The morning times., 1896-05-03
Helen Gould's Lilies Cure Little
Cripples-Window Gardens
of Julien Gordon, Writer.
Mrs. BeImont's Pride
a Pink Lotus.

The reason given by william Waldorf
Astor to an nquiring friend who asked
him why lac had returned to the land or
his birth. after having wandered from it
for a decade. was that he wanted Ito see
the home flowers in the home garden in
spring once more
At Newport, where Mr.. Astor went imme-
diately upon iis arrival in America, there
is home garden that would delight the
heart of any man not dealer in fine flow
crs. The flowers are not OF the rare sort
that bring prices, but they have the old
fashioned quality of blooming out of doors
all the spring ard Of bearing the weather
as well as the oaks that surround them.
walk bordered with tulips, with syrin-
gas growing back of them, and with honey
suCales twining the trunks OF the flower
ing shade trees, this garden walk is one
of the fairest sights Of one OF the finest
country places in tie world. In the middle
space beyond are lilies of the valley.
These flowers are the favorites of the
man who came TO spend a month where
they are growing. So fond is he of these
valley lilies that when Mrs. Astor died he
left standing order WITH a florist TO
cover Mrs. AStor's grave daily with a
blanket OF lilies winter and summer
until told 20 stop. Lady Randolph Churchill
preferred roses, and sent pillows OF them
to where her husband lay buried. In her
present country garden. a small place out
side London, she grows roses, not sparselv.
but by great fields. From her yeranda they
spread out like the perfumery fields of
Nice.
George Vanderbilt's favorite flower Is
bare one. II is a fern tree, warranted
al least 800 years old, and presumably
much older. 1t was brought from Aus
ifalia ana in transportation took three
months 10 accomplish.
There Is a walk at Biltmore lined with
these tree palms. They are as tail as
three-sIory house, and over the path
they meet IN so close an arch that the
walk underneath is hardly damPened in the
heaviest rain.
In getting the particular palm which
is fayoritc with Biltmore's owner, the
Australia palm-hunter nearly lost his
life. The palm had stood for many years
upon piece of territory inhabited By The
aboFigines. Certain native games had
been PLAYED under il for generations, and
to remove il would bring on trouble from
the militia OF the Country-to the simple ab.
riginal mind. The jungle prowler had to
night with a band OF men, crawl through
il to the open field where the giant palm
stood proudly waving its head, and with al
speed dig out the big plant before day
light. When the sun rose a pit in the ground
told where the great palm had once stood
but both il and The jungle trespasser were
gone forever.
one of tine favorite plants Of Mrs. o.
Il. P. Belmont is a pink lotus. 1t is a
water flower, but so prolific that II will
grow in a tub if properly 'plauted." The
lotus has immense flowers upon it, anC
these flowers rear their heads several fee
above the low-lying leaves. Outside they
are a lovely pink, but inside the colo,
changes to a delicate canary yellow. II i;
so fragrant that it perfumes the air fal
around. The leaves measure three fee
across in the ordinary specimens.
The culture of these lotus flowers anC
water plants is extensively carried on by
Mrs. Belmont, who is a botaust Of great