The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1894-03-17
UNCLE SAN, FLORIST.
A GLlaPSE OF THE BOTANICAL GAR
DEN IN WASHINGTON.

The Victoria Regia, Lily Which Will
Hold Up a Child-PIants Included Among
Congressional Perquisites.
Uncle Sans botanical garden in Wash
ington occupies tract of between eight |
and nine acres Of land almost in the |
shadow of the capitol.
If you are 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 letter from
some person you never knew and never
heard of, asking you for an order on the
superintendent for some choice ferns,
palms or hanging baskets to be filled at
their own 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 do not bring
their families with them, or it may come
from one of your own constituents, who
is well versed in all the congressional
perquisites. So it will not be long be-
fore you learn that there is vast vari-
ETY. of things beside seeds and congress
sional reports, which only await your
order informing the custodians where
the articles may be sent.
Each member of congress is entitled to
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 q 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 u rare plant would not
be given up under any circumstances.
The most of the orders sent in are for
roses, geraniulns and blooming plants,
of which there is a great supply. If 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 wooden shipping
box, in which the plants are securely
packed and shipped by express to their
proper destination.
Upon entering the botanical garden
by the west gate you will notice on each
side of the broad walk an endless va
riety of cactuses, in all of the varied con-
ditions 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 pret.
ty and would help wonderfully to adorn
any conservatory or bay window. This
avenue extends for about $50 feet, when
the decorations of the avenue change
and YOU find yourself amid an avenue oi
palms.
You may have hurried by the greatv va
riety of cactuses, but you will certainly
loiter along among the choice collection
of palms gathered from every quarter o.
the globe where palms grow.
The largest of all the Conservatives il
the palmhouse, with it's immense dome
shaped roof. The building has to be {
large one to accommodate some of th'
immense palms which it contains, many
Of which are 40 feet high. Here you vii
find palms from Mexico, Brazil, Contra
America, South America New Caledonia
Australia and the South Sea islands
palms with long trunks, palms with thil
: leaves, with broad leaves, with lon
names and with short names, that yo1
read and forget with an ease that is won
derful, so that the most you carry ava
with you is memory that You have seel
the largest variety of palms in the world
In the large basin, 80 feet in diameter
is the Bartholdi fountain, which wa
purchased at the Centennial eXpositio
of 1876 by the library committee for tn
Botanical garden. The fountain is c
cast iron and cost $4,000. In the basi
of the fountain grows the Victoria Regii
the largest species of water lily in tn
world. The lily is an annual, and as th
season in Washington is too brief for th
lily to reach it's maturity, the seed has
. 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 be 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 tn;
: the amateur photographer delights hin
self by posing small child upon OF
of the immense leaves. By this nov
experiment we are better able to judg
st of the size Of this giantess of the Iii
family.
Among the other wonders of the b
tanical garden is large bed of elephal
grass, which grows to the height of
I. or 90 feet. AS rapid growing plal
this grass seems to be the first in i
class, but during the winter season
- dies down to the roots. When in bio
som, the bed looks like small sectic
:. of the jungle transplanted to America
soil.
The trees in the botanical garden ha
been selected more with view to the
r. adaptability to the soil and climate al
to their worth as shade trees rath
than to illustrate peculiar kinds or vari
ties of trees, and altogether the gener
effect of the tree planting has been We
successful, in that the requisite amou
of shade has been secured as well as
harmonious touch of general embelis
ment of the garden.-Boston Herald.
National Flowers.
The flower badges of nations are