Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-03-21
ARLINGTON EXPERIMENTAL
FARM.

House committee on military affairs on
the Arlington experimental farm
The committee on military affairs. to
whom was referred the bill "a. r. 4102)
to set apart a portion of the Arlington
estate for experimental agricultural
purposes, and to place said portion un
der the jurisdiction of the Secretary OF
Agriculture and his successors in Office,
| having had the same under considera-
ton, submits the following report
thereon
This measure was introduced pursu
AIT to request preferred by the Sec
retary of Agriculture, that he be given
jurisdiction of all that portion OF the
| Arlington estate situated east of the
q orgetown and Alexandria public
road, which road extends from the
Aqueduct bridge to Alexandria, Va :,
aud between said road and the Poto-
m"c river, for experimental agricultural
purposes.
Your committee caused the locality
q be visited aud examined by its proper
,uhcommittee, for the purpose of OF
niniug accurate information as TO the
itntily, precise location, and present
condition of the pre- misses in question,
aud to enable it to determine the advis-
,niIity of the proposed legislation.
Tne Arlington estate consists cf ,l75
,cr,s The cemetery, the Lee mansion,
I'D the military post known as Fort
Myer are all located Oh the more ele-
waited portion of the estate situated wesi
of the public road mentioned. Along
the west side of such road is stone
wall, constructed by the government,
which we may say is the east boundary
lue of that part of such military reser
vation embracing the cemetery, man
sior, and military post. Immediately
adjoiug the public road on the east is
the right of way, roadbed, and track OF
The Washington, Alexandria and Mount
Vernon Electric Railway Company's
electric railway. The stone wall, the
public road, and the electric railway, all
hree being parallel one to The other,
extend from north to south across the
entire area of the estate on that line
and tend to segregate, so far as
the physical view is concerned, the
lands Intended to be set apart by
this bill from the remainder of
the estate. as the portions 50 desired
10 be taken being about one-fourth OF
the estate, all situated east of the puh-
he road referred to.
The bill state the quantity of land to
he about 500 acres, but this is an error,
as appears from "a map and surv'y
made in January, 1888, for use in al
lustirg certain claims of settlers f1r i'm
provements made by them on part OF
the premises, the area as Indicted on
sucn map being only 2S7 acres, includ-
ing the right of Way for the electric
ro d.
For detailed information respecting
the Arlington estate attention is in
yited to House E1. Doc. No. $50, frs.
session Fiftieth Congress.
Should this bill become q law there
should still remain of the estate under
the control Of the War Department for
cemetery and military purposes SSS
acres. The lands the jurisdiction to
which is thus sought to be transferred
a6ioin the Potomac river Oh the west,
aud although their altitude is consider
ably less than the other portion OF the
estate, they cannot strictly be called
low land. in the sense in which that
term is generally used. They are sut-
ficently elevated above the Potomac
river 10 render them free from the
dangers of inundation. At present the
premises in question have the appear
ance of an abandoned estate, with
neither buildings nor improvements
thereon. The surface is much gullled
and cut up from rains aud the flow of
wafer in the small creeks and riVulets
which cross the same and empty into
the Potomac river.
The lands are so located as to be in
full view of the city of Washington,
and present al unsightly appearance.
That thew are considered fertile is evl-
denced bv the fact that when Leased IN
past wears to occupants for cultivation
the rental was fixed at SS per acre an,
nualy on these lands, while the hlli
land of the estate rented for 81 per
acre.
There is no question but what uEder
the care and direction of the Secretary
nj Agriculture the premises now so
uninyiting to the view would not only
he changed to SO beauty spot" but
would also prove to be of much practi-
cal and substantial benefit to the Agrl-
cultural Department.
The following is an analysis OF the
different sections of the bill
Section transfers jurisdiction OF the
premises 10 the Secretary OF Agrlcui-
ture. os
Section declares it the purpose OF
the bill to set apart the land as gen.
eral experimental farm in its broadest
sense, and enumerstes the branches 10
be fostered and encouraged by it.
Section declares that the Secretary
OF Agriculture will take immediate and
absolute control, and, by making the
improvements enumerated bring the
properly into condition to answer Inc
purposes for which it is set apart.
Section gives the Secretary OF Ag-
riculture aud his successors IN ohce
iuI discretion to carry into atf' ct the
, d. clsred purposes of the act,
| Section 5 appropriates $4,000 to