Repoet on the Floricultl'eb Exuibit. 287 



many thousands of rich and delicate tinted blooms, in all colors, many 

 of tlie flowors measuring six inches in diameter. 



The central structure was a large palm house or conservatory. Here 

 were exhibited the magnificent collections of Crotons, lent by William 

 Bayard Cutting and the late Jay Gould. The collections consisted of a 

 hundred specimen plants in over fifty varieties, and their beautiful foliage 

 combined every color known in plant life. In the center of this con- 

 servatory was a large cemented tank, specially made for our rarest 

 aquatic plants, the principal feature of which was the Victoria Regia, 

 the giant water lily of tlie Amazon river, the only plant of its kind at 

 the fair. liere was also a fine specimen of Ourciandra Fenestralis, the 

 Lace Plant of Madagascar — a beautiful aquatic product with peculiar 

 foliage, finely divided, resembling lace. Overhanging this tank were 

 the graceful vines of the Bird flowers, Aristolochia, Ornithocephala and 

 Aristolochia Gigas, the latter bearing many enormous flowers, shaped 

 like a pelican. These, in addition to the numerous ferns and graceful 

 vines, hanging from the surrounding benches, gave tlie house a pretty, 

 tropical appearance. 



A portable greenliouse, designed especially for amateurs' use, was 

 filled with a fine collection of Rex Begonias, comprising many beautiful 

 seedlings never before exhibited. A curved roof greenhoiise was filled 

 with a choice collection of orchids and ferns, the latter occupying the 

 benches, while the former were suspended from the roof and sides of 

 the house. Still another house, designed for a villa conservatory, was 

 filled with palms and foliage plants, flowering vines lending their charms 

 in its roof decoration. These six houses were considered most valu- 

 able educational factors in the furtherance and development of horti- 

 cultural art. They were open to inspection by visitors, and the many 

 thousands of people who visited them daily served to show how much 

 they were appreciated. 



The Old-Fashioned Gaeden. 



A little distance west of the greenhouse exhibit, occupying 2,500 

 square feet, was a model of an old-fashioned New York garden, 

 Avhich was a unique feature in our exhibit. It was planted early in the 

 spring of 1893, and was a mass of bloom all during the fair. In it 

 was portrayed, as nearly as possible, the beauties and peculiarities of 

 one of those old gardens known on Manhattan Island many years ago. 

 Many of the plants used in this model garden were brought fi-ora the 

 oldest gardens in New York. Seldom, if ever, has there been such a 

 collection of "old-time" flowers seen together in so small a space. 

 Lines of old-fashioned daisies marked the graveled walks ; in one 

 corner grew patches of thyme and rosemary and lavendar, in another 

 ■glowed the fragrant blossoms of old cabbage and moss roses. Mignon- 

 ette and potmarigolds nestled together ; hollyhocks and foxglove reared 

 their rival spires of many colored blossoms over the monkshood and 

 snapdragons, as they were wont to do against the old cottage door. 

 Phloxes, larkspur and Jacob's ladder were there too, with dusty mill- 

 ers, Joseph's coat and heartsease. The brilliant glow of the zenias, the 

 old f usehias and geraniums, the petunias, the verbenas, the sweet breath 



