Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-14
(By Claude H. Westmore.)

l III NiIN III - VI PALACES ~
he louisiana purchase exposition
that is, the first grouping on paper
agriculture was given a place among
the other large exhibit buildings
But a controversy over a tract of lanC
caused an alteration of the plans anc
| agriculture. with her satellites. horti
culture and forestry. fish and game
vas assigned to another portion of the
site
The disarrangement of the Original
scheme was looked upon as a disfgure-
ment at the time. but the sequel has
shown that the readjustment has re-
suited in the worlds fair grounds be-
ing completed on scheme of grand
eur not even thought of during the
months when architects and landscape
gardeners were in daily consultation;
ana the early dispute over the tract
If land-since amicably adjusted to
the glory of the pike-prOved bless
ing in disguise.
For agriculture. rising in her might
IN a western hill. i the center OF
L second picture that rivals in beauty
| the first with its setting of ten main
| buildings. In the first picture, water,
| 'eaping from three cascades and sur
rounded in part by the colonnades and
festival hall. il the central gem. where
rs in the second. acres of flowers rip
pie under the breeze a lagoon of
glowing, growing color that in beau
" rivals the lagoon of crystal water
nto which the cataracts plunge.
When this reimbursement was an
nounccd, Frederick W. Taylor, chief
IT agriculture. and subsequently made
.hicf of horticulture. asked and was
granted permission to arrange the
decoration of the grounds as well as
the exhibit building which was under
his supervision. Then. with the pres
tigc which ne has established by his
work AT the Omaha and Buffalo expo
Sitions. he called to his assistance the
leading nurscrymcn, florists and gard
eners Of the country. who quickly and
eagerly responded. To the end now
reached. which i that fora. in all hei
glory. was never seen i'm such lavish
costume as she wears at the worlds
fair in 1904.
Think of 30 acres devoted to the
growth of seeds and bulbs. Fifty
acres with things of beauty springing
from the soil! Never. in the histoIy
of exposition making was such an OPP
portunity offered. until. by chance, the
ground plan of this greatest of all
fairs was altered.
First. the slaves of the lamp of
Flora wooed the rose. and i'm the
spring of 1903 10000 of these plants
were placed in the ground where they
were carefully watched during the
summer and fall and as carefully
tucked away to sleep under beds Of
straw when winters blasts swept
down from the north. This summer
they will he most prolific and their
bloom will cover six acres. Europe
gave the idea of the formal bedding
for this rose garden. the borders be-
ing similar to those seen in England
and France.
1t is but step from this region, !
which has fragrance and flower of the |
northern cline. into the tropics
around a corner, in fact. to the space |
which extends south of agriculture |
palace. between that and the palace |
Df horticulture. Here. in water that |
during the early spring months Is |
heated by coils of steam pipes. are TO |
be found lilies of the upper Amazon
and the lotus of the Nile. their lux
uriant blooms coaXed into early grow
ing 10y the artificial heat beneath.
Rustic bridges span the ponds and /
around the gnarled woodwork creep |
vines that once lived in the jungle.
West of agriculture. between that
structure and the Philippine village,
are two acres of land devoted to
nothing but what grows in the city
IF 81. Louis and st. Louis county.
During the summer of 1903 several
squads Of men. engaged by the agri-
culture department of the exposition,
explored the woods and fields in the
ricinity of the exposition site and
wagon load after wagon load OF
hings that grow-weeds and domes-
lie garden fiowcrs-were transplant
ID into this section.
I'VE are going To show what a
display can be made with
some of the plants which are termed
weeds" said MIR. Taylor. land we be-
ieve the nomenclature Will then be
to that of wild flowers"
Yet this i no tame show. the floral
-N4liNlI pI LOUIS Guy iAG NohaA
NO section of land of similar size
n the United States contains such n
.ariety Of plant life" recently said
William Vincent Byars. who Is recog-
lized rs. an authority on botany as
we'll rs literati. And he added: Il
nave found flowers indigenous to ST.
,eria in the fields; they probably
we're waited on high northwest
Wind to this zone: and l have also :
discovered vegetable life that started
n the tropics. One pretty little
Keeper that only came into this
country n year ago. was first discov-
red in Texas 1t has followed the
inc Of the Missouri. Kansas Texas
abroad. advancing slowly year after
-ear. until il has at last reached here.
n add n beauty spot wherever il has