Evening star., 1915-01-17
Sketches on Leaves.

Some of the most beautiful plants in
this wondrous collection of thousands
are of the Maranta family. The leaves
are of various sizes and shapes, and
upon them nature has drawn designs
of her own as with brush. Upon
some she has sketched little leaves of
the same pattern as the large one.
but of a darker green. and surrounded
them with delicate tracings like the
strokes of an etcher's pencil. On other
leaves, of Il dark green. are drawn
straight parallel lines, some of pure
white. some all pink and others partly
pink and partly white, all on the same
leaf. \ plant from Rio de Janciro now
in bloom tFranciscea latifoliD has
| three different colored flowers on the
same stalk.
The bird of paradise plant from
flower, highly colored and shaped like
the beak of bird. The papaw tree.
which is set outside in the warm sea-
son, is of a sexual species, the female
which the Indians make medicine un-
less male tree is standing near. Sew
eral other plants in the collection.
notably the fig. exhibit this same
peculiarity.
A book might he written upon the oddi-
ties of this marvellous assemblage. Tho
cedar of Lebanon, from which the temple
of King Solomon was built, has a repre-
SENTATIVE III tile garden. likewise lhc tFuei
tree from which a crown of thorns was
placed upon the dying head of the cruel
fled Jesus The fragrant geraniums-
apple. rose, lemon, balm, mint, nutmeg
and others-yield at pinch the pungent
fragrance of each fruit. From q variety
of a palm of the banana family the fa-
miliar Panama hat is made.
lerba mate or the celebrated Para uay
tea IS made from plant which Supt
I Of thn nSf
the royal fig of India, the allSpice of the
west Indies, the cinnamon tree of Cey-
lon and the beautiful wild date palm of
1ndia-these and thousand other useful
ton of the people. Sometimes, where it
Will replace itself. your guide will pluck
a leaf and let you taste the delicate flavor
but Woe to You if you try to do any har-
VestinS Oh your own account.
Historic Trees.
The garden abounds in historic trees
Two bald expresses on either side OF the
walk leading from Maryland avenue to
the main houses were planted by Edwin
| Forrest and Edwin Booth, the famous
ACTORS An enormous European horn
beam planted by the martyred President
Abraham Lincoln stands near. This, un-
like many Of the other trees of its class.
would be almost impossible of removal
but could very well remain as an orna-
ment to the driveway. Charles A. Dana,
the famous editor of the New York Sun
planted the oak from the grave of Confu-
cius to which reference already has been
| made.
The Peace oak, planted by Senator
Crittenden, was removed when the
foundation was dug for the Grant
statue. about six years ago, from the
east side of the garden to the north
lawn, on Pennsylvania avenue, where
| IT is doing well. President James a.
Garfield planted one tree now standing
\ hardy acacia, famous in the lore of
Free Masonry. was planted by L. S.
Grant while President A sweet gum
| tree was planted by the British min
lister to the United States after the
| civil war. Most of the historic trees
could be transplanted to Rock Creek
to retain them to beautffy the proposed
new avenue.
| This hasty sketch barely touches upon
the beauties and wonders of the Bo-
tanic Garden. Supt. Hess plans, how
ever, more than mere sight show, as
accumulate scientific knowledge of all
the trees and plants in his dominion.
and would organize special exhibits, for
example, of the plants useful in, COM
merce and industry. For instance, there
could be the quinine tree it grows
in the wilds of Peru. above it the bark
from which the alkaloid is extracted
miliar quinfne tablets of the corner
drug store. So, too, of the rubber tree.
with the tree. the crude and finished
rubber and the automobile tire; the
hemp plant, with the fax, the fiber, the
bleached fiber and the rope. The posi-