The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-19

eO out Tor them over ana over this last
half century, though the business of
sending expeditions into wild lands
strange green things for to see is not
more than half so old. This particular
story began some years back when a
plant collector secured upon a remote
South Sea island seven nuts of this par
ticular palm. These he brought careful
~ home and sold at high prices to a
greenhouse man, who planted them and
in due course found himself possessed
of seven baby palms. One of these he
sold. The rest he keeps, only to see them
die before they were twelvemonth old.
The one he parted with lived and
grew. 1t became noted as the one speci-
men of its kind within civilized ken.
Rich palm collectors offered eagerly al
most fabulous sums for it. The owner
would not sell. He was rich and col
lector, too, though in the way of trade.
By and by he found that few more
seed had been obtained. Hence his rar-
ity was likely to be less rare. So he
agreed to part with it for 5000, stipu-
lating first that he must be allowed to
exhibit it with his other palms at the
Chicago fair.
It went there, was seen of the multi
tude and duly coveted by collectors.
But some way it did not thrive. Per
haps its race was so royal it revolted at
the thought Of making part of a show.
It may be, too, wounded vanity had
something to do with the case, since
the great uniformed multitude persist
emily admired cheaper things after
passing it by with glance. Whatever
the cause, it began to die, slowly and
with dignity, as became plant so valu-
able. To droop was out of the question.
Every leaf kept proudly in place the
while they were sicklied over with a
cast of rich tan. Today the dead plant
sits apart in great Horticultural estab-
lishment, striking and unique monu-
ment of the vanity of human expecta-
tions.
Rich and Rare.
A thousand dollars does not strike one
as half an exorbitant price for fine
tree fern. There is so much of graceful
beauty, of majesty even, about it a
mere matter of money seems something
impertinent in connection with it. But
when you see $3.50 set as the price of
an insignificant looking palm in six
| inch pot you are unreconciled, even
when you hear that the palm is the very
rare Bismarkia nobilis, which is brought
from the tropics and usually dies as
soon as it is we'll acclimated. If one
could fancy fate or free will in vege-
table organism, it might be thought the
palm was bent on keeping up its own
price Assuredly if bismarkias were as
plenty as blaokberries they would meet
| the same fate.
That is scarcely to be said of the
spiny auricarias. which come from
Norfolk island, down in the Southern
ocean. There is something weird, almost
uncanny. in their spiny beauty. They
lay hold on the imagination and take
captive the fancy until the desire of
them grows hot enough to burn away
prudence. Fine specimens fetch easily
$500 each and stand about as high as
| your heart.
Another antipodean plant, Dioon
spin ulosum, is more than uncanny. In
deed it is actually grewsome. 1t is a
clump Of long fronds beset all their
length with thorny green tips. These
thorny sprays center in and rise from q
big oval mass that one is at loss &c
classify. 1t Is too thick and ungainly
for stem, too hbrous, too unvital fo1
root. Whatever it be, it upbears q
plant for which you pay a tidy sum il
you wish to possess it. Once, the palm
grower tells you, when they were new
and rare, such things cost about what
you chose to ask for them. Now, what
with competition, improved methods OF
transportation and propagation, it il
not possible to sell a really fine speci-
men for above $400-this, too, in the
face of the fact that palmhouses AND
palm faneiers have increased in exact
ratio to the wealth of the country.
Stag Horn Ferns.
Nothing that grows in those same
palm and hot houses is better worth al
interested look than the stag horn ferns,
known officially as platyeerums. Theil
root hold is bit Of peat moss made fast