Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-07-03
WORLD ROSE GARDEN
AN IDEAL REALM CREATED FOR
THE QUEEN OF FLOWERS.


in Perfect Beauty for the Great Carnival
Next Season.
A million roses will bloom at once
in the vast rose garden at the Worlds
Fair. That is guessing, of course, but
the foundation of the guess is this:
Four acres are set in strong and vigor-
Gus rose trees. Thirty of the largest
exhibitors have sent their choicest
stock and each will strive for first
place in the judgment of the jury and
people.
This vast rose garden with its 50,0 900
trees lies east of the great Palace of
Agriculture. The warm eastern slope
has been made more fertile than your
garden or mine with rich compost and
it will be a sight worth travelling far to
see when the glorious colors make
bright the beds and fragrance spreads
far beyond the boundaries that have
now been set.
This rose garden, the planting OF
which was begun early in April, occu-
pies one of the conspicuous sites in the
City Of knowledge. The center of the
garden is at the main entrance to the
Palace of Agriculture, grand struc-
ture 1000 feet long and 500 feet deep.
1t is on high elevation overlooking
the group of main buildings of the Ex-
position, and, looking to the northeast
splendid view of one of ST. Louis
most attractive residence districts is
spread out before the eye.
When the graders finished their
work and turned the site over to the
gardeners, every vestige of soil had
been removed, and q broad expanse of
sticky, yellow clay remained. Surely
to the layman a most unfavorable 10.
cation for flower garden. But to the
practical rose grower it was an ideal
spot. The ground was plated with
series of eight collections, forming
great oval, $50 feet long and 100 feet
vide, as the central picture. In the
center of this oval is erected q statue
of the Goddess of Flowers, in heroic
size. Flanking this oval on the north
and south, are two great collections,
triangular in form. Scores of other
collections, laid out in plots Of ground
in various shapes, but all conforming
with the general harmony of the main
picture, have been provided.
Each collection, while separate and
distinct in itself, forms . part OF
great and artistic whole, and belt OF
beautiful green lawn, from four to
eight feet wide, surrounds each collec.
ton. Spacious gravel walks are pro.
vided throughout the entire four acres
of roses, and ct various intersections
beautiful fountains, sending up streams
of crystal water and cooling the atmo-
sphere, are to be met. Seats to ac-
commodate thousands of visitors have
been provided and the seats are so dis
tributed as not to interfere with the
free passage through the gardens of
the countless thousands who will revel
in the glorious sight.
The work Of planting the $4,000
roses already growing in this man.
moth garden, the largest Of its kind
ever conceived. occupies the time OF
scores Of expert gardeners and hosts Of
laborers. For each collection. excava-
tions Is inches deep, Of the form and
size required for the collection, were
dug in the sticky clay soil. Then the
excavations we're filled in with rich
top soil aud sandy loan. A dressing
of fertilizer, of the kind best adapted
to the requirements Of the particular
rose tree collection, is spread and then
came the work Of putting the young
plants in their magni6cently con.
ceived new home. With the young
plant firmly placed in its perfectly
prepared bed, came April showers.
The water percolated through the rich
soil and was absorbed in the sandy
loam. The strong and healthy young
bushes sent their vigorous roots down
through the soft earth and found &C.
cure lodgment in the clay that forms
the foundation. Then no matter how
hard the wind blew, they were not dis
turbed.
While the roots we're developing un-
seen under the ground, there was evil
dence OF their power in the vigorous
growth above ground. The young
shoots, anxious for their freedom after
the winters captivity in the cramped
cold frames and the packages in which
they were shipped, grew by leaps and
bounds. Springing up from the
ground, the pink shoots we're at first
almost transparent, so delicate were
they. Then they became Drowned by
the sun and exposure and soon the lit
tie buds appeared and under the min
istrations of the watchful gardeners,
and the influence of the warm April
sun, the young plants were allowed to
bloom, but not sufficiently to tax too