September 29, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
289 
exhibits of I ranee, Germany, Spain, and Italy will be especially notable. 
A fine exhibit of Chilian wines and raisins, famed for their superior 
quality, will be made. California will make a splendid display, all of 
the great firms being exhibitors, and having applied for much more space 
than can possibly be allowed them. If permission, which has been asked, 
be given, Senator Stanford will exhibit a wine fountain. This, as planned, 
will throw, for two hours each morning and afternoon, graceful streams 
of wine to the height of 22 feet. 
Fruit. 
In the rear courts of the building will be shown the fruit exhibit, 
which will include all varieties grown in any part of the world. As 
far as it is possible to do so, probably in a great majority of cases, fine 
specimens of the natural fruit will be shown, otherwise wax models, 
so perfect in appearance as to be indistinguishable from the real fruit, 
will be substituted. For this exhibit about 44,000 square feet, or more 
than an entire acre of space, is reserved. A very complete and splendid 
exhibit of Citrons and other fruits will be sent from California, Florida, 
Mexico, and South American countries. By means of refrigerators ripe 
fruit can be sent long distances without injury, and after reaching the 
Fair cold storage facilities will be available to keep it in perfect 
condition. 
Shrubs. 
public, where plants will be brought to perfect exhibition condition, 
and where plants will be cared for after their beauty has passed. 
Insects. 
It may be rightly inferred that the horticultural exhibit at the 
Exhibition will be the most complete and extensive ever made or 
attempted. It is certain to attract a great deal of attention and prove 
to be of great scientific and educational interest. It will have important 
features not specified above, as, for example, a very complete collection 
of insects, both the injurious and the beneficial ones, whose operations 
affect the fruits and other products of the horticulturist. It is the 
intention to have in one place an exhibit of all of the species of plants 
mentioned in the Bible, and in others collections of almost equal 
historical interest. 
Both Chief Samuels, who has general charge of the Horticultural 
Department, and Chief Thorpe, who looks after the floricultural division 
of the exhibit, have proved themselves to be the right men for their 
respective duties, and it is already assured that the display which, with 
the active and generous aid of horticulturists the world over, they will 
furnish will be long and pleasantly remembered by everyone who visits 
the World’s Fair. 
The exhibit in the important line of floriculture will be exceptionally 
extensive, and the preparation of it is far advanced. Unless this were 
the case the exhibit could not well be a success, for time is required for 
plants to overcome the check received in being transplanted. More than 
o00,000 transplanted shrubs and plants, of many species, are now grow¬ 
ing in the grounds, and the number is rapidly increasing. The depart¬ 
ment sent out circulars to prominent horticulturists and horticultural 
societies in all parts of the world, requesting donations of plants, and 
agreeing to permit the name and address of the donors to appear in con¬ 
nection with such specimens as they might send. The result is that 
thousands of plants—excellent specimens, too—have been forwarded. 
Among them are more than 50,000 rare Rose plants, which have been 
sent by firms all the way from California to Hungary. 
Orchids. 
The floricultural exhibit will not be concentrated in one place. In 
the front of the building will appear the greenhouse and hothouse plants 
—a very large variety, and many rare and beautiful specimens. There, 
too, will be the finest display of Orchids ever seen in America, if not in 
the world. One firm alone will spend 40,000 dollars on its Orchid 
exhibit. At the opening of the Fair, Chief Samuels says, there will be 
a display of 2000 different varieties of Orchids, embracing fully 15,000 
specimens. Beneath the great dome will be the largest tropical plants 
obtainable, including Japanese and Chinese Bamboos 75 to 80 feet high, 
Palms 30 to 40 feet high, and Tree Ferns 15 feet or more in height. 
There will also be a miniature mountain covered with tropical plants, 
and in a cave within will be tried the experiments of growing plants by 
electric light and of growing them by the aid of electric currents, passed 
through the soil, both of which, it is claimed, have been accomplished 
with remarkable results. 
Orange Groves. 
The two courts of the horticultural building will be filled with 
Orange groves from California and Florida respectively. In each there 
will be not less than 160 trees, each bearing about 200 bright, ripe 
Oranges. Thus an interesting comparison may be made between the 
Oranges of the two States as to size and flavour. The courts will also 
contain growing specimens of Lemons, Limes, and Bananas. California 
would like to make a much larger display than will be possible, and 
applied for about fifty times as much space as could be assigned. It will 
occupy an acre on Midway Plaisance with a Citrus exhibit. On the 
Plaisance, too, five acres will be devoted to a nursery exhibit, and 
Wisconsin will show there a Cranberry marsh. Six acres in front of the 
horticultural building will be devoted to the floricultural exhibit, as 
will also space about many of the larger buildings. 
Sixteen Acres op Flowers. 
The “ wooded island,” or, as more properly named perhaps, the 
flowery island, will be one of the most beautiful and attractive spots at 
the Exhibition. It embraces between 15 and 16 acres, and has been 
turned over almost entirely to the horticultural department for its 
exhibits. There, literally speaking, will be acres and acres of flowers of 
brightest and most varied hues and pleasing perfume. Little groves of 
trees, clumps of shrubbery, and sinuous walks will relieve the gorgeous 
monotony of this floral display. On the north end of the island Japan 
will build its strange antique temple, and surround it with the choicest 
plants and flowers of the island realm of the Mikado. At various turns 
of the winding walks which thread this delightful domain of flowers 
the visi or will encounter artistic little structures of the summer-house 
description, within which one may seat himself, and enjoy rest and 
beauty and perfume. Many of these retreats—sixteen or eighteen in 
number will have thatched roofs, and be covered with growing Vines, 
and otherwise ornamented—in keeping with their beautiful surroundings. 
In the north pavilion of the horticultural building will be a very 
extensive display of vegetables, canned goods, horticultural appliances, 
&c. In the second storey of each pavilion will be a restaurant capable 
of seating about 200, and profusely adorned with Ferns, flowers, and 
exotic plants. Outside will be a number of greenhouses, where visitors 
may see an exceptionally complete collection of tropical vegetation 
There will also be large auxiliary greenhouses, not open to the general 
AOTUS VILLOSA. 
Opinions appear to differ as to the likelihood of a revival of the 
Cape and New Holland plants, which were once so highly esteemed. 
The popularity of Orchids will in all probability ever be a powerful 
impediment to such a consummation, beautiful and useful as many of 
the plants admittedly are, for in many places too much space is given 
to the Orchids to allow of room for anything like a representative 
collection of hard-wooded plants. Messrs. Low & Co. exhibited a 
number at one of the Royal Horticultural Society’s spring meetings, 
and many of the plants shown were greatly admired. Wherever a 
collection is formed Aotus villosa, which fig. 40 represents, should be 
included ; indeed, all the members of the genus are worthy of cultiva¬ 
tion. A. villosa is an attractive, compact, much-branched shrub. The 
flowers are bright canary yellow, the standard streaked with crimson 
lines. It blooms in May and June. A. gracillima is a slender, graceful 
species with bright yellow flowers, which are produced in such profusion 
as to entirely hide the leaves, leaving the slender stems like long 
racemes of flowers. Both plants invariably delight those who see them 
in good condition. They succeed well in peat and loam in equal parts 
with a good portion of sand added. 
LIVERPOOL NOTES. 
Thingwall Hall. 
Whilst paying a visit to this beautiful country house recently I was 
agreeably surprised to find such a magnificent collection of herbaceous 
and rock work plants, which fill two borders, each 70 yards long. Every¬ 
thing that is good and worth growing finds a home, and in Mr. Foster, 
the head gardener, they have one who not only thoroughly understands 
their wants, but is able to speak of them in a manner that all lovers 
of those beautiful flowers would delight in. Though having been tossed 
about by the storms of the past few weeks, there was much to interest 
one. Charming varieties of Veronicas, some with delicate spikes and 
