228 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



IMPRESSIONS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO 

 EXPOSITION. 



Bv Chas. H. Tottv, Xew Jersey. 



The Exposition is in full swing, and it goes without 

 saying that all the predictions of its sponsors are being 

 carried out. It is a dream of beauty, and it seems hard 

 to believe that two years ago much of the ground was 

 a mud hole. The exhibits are in place, and there is an 

 air of completeness about the exposition that has 

 been lacking about some other similar affairs. The 

 visitor will not dream as he looks about the grounds 

 that all the beautiful scheme of acacias, eucalyptus, 

 cypress and palms have been moved in boxes, and 

 in fact are still growing in the boxes, forming as they 

 do beautiful settings for the buildings. The Exposi- 

 tion is an artistic triumph, the beautifully tinted 

 buildings conforming to a color scheme i)f subdued 

 vellow, green and gray to brick red, and the landscape 

 effects are arranged to harmonize with the rest of 

 the picture. The Darwin tulips, which are just 

 through blooming, were glorious — particularly in the 

 Holland section. 



At the present time the coh.ir note is yellow with 

 millions of pansies and violas in bloom. This effect 

 will be oft'set later by Begonia and other plants, and 

 when the horticultural visitors arrive in August they 

 win be charmed with the \arious and beautiful eft'ects 

 of the plans emploj-ed. 



The hedges and the walls of Mesembryanthemum 

 spectabile are one of the principal features of the 

 horitcultural effects. This wall in many cases is over 

 thirty feet in height, and when the sun is shining the 

 effect of the open flowers is wonderful — at other times 

 the dark restful green of the foliage blends with the 

 color sclieme. 



The general effect on the visitors to this exposition 

 is a restful one. There is not discordant clash of color, 

 no aggressive glare. I noted some splendid sweet 

 peas being grown in the INIorse gardens which are not 

 yet in flower. 



The Massachusetts garden is getting into good 

 shape, the Iris being very good and the Buddleias 

 showing exceptional promise for the future. The 

 Japanese exhibit is magnificent — it is hard to beat. 



The new roses in competition for the thousand 

 dollar prize are as yet in poor condition, although an- 

 other rose exhibit in the California garden, by the 

 Gill Nursery Company, shows the wonderful possibil- 

 ities of this section as a rose growing center. Irish 

 Elegance and ]\Iaman Cochet being wonderfully fine, 

 their yellow flowers showing up with telling eff'ect. 



The placing of the large plants around the Iniildings 

 is most artistically done, and the landsca|)e eff'ects as 

 a whole have set a standard that future exhibitions 

 will find hard to surpass. 



The Avenue of Palms is composed of Phoenix 

 Canadiensis, and while a wind storm of a few days 

 ago has browned some of the leaves, we are assured 

 that they will soon come back in this California 

 climate. The stems of the palms are covered \A'ith 

 Nasturtium to relieve the bareness and, lulled by the 

 harmony of the whole ensemble, eliminate e\er3' dis- 

 cordant shade of color. Only varieties were used 

 that would conform to the color scheme. e\-en the 

 midway concessions having to conform to the color 

 scheme of the Exposition. 



The rhododendrons and iris are just passing out of 

 flower, and, as can be imagined. ha\e contributed won- 

 derfully by their brilliant coloring. The garden eff'ects 



of the Jajjanese Commission, which are numerous and 

 beautiful, are supplemented b_\' large exhibits from 

 Yokohama Nursery Company. 



The visitor from the east is surprised at the cheap- 

 ness of the cost of li\ing in San Francisco, a fine room, 

 with bath, being obtainable most everywhere for three 

 dollars a day ; and the prices of food range from thirty 

 to fifty per cent, lower than in the east, particularly so 

 in the case of fruit. The lower cost of living while 

 here will off'set the cost of the traveling expenses to a 

 very great extent, and every gardener who misses this 

 opportunity of seeing how great our country is, enjoy- 

 ing himself at the same time, and participating in the 

 greatest event in the history of expositions will ever 

 after regret it. 



The San Francisco florists and horticulturists, with 

 their proverbial hospitality, beg me to assure your 

 readers that "the latch string is out."' and they look 

 for the greatest crowd of horticultural enthusiasts that 

 ever got together. 1 could write for a week on the 

 horticultural features nf this state, but it would not 

 convey anything to a man unless he had once seen the 

 \-egetation here, and I can onl}- repeat: Come and see 

 for Yourself. 



The illustration herewith shows the Aphine Mfg. Co.'s 

 International Panama- 1 'acific Exposition silver and bronze 

 bowling trophv to be awarded to the member of the So- 

 cietv of American I-"lorists. National .\ssociation of Gar- 



deners or American Association of Park Superintendents- 

 making the highest individual score in the contest which' 

 will be held under the auspices of the Pacific Coast Horti- 

 cultural Society, in San Francisco, the third week of 

 August next, when the meetings of all the named organ- 

 izations will occur in that city. 



