National and Educational Interests. 



I3i 



to give an abundance of light for the fruit display. For heating the dome 

 alone by steam, it will take ten miles of iX~i ncn pipe, besides an additional 

 amount for the front curtains. There are 59,631 square feet more of floor 

 space in the hall than in the combined horticultural buildings at the Cen- 

 tennial, New Orleans and Paris. The dome is 187 feet in diameter and 113 

 feet high on the inside, and to overcome the dwarfing effect on plants that 

 would evidently be produced by its immensity, it is intended to construct a 

 miniature mountain under its center, 40 feet high and 70 feet in diameter, 

 and upon the sides and top of this artificial rock-work to set the largest 

 specimens of palms, bamboos, tree-ferns, giant cacti, etc. Some grand ex- 

 amples, 40 feet in height, have been donated for this purpose. Among this 

 mass of exquisite foliage will be represented, by the use of incandescent 

 electric lights, the forms and tints, in colored glass, of flowers rarely seen in 

 this country. Over its sides will fall in translucent sheets and ripples the 

 water for a beautiful cascade, while the interior will form a cave, from the 

 crystal side of which will be reflected the brilliant lights of thirty electric 

 arc lamps of 2,000 candle-power each. In recesses, and for special effects, 

 incandescent lights will be placed within the cave, in order to observe the 

 effects and test the endurance of different species under such conditions. It 

 is hoped to arrive at some definite and valuable conclusion by this experi- 

 ment. 



" In one of the courts of the building basins will be made for exhibiting 

 Victoria regia, nymphaeas, and other rare aquatic plants. Incandescent 

 lamps will be arranged under the water to show effects not heretofore world' 1 

 attempted. In the other court, California and Florida will compete for Fair, 

 honors, with bearing orange-groves. The former state will illustrate the 

 manner of irrigating their orchards, and the latter will intersperse bananas, 

 pineapples, and other semi-tropical plants often cultivated in connection 

 with the groves of that state. The balance of the building will be devoted 

 to collections of orchids, crotons, cycads, deacaenas, aroids, and rare plants 

 from every part of the world, and to the fruit display. 



" Space for at least 60,000 plates of fruit will be reserved for the grand 

 display which will take place in September. In this exhibit, it is intended 

 to keep out of the beaten paths of former expositions, and adopt some new 

 methods. Long tables, with straight rows of fruit, are too monotonous, and 

 will be avoided. It is intended to have the receptacles for the fruit made in 

 artistic forms of papier-mache, and supported in unique ways. The exhibit 

 will be embellished with flowers and plants, and made more attractive by 

 miniature representations of orchards, methods of cultivating, irrigating, 

 etc., in mountains and on plains, in tropical and temperate climates. Wax 

 models of fruits out of season, and of those too tender to transport from 

 distant lands will illustrate in form and color at least, specimens unfa- 

 miliar to most of the visitors who will attend the Exposition. 



' ' Experiments will be made with glass cases, through which condensing 

 refrigerator-pipes will be run, and the temperature kept at a proper degree 

 to preserve, as long as possible, berries and other perishable fruits. The 

 difficulty in the successful operation of this plan maybe the condensation of 

 moisture on the glass sufficient to obscure the view. It is said, however, 

 that this can be obviated by making the glasses double, and leaving some 

 space between them. 



" In one of the pavilions the general seed and horticultural appliances 



