved about that time into the
large Conservatives Of which there are
several in the garden. The plants have
been improved by the rain and sunshine
of the summer months, and
after Oct. 10 they remain indoors securely
protected from frosts and heavy winds.
THE PALM HOUSE.
The largest Of all the Conservatives is
the palm house with its immense dome
shaped roof The building has to be a
large one to accommodate some Of the i'm
lnense palms which it contains, many of
which are 40 feet high. Here you will
find palms from Mexico, Brazil, Central
America, South America, New Caledonia,
Australia, New South Wales and the
South Sea lslsnds palms with long
trunks, palms with thin leaves, with
broad leaves, with long names and with
short names, that you read and forget
with an ease that is wonderful So that
the most you carry away with you is a
memory that you have seen the largest
variety Of palms in the world.
THE VICTORIA REGIA.
In the large basin, ninety feet in diane
ter is the Bartholdi fountain, which was
purchased at the centennial exposition Of
1876, by the library committee for the
botanical garden. The fountain is Of cast
iron and cost $4,000. When the size and
weight is considered it seems that art
productions of this kind come very cheap
by the pound, or, in other words, you pur-
chase the material at fair market value,
and the art IS thrown IN. In the basin
of the Barthodi fountain grows the Vic
toria regia the largest species Of water
lily in the world. The lily is an annual,
and as the season in Washington is too
brief for the lily TO reach its maturity,
the seed has 10 be imported each year.
The plant is native of Brazil, and the
seeds are imported in water. for If they
are kept dry during the length of time
which would be required for transporta-
tion. the seeds would be worthless. In
August the Victoria legia is in us full
glory, and it is during this month that the
amateur photographer delights himself
by posing a small child upon one Of the
immense leaves. BY this novel experiment
we are better able TO judge of the size Of
this giantess Of the lily family.