The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-12-02
WHITE HOUSE BLOSSOMS,
HOWTHE YIELD OFTHE CONS ERTA-
TORY rs ENJOYED.
Favorite Flowers of White House Mis-
tresses-Displays for Grand Occasions
Palms Which Many Years Ago Out
grew the Place Assigned to Them.

Palms Which Many Years Ago Out
grew the Place Assigned to Them.
Each mistress of the White House
has had her favorite flower except Mrs.
Mckinley, who expresses little prefer
ence, except an aversion to yellow flow
ers, and a great love Of the blue ones.
A large bunch of flowers is cut from
the conservatory every morning and
sent to adorn the Presidents table,
while others go to Mrs. McKinleys
apartments. The plants that adorn the
domestic part of the White House are
frequently changed to give her the bene-
fit of the rare and beautiful variety that
fills the Conservatives. All Of the finest
plants share her admiration, each for as
long time as it can stand to be kept
from real dollhouse atmosphere.
Neither Mrs. Mckinley nor the Presi-
dent visits the Conservatives regularly,
though before the busy days of the war
were thrust upon him, they both loved
the care and cultivation of plant life.
Now, the President has no time to
watch the gentle unfolding of nature
placed under the vast area under glass
to the west of the White House.
The rose house is always riotous In
bloom, and at any season affords ample
cuttings for the home part of the White
House life, while that part filled with
violets is redolent with perfume that
watts to meet you with the opening and
closing of the dollhouse doors. Long
rows of primroses lie along one side,
preparing for midwinter blossoms, and
though the Presidents chrysanthemums
are suffering from a rust that has be-
set this particular family of plant life
this fall, there is large corner of one
of the houses filled with rare specimens
of these Haunting beauties.
Hundreds of beautiful ferns, several
houses of them, as well as of the deli
cate trailing asparagus, tells the story
of the exquisite displays of flowers and
ferns that bank the mantelpiece and
table on large occasions, like public re-
ception's, Cabinet dinners and similar
functions. Each mantel has box made
to fit it, and the ferns are loosened
from the edge of the pots and slipped
in the moist earth that fills the boxes.
Roses and other flowers are thrust here
and there, making the gorgeous floral
~N@AA>N ~
In all parts of the country. just as
soon as possible after an affair the flow
ers are taken out and the ferns are care
fully put back in the old pots and re-
turned to the dollhouse for future use
Thus the same ones may be used for all
the receptions Of winter. There are
a few occasions which even these great |
conservatories refuse to give UP enough
blossoms for the decorations. Then
florists outside are called upon to supply |
whatever is needful.
Just now the flowers are being taken /
I'D from outdoors and one house is en-
tirely given up for next springs display. |
The houses are filed with the fairest |
specimens Of tropical flora, and florists
all over the country vie with another
in sending some rare specimen to the
White House conservatories, while our
officers, travelling to remote parts of the
earth, often ship curious and rare |
plants. The lofty glass domes added to
one side of the Conservatives are fill
ed with such, and one might well imag-
Inc being in an African jungle, so lux
uriant and thrifty have the plants be-
come
About the newest arrival is a repre-
sentative of the Philippines. 1t is
known as the Dewey plant" 1t occu-
pies conspicuous place in the White
House Conservatives, and in close
proximity to the myriads Of ferns that
adorned the table and dining room at
The great Dewey dinner. These were
nterspersed with a Beautiful profuslon
If orchids that also claim the islands
Is their home.
There is something decidedly symbol
c and startling to anti-expansionists in
he way flora of the Philippines thrives
n this country, even when forced to it,
The dewey plants that add so much
o the riotous tropical beauty of the
stands are there known as the 'Acaly I
,ha canderiana," and were dubbed by y
Philadelphia florist the Dewey L
liant" The White House specimens, !
f which there are several, stand not /
more than twelve or fourteen inches in IL
eight, with rich dark green foliage, /
rom which depend long, graceful,
waving tassels of brilliant rose color, i
soft and fine as chenille, and not I'M
Ike 1t. +
There are many rare varieties of or 8
bids from the Philippines, where they
row most luxuriantly, as well as q
howy tropical plants of unpronounce v
BILE names, that, when combined with
he gorgeous birds and flowers of that S
ountry, make 1t veritable glimpse of r
airyland.
In one Of the tropical houses are pine
ppIes in fruit, and also oranges, and a
,mons and other tropical fruits. In S
,me Of the houses where the tempera
ire will permit it, the fish that fill the
reat basin in the lower part of the
White House grounds, as well as those a
the basin of the Treasury, are
rought in, and add much to the beau II
of the surroundings. le
The markings of these goldfish are %
ost varied and pronounced especially II
he variety brought from Japan, in o
hch country they form lively round >
the world of sport. The spotted fell 81
ws-no two have marks alike--are
lmed The players then gather around
e glass aquarium and selects his fish q
1en piece of meat is tied to the end of VI
string is lowered among the fish
revious to this the bookmaker plays W
lively part, and money is placed OPP 81
,site the names of the favorites. The d'
IN that gets the morsel of meat is the
inner. Some of the spotted beauties II
ecumbed to the mistaken kindness of VI
e invasion of youngsters during the