Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-03
The Many Varieties Of Trees in the
Botanic asdens.
VALUED FOR nUR and FIBEE
Sixty Different Sorts Of Palms
Along One walk.
HOW THEY ARE CARED FOR

Under the palms, not in southern Florida,
nor in tropical islands, but in the Botanic
Garden at Washington. Here is an avenue
of palms, reaching from the main entrance
at the foot of Capitol Hill beyond the great
conservatory. The palms stand in immense
| tubs on each side of the walk, varying in
height from six to twenty five feet. Above
them tower twenty-five different kinds of
trees. All are outrageous, and the palms
flourish in their shade, whereas the heat
of the sun would injure them.
The first along the walk Is a cocoa palm
| from Brazil. It has been. dragged from its
| tub and lies upon its side. The roots are
exposed like the roots Of a tree blown
down by storm. Palm roots in tubs are
condensed like pressed corn beef-matted
and intertwined so closely that water will
hardly penetrate them. This plant is being
disrooted; from its confinement in the tub
tie old roots have become caked and mat
ted. Two negroes are hard at work upon
| 1t. One raises the tree to perpendicular
position, while the other attacks the roots
with a pickax. The roots are torn apart
and trimmed until at least half of them are
removed; then the palm is lifted into a
great tub of fresh water. where it remains
several hours All this time bubbles of air
arise from the roots until they become
thoroughly saturated. 1t is next placed in
fresh earth in a new tub. and retains its
constant hue Of green William r. Smith,
superintendent of the garden, oversees the
operation. He says that this root-trimming
process is done every year in the Botanical
Gardens at st. Petersburg. The plants are
afterward placed In hot beds, where they
regain thrifty condition. Here in Wash
iEgton, however, the rays of the sun are
sufficient, when tempered by the shade Of
overhanging trees.
Near this cocoa palm there is a fan PAIN
from the Isle of Bourbon. There is moth
ing particularly remarkable about it. In
fact, it is hardly as handsome as the ma
tive palmetto of Florida. Forty-three years
ago. however,. 1t was a great curiosity.
There were only six of them on the North
American continent. The superintendent
says that today there are 3,OOO,0O0 of them
In the United States in pots alone. 1t first
fruited in the Botanic Garden, and from
out the country This is the plant from
| which the palm-leaf fan is made.
Opposite the fan palm stands a palm OF
| remarkable thrift and beauty. 1t came
from Lord Howe's Island, of the coast Of
Australia. The leaves are long. slender
and delicate in appearance. They are of a
dark green, and arise like water from a
fountain swinging gracefully over the
pathway. This fountaiR-like appearance
gives it the name of the fountain palm.
Gem of the Group.
Beneath a messy over-cup oak. planted
the war, stands dwarf date palm from
India. and near it some Japanese rattans.
small and large The gem of this group.
however, is female date palm from the
Cape of Good Hope. tbs now in flower
with no hope of propagatfon, owing to the
absence of males of the Same species. Here
on the left is beautiful palm from Brazil.
1t is called the plume palm. and is one of
the most thrifty specimens along the walk.
Near it waves feathery phoenix from the
same country, and two from the Canary
Islands. One Of the two was raised in the
Canaries.
The next plant is a curiosity. 1t is not
particularly attractive in appearance. but
1t is the genuine date palm from the Sa-
hara desert. Thirty-five years ago Surerin-
tendent Smith bought some dates at a fruit
store on Pennsylvania avenue They gave
him the toothache. One of the seed fell
into his coat pocket. Finding 1t there on
this date palm is the result You see near
IT the honey palm from South America
Palm honey Is sweet and palatable. When
the palm Is cut, the honey runs out. 1t is
or pale, amber color, and is greatly rel
ished by the natives. AT its side stands a
wax palm from South America 1t pro
duces white wax. used in the cathedrals
alons the Spanish main. A tall palm near
II comes from southern China 1t is known
as the hemp palm. The trunk seems to be
covered with mating of coarse black
hair This mating, however, is a part of
the palm. 1T gives 1t a commercial value,
although it detracts from rather than adds
10 the beauty Of the specimen
Ahother palm standing near Is the rattan
palm. 1t has been in the garden for many
years, and Superintendent Smith saws he 10
going to cut 1t into pieces and scatter ~
through the south. where it will grow to
perfection and prove of some value. It's
companion Is called cEamaerops tomentosa.
II Is similar to the Chinese hemp and
bourished in Mexico when Montezuma ura G
emperor. A lace-like fiber clinRs to The
Tree like woven cloth. The Aztecs utilized
~ py making 1t into tunics and robes 1t
taxes dye, and is readily woven into gar
ments. OIL
Still More Interestfnx.
so much for the palms. There are sixty
varieties OF them on this walk alone. Hum
dreds OF people pass beneath them daily.
totally unaware of their history and value.
Ihere are other plants here however, far
more interesting. One is the pandanus
ut1iis. 1t Is sort Of Spanish bayonet that
grows like a corkscrew. More people
sleep on Its leaves than on hair or feathers
II grows IN tropical climates. The leaves
are stripped and woven into mats. They
cannot be broken nor pulled apart Thou
SANDS sleep upon these mats, as they can
De tnroWn upon the ground anywhere. and
ITO udhpnesS can penetrate them. The
f1J1 cannibals used these leaves in living
their victims at their feasts This vegeta-
Die corkScreW Is thrown in the shade by
what Is known as the monkey puzzle Its
scientific name is auricaria imbricata. The
branches are intoxicated with spinal leaves
In the mountains Of Chile and Peru 1t fire.
quently reaches the height of TO feet The
fruit Is delicious. Monkeys are eager to
secure 1t. They throng about the trees by
hundreds when the fruit Is ripe. 1t is
found in the cones, which are quite large.
Each Zach, cone contains zoe SEEDS the size of
Here on the right of; tthes path is the Auri-
cara Cookii. It setsfits,name from Cap
tain Cook. In AustraliawM grows to the
height OF $50 feet. Wien The great naviga-
tor approached that, cdAst he, saw this
tree. and took 1t for RIpagoda built by the
natives. Fancying they were warlike peo-
PIE. ne made no landing and lef. the coast.
Another specimen. now m the conserve
tory. was brought to his,country by Com
modore Wilkes. who secured it In his cele-
orated voyage around the world When
ne reached New Yorlosthe tree was stolen
by ore of his sailors sanH sold to a Iadv
IN Brookly , She plfcedaiit in her green
large tnat the green, house became too
small Tor It. Then her conscience troubled
her and she sent It to the botanic garden.
where It BELONGED; The tree resembles a