Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-01

most striking beauty spots-the
mn Shaw lily ponds, at Kenilworth?
IE Some day, perhaps not so far
future, this 30-acre floral farm
will be inside the boundaries OF East Potomac
Park.
Already the park engineers are busy dredg-
ing the Eastern Branch of the Potomac AL
most over night one may find cunning little
island tucked in the bend OF the river where
M island Law before. Out near the Bennlng
mower house an artificial lake Is being con-
structed. So every year the PARK engineers
work their way nearer and nearer the kenil-
worth Aquatic Gardens.
But the Government has no intention OF
DESTROYING the beauty Of this famous spot,
which has been a great source of pride to
observation-disclosures for nearly half century. The
Governments plan is simple. When the de-
ye]opment of the park reaches Kenilworth, 1t
will merely add the lily farm to the park, as
nearly as possible just as 1t Is today. SO the
beautiful water lilies will become public and
no longer private property.
What a strange history this bit of marsh
land has had
soon after the Civil War w. B. Shaw.
Union soldier, came to Washington to work
in the Treasury Department. He hao lost
one arm in the bloody battle OF SpottsyiVanla
Courthouse Mr. Shaw wanted to buy farm.
Land was cheap then-especiaiy out In the
marshes of Kenilworth. Mr.. Shaw bought MS
farm, and the magnanimous real estate agent
threw in seven acres Of worthless swamp lano.
This free gift Of worthless swamp land"
Is now the Shaw Aquatic Gardens. the largest
lily farm in the world and real thriving IN
dustry For years 1t has attracted expert
horticulturists and fioriculturists from all parts
of the world. For this one-armed soldier mad
a hobby It grew from his love of water lilies.
About so years ago he sent to Maine, MS
for hYllh
pond lilies These he planted in small dis
used ice pond. The lilies grew so rapidly that
they soon crowded the little pond. They Just
loved to grow in that worthless" swamp lano.
Year after year they multiplied. Other ponds
were dug Mr.. Shaw became interested In
different varieties of lilies But he never lost
his love for the hardy. white, pond NY IL
always remained his favorite.
In few years the crop of bulbs forced him
10 do an unusual thing. He had whole
acre of land spaded into lily pond. Today
there are 40 ponds of various sizes and shapes,
which cover almost 20 acres of land. The
Shaw gardens produce more than 100 different
varieties of water lilies. Although physically
handicapped Mr.. Shaw rowed the boats about
his ponds as he planted, cared for and gath
cred the lilies himself, after his long hours
of work in the Treasury Department.
He loved to experiment and create new va
rieties He gave to the world many new lilies.
His flowers are known everywhere. Although
a very successful man. Mr.. Shaw had repu-
tation for being exceedingly modest. He once
iourneyed to Boston to visit the florist shops.
He saw his own flowers exhibited He lis
tened to a dealer, eloquent with praise and
descriptions of the Shaw lilies. The old mar
merely looked and listened then he bought
few of his own choice blossoms and left the
florist without disclosing his identity.
MR.. SHAW died in 1921 at the age Of SS.
His daughter, Mrs Helen Fowler. Is now
owner and manager Of the farm. She has
inherited her fathers faith in the pond lily
industry and is an authority on the subject.
Mrs. Fowler, like her father. experimental,
crossed different varieties, hybridized and de-
veloped many new lilies.
An average of 1000 lily blossoms is shipped
every morning. in season, from June until the
middle of September, to markets as far north
as Portland. Me-, as far South as Macon, Ga.
and as far West as Chicago
The ponds yield more than half million
blossoms a season.
About o'clock in the morning the flower
buds are picked for the market. The buds
open with the first rays of the sun, SO the
lily farmer must be up before the sun. Thus
the shipped blooms first open to the light of
day in distant cities far from their native
ponds. The men paddle through the lakes
in boats as they pick the buds. Each lily
is picked by hand. The boats do not injure
the p.ants-the leaves, buds and flowers sim
ply submerge as the boat slides over them.
then they shoot to the surface as soon as it
passes.
The picked buds are carried to the shops.
where they are cut, washed sorted and packed
Water lilies will keep from four to ten days.
To care for the cut flowers properly. the long.
hollow stems should be cut of two or three