598 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



-THE FAMOUS lU'XTIN'GTi 



\ \T SA\ G \BRIEL, CAL. 



Statements made hereafter, relative to the subjects illus- 

 trated may seem incredible to the gardener, whose priv- 

 ilege it has not been to visit, this the most wonderful 

 State of the Union. The illustrations are of the estate of 

 Mr. Henry E. Huntington, at Saint Gabriel; the super- 

 intendent in charge is William Hertrick. This property 

 once belonged to a family of pioneers who had a love 

 for plant life, and to the extent of their ability they 

 planted and cared for some of the fine specimens shown 

 in the pictures. Mr. Huntington came into the possession 

 of the property about ten years ago, and knowing the 

 absolute necessity of a bountiful supply of water at all 

 times he bored wells, installed pumps and constructed re- 

 servoirs ; three of them, one nf two million gallons capac- 

 ity, another of one and a (|uarter million, the third con- 

 tains eight hundred thousand gallons. 1m mr years ago 

 he began to develop the |ilace hdrticulturally. (hn-ing 



which time he has brought it to its present state of per- 

 fection. The mansion is new, and as nearly fireproof as 

 the ingenuity of man can make a building. 



View One — Shows a part of the grounds to the south- 

 east of the dwelling. This is covered with a blue grass 

 sod up to the white spot in the picture, beyond which the 

 hill is planted to drouth resistant shrubs, both native and 

 exotic. That part in grass which of necessity must be 

 kept wet contains a collection of conifers, bamboos, an 

 aquatic garden and a few rare evergreen shrubs. I shall 

 refer to but one subject in this collection; Taxodium 

 mucronatum, evergreen cypress of Mexico, which in its 

 native country attains to enormous proportions, 170 feet 

 high, with a trunk 20 feet diameter. 



Of the two tall trees seen, the one on the right is a 

 Palm. Washingtonia gracilis, also a native of Mexico. 

 A twin sister of mii' native, Washinutimia filifera ro- 



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