Connecticut western news., 1897-04-08
THE SCOYILLE PALM AND GREEN.
 HOUSE.

The palm house is 45x45 it. square, Is foot post and 38 feet to apex sur mounted by dome 15 feet higher This house is constructed principally of iron, and glazed with ground glass on the curillniesr principle. In the interior is a bed 32 feet square sur rounded by brown stone coping, around which is an iron grating walk, under meath which are hot water pipes. Around the interior edges are side shelves three feet wide, beneath which also are hot water pipes. Noticeable in this center bed is 8 ptychosperma cuningbanim IS feet in height, mar tinezia cary yotipolia, superb plant of ficus eldstica IA feet high, grown in standard form, srancaris excelsa, 12 feet in height, caryote urens 13 feet with 10 leaves. Phepix sylvestris 10 feet,a fine subject. Areca baneri. Pandsuns utilis, cycas rerob1ta, with 67 leaves. ChaEeserops humilis. Two elegant plants of musa -ensete. 4 plants of lan- tana borbonica, one of which originally belonged to the late Samuel J. Tilden, of "Greystone," near Yonkers. A fine plant of Dicksonia antartica, standing IA feet with 30 odd fronds and trunk l5 inches in diameter, a model in con- struction. Numerous other plants are seen in this bed. A large variety of thrifty plants are upon the side shelves, such as dracaena ficus elastica, pan, danus in variety, aspidistrashurida, nice healthy plants of pritchardia pracidis in 8-inch pots. One shelf IS decorated with derotio to forus in 6, 2, 8.inch pots. the picture of health with pleas- ing effect in arrangement. On these glass side walls are some beautiful stephonotes foribunds, bougainvillea glabra and spectablis, allamanda hen- derlona. aristolochia ridicula elegans and other subjects.
 From the palm house we enter span roof room 5Ox1S feet This is used as general growing room, and had in it such plants as arnasyllis, azaleas 36 inches across the head, in 16 and 20- inch pots. spirea japonica callas, fine variety of young chrysanthemum and general bedding out plants. Under meath the center table is the main water tank from which water is pumped into the different rooms for spraying pur- poses In this tank are several trout transferred from the Sage's ravine, where they have made many bold ferocious leap, dodging the city angler. while now they are darting here and there, taking sniff of the yariagated flowers. as they are reflected from the suns rays. No lady amid the flowers could surpass their enjoyment. From this room we pass into room 40xlS it. among the | orchids. Above us and on either side m their moss covered baskets, hang these beauties, and when in full bloom. one is lost in admiration. We pause, and wonder if any one can love God, and enjoy his religion, and not love the flowers. Here are plants of the cat tleyas variety, dendrobium. The indlayamus is perfect mass of flowers. These collections are of recent introduction, bought last summer by the Scoville brothers. They have been collected from the forests of Brazil. Venezuela, Columbia and other South American countries. The peculiarity of these plants growth is that they do not grow iu soil, but are gathered from trees. care boxed and lashed upon cattle and are three months in transit before reaching tide water. They live on the moisture of the at- m osphere created for that purpose. They like plenty of water Tn summer. but in winter they are kept compara- lively dry. While expensive, they are not equalled by any other of the yege. table kingdom.
 Now we pass through the pottery room into the grapery. 60x26 feet span roofed. A portion of this house is partitioned off for propagating and was full of varieties for summer use. It was built last fall. hence the grape vines are small. Upon the center table, however, are early vegetables, potatoes, beans, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes. etc, which will be in readiness for the Scoville family on their return the first of May. second table, covered with four inches of sand. was full of cuttings, underneath which are pipes boxed to fnrce the propagating of all kinds of cuttings. The pottery house is 26 feet square, built of brick and replete with all the modern appliances, large shelves are around its edges, beneath which are all sizes of pots, also a seed closet, with compartments filled with different seeds in readiness for an extensive vegetable | garden. The floor of this room is con- crete, laid on heavy iron girders, be- heath which is the cellar containing three boilers and coal bin. From this room radiates the heat for the en- tire structure, which was built by Hitchings & Co.,, 233 Mercer St. New York.
 am indebted to the genial florist and gardener, Matthew J. OBrien, for imparting the information as detailed. I notice, however, his pride in calling every plant by it's botanical name, giv- ing it's growth and abits, also his taste in arrangement. the tidiness of the rooms and the perfect health of the plants. The supreme position in his trade must be gratifying factor to his employers.