6/2 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



it shows the way in which, the flowers and fruit grow from the 

 old wood instead of from the young twigs. From a section of 

 woody trunk or branch, perhaps two inches in diameter, spring 

 the delicate pinkish flowers on their threadlike crimson pedicels. 

 They grow in clusters of three to six, and the effect of these little 

 galaxies of pale stars against the dark background of bark is 

 very charming. The model shows, too, a spray of the glossy 

 green leaves, and one of the ripened orange-colored fruits. Pho- 

 tographs beside it give an excellent idea of the growth of the 

 plant in Central America and Jamaica, and accompanying the 

 prepared products are printed slips containing the desired infor- 

 mation as, for instance, that " chocolate consists of the roasted 

 seeds of the cacao freed from their shells," or that " cocoa is made 

 from the roasted seeds freed not only from the shells but from 

 the excess of oil." Here, in the glass jars, are many varieties of 

 the cocoa seeds and of chocolate pods preserved in alcohol. Here, 

 too, we find both raw and roasted cocoa from Trinidad and Cara- 

 cas, from Santo Domingo and from Ceylon, from Surinam and 

 from Bahia. Among the finished products are cocoa shells and 

 breakfast cocoa, chocolate of all grades, and cocoa butter. 



This slender stalk of blue-flowered flax seems a fragile wand 

 to wield such widespread power until we study its manifold prod- 

 ucts and comprehend its range. Contributions have come from 

 all lands, from Friesland to China, and we see them in all stages 

 of manufacture. With the model of the cotton plant are some 

 seed capsules from one of the Southern States ; and here we find a 

 set of the standard types of cotton arranged in boxes and pre- 

 sented by the Classification Committee of the New York Cotton 

 Exchange. 



In the larger room the flowers are arranged in close accordance 

 with the accepted synopsis of orders. Of course, in following this 

 method of classifying the models, little attention could be paid to 

 the juxtaposition of colors, yet at the same time one is impressed 

 by the admirable harmony of these kaleidoscopic tints. 



This harmony may be in a measure due to the large propor- 

 tion of white flowers, as well as to the perfection of color and tex- 

 ture shown in the foliage. 



The shades of red rank next the white flowers in number, then 

 come the yellows, and last of all the blues, with their gradations 

 of purple, lilac, and lavender. The distribution of color seems to 

 bear no relation to the conditions of climate or of soil, though we 

 find that certain species grown in the German garden of the 

 Blaschkas have deviated slightly from the colors which the same 

 flowers wear in our own fields and forests; the Mayflower 

 {Epigcea), for instance, seems paler and less vigorous and the wild 

 geranium of a more intense shade than with us ; but we may be 



