Palace of Horticulture
The Palace of Horticulture stood on Agriculture Hill, 250 feet south of the Palace of Agriculture. The structure was in the shape of a Greek cross with a center pavilion and two wings. The center pavilion was 400 feet square and the wings were each 204 by 200 feet, it covered 7.1 acres. It was designed by Architect E. L. Masqueray and was produced at a cost of $240,000. The two wings were divided from the center pavilion by glass partitions, a difference in elevation produced a monumental effect. Two minarets flanked the north entrance, which was in the form of a triumphal arch. The east wing of the building was constructed as a conservatory and furnished exhibit quarters for specimens of plant culture and for the forced culture of vegetables and fruits. The west wing of the building was used as an exhibit room for horticultural implements. In the basement was a cold storage plant that had been installed and provided for the care of fruit exhibited in the building. Three sides of the west wing had galleries.
The center pavilion contained the table exhibits of the pomological department, and here were shown in season; fresh fruits and berries in competition. The space between the Horticultural and Agriculture Palaces, and on the grounds surrounding them both, were ornamental rose gardens in which exhibiting florists and nurserymen maintained their respective beds.
Exhibits The different states and territories participating in this exhibit made extensive preparations in the way of putting large quantities of fruit in cold storage in St. Louis and elsewhere, so that they were ready at the opening of the Exposition to entirely cover the space allotted to them. The displays of fruits was bewildering. Hundreds of varieties of fruits were shown, including every kind grown in temperate, tropical and semi-tropical climates. Nuts were shown in great profusion. Missouri and California were represented superbly and may of the states had very striking exhibits.
Floral Exhibits The outside horticultural exhibits were located on Agriculture Hill, on a 50-acre tract of land surrounding the Agriculture and Horticulture Palaces. The location was one well suited for the purpose, as it had the necessary slopes and depressions to allow the best arrangement of the flower beds and aquatic basins and groups of shrubs. The exhibits were made by the leading nurserymen and seedmen of the country, and covered a large variety of trees, plants, flowers and bulbs. There were planted in this area over 17,000 roses and 100,000 bulbs. The lakes for the exhibit of aquatic plants covered an area of more than two acres, and in them were shown the rarest and most beautiful specimens in existence at that time. Cut flower displays were shown in competitive contests in season on tables in the Palace of Horticulture.
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