The herald., 1896-07-08
FORESTRY AT SANTA MONICA

Among the distinguished economic
botanists of Australia is Prof. ]. H.
Maiden. This learned man has been of
special service to our foresters in Cali
fornia. They will hear with pleasure
that the Botanic gardens in Sydney are
now in his charge. He has also been ap-
pointed government botanist to the col
ony of New South Wales. In his new
position Prof. Maiden is congratulated
by California. The Botanic gardens at
Sydney are extensive, instructive and
beautiful.
The forestry station at Santa Moni-
ca is even better located as to soils, ex-
posures and climate than that of sgd
ney. But the total lack of vigor or spirit
in its management by the distant and
apparently Indifferent state university
has left this station at standstill for
years-in fact ever since the university
has had charge.
The placehas been prolific in self-lau-
dation on the one side and excuses on the
other.
The university has nothing to praise it,
self for in the management at Santa
Monica The station has been so handled
that no real forester or botanist has been
welcome to its old material, and no new
material has been created. The gross
est ignorance has been shown in bota-
ny by its officers and university inspec-
tors. A fine specimen of this ignorance
is found in the exhibition of a sign of
"Quercus Agricola" on that well-known
and most beautiful California live oak
tta n,,a A Ito This Gicp
been maintained for years, and there are
other cases equally bad.
They raise cur dogs that are good
barkers at the station. 1t has been per-
haps maliciously charged that this was
to prevent people going about in the
grounds and finding out the officers mis-
takes. The excuse for palpable mis-
management is lack of funds; the real
explanation is lack of knowledge and
lack of courage to admit and remedy that
shortcoming.
There are in Southern California sew
eral scientific societies that could and
would be glad to assist worthy enter
prise of this kind. There is the Southern
California Scientific associat ton, COM
posed of earnest and enterprising men:
then there is the Botanical society, that
has actually sought for land upon which
to raise rare exotic plants brought here
by its members, and recently has estab-
lished a station for this purpose at
Elysian park. But neither these nor
any other agencies have been enlisted in
this good work. On the contrary no
one has been invited to cooperate in the
work, and visitors are barely tolerated,
in fact scientific men have been driven
from the station when there to study the
botany of the old trees. The stupidity
and incompetency of the management
has been almost beyond belief.
The Santa Monica Forestry station eX-
tends from the bottom of the canyon by
series of terraces to broad plateau or
mesa. Its climate is amongst the most
uniform in the United States. There is
no place in our country where greater
variety of plants can be grown out of
doors than on the terraces of this sta
tion. 1t is beautifully situated, with
mountain and ocean views and accessi-
BILE by a good road. There is no reason
why the Santa Monica cannot be made
a far more complete botanic garden than
those of Paris, Kew or Sydney. To
achieve this result it is necessary to
enlist the active aid of competent men,
who are enthusiastic about trees and
botany. If this station with it's appro
priations, was turned over to local in
stitution, say the Southern California
Scientific association. or to the Univer-
sity of Southern California, or to the
Throop, or to Claremont, we could not
have anything worse and we might rea-
sonably expect valuable and instruc-
tive botanic garden at this favorite sea-
side resort.
The Herald suggests this change to
those patriots who represent the people
at Sacramento.