New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-21
HORTICULTURAL EXHIBIT.
Hrs. Pratt Shoes Many Rare Deco
rdtiUe Plants.

The feature Of the annual horticultural exhibit
OF the American Institute. which opened yester-
dav. Is the exhibit by Mrs. Pratt widow Of the
man who founded Pratt Institute. Mrs. Pratt,
who has one OF the finest private greenhouses
IN America at her home IN Brooklyn. has only
o7ce OF twice before IN her life shown her floral
treasures TO the public Her exhibit at the insti-
+n+e consists entirely Of decorative plants and
Manager Allen Of the institute board declared
YESTERDAY that he had never seen so good a col
lection Of its kind in any botanical garden OF
America or Europe. a number OF plants n the
collection are rare. IN the sense that they are
seldom seen IN greenhouses. either public or
private. because OF the difficulty Of raising
them. They are all big leaved tropical or semi
tropical plants. with foliage so curtously orna-
mental in many cases that it looks as if it had
been fashioned by hand. striped and scalloped
according 10 pattern, and with the greatest at
tention TO material and color There is the allo-
casia cuprea. for example, which has leaves so
metallic II appearance that IL seems as though
they were Of hand beaten copper. The begonia
imperialis. near by. looks as If q delicate edge
o. sage green panne vrIvet had been appIQued
on q light wool material OF paler tint The
caIathea roseo picta had great gorgeous leaves,
green above and maroon below.
That's an absolutely perfect plant" said Mr..
Allen I never saw as fine in Kew, Berlin or
any OF the great botanical gardens"
But the queen Of the collection is the cyano-
phyIIuu nagnifcun, declared by Mr.. Allen to
be probably the rarest plant in New-Tork. It is
& regal thing, seven or eight feet high. and with
lover leaves three feet IN length These leaves
lock exactly as Il they had been cut out OF dark,
moss green velvet and neatly stitched with care
around the edges and up and down the veins
The under side Of the leaf is duh red and COW
cred with & hne fuzz- This fuzz serves strange
purpose In II the little red ants pasture their
COWS the aphides- The apis or plant louise, de-
posts 2 fluid which is very grateful 10 the
palate Of the red ant. and the naturalists say
that The red ants herd and milk the aphides in
these fuzzy pastures Il IS these agricultural
operations which make the plant hard to keep
clean and so difficult to rear.
The exhibition room Is q dream OF gorgeous
6ahlias. which bring eXClauatons Of delight
from every woman who enters Splendid gladi-
oil assault the eye with color. What are you
bringing those puny little things in here for?''
said one man 10 another, who was bringing in
his exhibit The pUny little things were gladion
stems five feet long.
Upstairs there are cooking vegetables on one
side and salad vegetables on the other. Even q
list OF the salad materials found on one bench
sounds good enough TO eat-watercress escarOle
three kinds OF endive, parsley. leeks, borage,
celery, Florence fennel-a curious salad herb
maine. Chinese cabbage, West India gherkins,
seven varieties OF radishes and thirty varieties
OF peppers.
The young farmers OF the De Witt Clinton
Park Farm School make e most creditabIe dis
play and II is safe say that those whose
garden numbers are displayed over the beets,
turnips and lettuce proud and happy
youngsters.