56 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
HORTICULTURAL HALL, AUDUBON PARK, NEW 
ORLEANS, LA. 
The destructive frost of February last over the 
Southern belt, and its effect on the annual Mardi 
Gras fetes, attracted considerable attenticn to New 
Orleans, where the unprecedented low temperature 
played havoc with its usually luxuriant tropical 
AVENUE OF LIVE OAKS, AUDUl'.ON PARK, NEW ORLEANS. 
plant life. Its disastrous effect on the palms has 
been referred to in detail in a previous issue. 
Even such a city as New Orleans is not pre- 
pared in all directions for such unexpected climatic 
conditions, and the hot houses and green houses 
suffered in degree as to their contents, with the out- 
door plant life. 
The accompanying illustrations give views of 
the interior of Horticultural Hall, and the avenue 
of live oaks, Ouercus sempervirens, which the 
building as it were, intercepts about midway in its 
length from Magazine street to the river. 
Horticultural Hall, Audubon Park, is in fact a 
memorial building, a relic of the great international 
exposition held at New Orleans some years ago. 
Some of its constructive details and proportions 
may be understood from the illustrations, but it has 
received some additions externally at the hands of 
the Park authorities to enhance its attractiveness, 
while a large fountain plays in its centre. Its 
principal entrance faces the approach by the avenue 
* of grand live oaks, shown in the illustration, whose 
drapery of Spanish moss lends a charm which must 
be seen to be appreciated at its proper value. The 
building stands on a terrace in the improved por- 
tion of the park and is surrounded by grounds laid 
out in a quasi-formal style, showing some of the 
good features of both the old and new schools. 
Horticultural Hall is especially rich in tropical 
plants of rarity and value, and it has been the 
recipient of many donations of such material. No 
less than eighty-seven varieties of palms flourish 
under its genial conditions, and in the experiments 
on this class of tropical plant life it is believed 
that some sixteen varieties will be found hardy 
enough for outdoor growth in the latitude of New 
Orleans. Over 4,000 plants of infinite variety are 
grown in the hot house of the conservatory. The 
illustrations show the particularly tropical aspect 
of the house — charming in the redundance and 
gracefulness of tropical verdure. There are very 
few warm countries in the world not represented in 
this collection of plants with specimens of their 
choicest productions. 
In relation to the frost of last February it may 
be interesting to mention, that although Horticul- 
tural Hall has a steam heating plant, adequate to 
all preconceived emergencies, it utteily failed on 
that occasion; and Mr. Fonta, the able superinten- 
dent, who, by the way, has been granted a long 
leave of absence in order to visit Paris, was obliged 
to maintain no less than thirty fires on the walks of 
the building to raise the temperature sufficient to 
keep his plant proteges alive. 
In the park there is also a choice collection of 
trees and shrubs, which is being constantly aug- 
mented. Acacias, Araucarias, Biota Aurea, of 
which there are some charming specimens; Camel- 
lias, the beautiful flowering plants from Japan, 
once so popular for decorative purposes in this 
country and destined to become so again; Laurels 
in variety. Magnolias in great splendor, Retinos- 
poras and a host of other plants, all worthy of 
comment. 
INTERIOR VIEW, HORTICULTURAL HALL, AUDUBON PARK, 
NEW ORLEANS. 
In the nurseries there were last year come 2,800 
plants, which have been increased recently by 
2,500, making a total now under care of about 
