Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-06
THE WORLDS TREES
Collection Should Be Made in the
District.
Mr.. READS PLEA FOR AN ARBOVEfUM
Favorable Resolutions Adopted by
the Board of Trade.
PLANTING ON THE MALL
Mr.. READ'SP PLEA FOR AN ARBOVErUM
PLANTING ON THE MALL

The desirabiity of the establishment of
an arboretum in the District of Columbia
has been called to the attention of Senator
Mcmillan. chairman of the Senate commit
tee on the District of Columbia, by Mr.. Al
bert NJ. Read, member of the committee on
parks and parking of the Board of Trade.
He suggests that the park system of the
| District should include plan for introduce
| ing in the parks such trees and shrubs
from all parts of the world as will thrive
| in this climate and the labelling of them
| when planted.
| This matter has been brought forward,
as you are probably aware, for the consid-
Grafton of Congress number of times in
the past century, Mr. Read states, the
latest effort being that of the honorable
Secretary of Agriculture, who, in his
nual report for 1899, recommended the es-
| adjustment of an arboretum containing
| useful trees, such as those producing fruits,
dyes, nuts, oils and tans, and those useful
for ornamental purposes and for shade.
| shelter and fuel in arid regions, from all
! parts of the world, for the use of that de-
partment on the mall in this city.
! Shortly after the publication of this re-
port the matter was brought to my atten-
ton by Mr.. Frederick V. Coville, botanist
of the Department of Agriculture, with a
view to having the matter laid before the
| Washington Board of Trade for its indorse-
ment.
Work of the Agricultural Department
The matter of labelling the trees and
shrubs now in the parks and reservations
has been allowed to slumber until the De-
| partment of Agriculture could see its way
| clear to the marking of the trees and
| shrubs in its own grounds with their cor
| rect common and botanical names, habitat,
etc, in order that the work might be be-
! gun under proper supervision and in
scientific manner. This l am assured, will
! soon be accomplished and when done will.
We are in hopes, serve a nucleus for
| the greater tree garden desired, as well
1 as an argument for the extension of the
work to all of our parks and reservations.
Should the systematic planting Of The
| riverside parks, the lower parts of the Ar
| lington estate. lately turned over to the
! use of the Agricultural Department, and
| all the lands not wooded that may be
! taken into the park system of the District
| be decided upon in advance oy competent
! authority, it would apLear that with but
| slight changes in the parks already planted
| a magnificent arboretum, containing all of
| the trees and shrubs Of the world that will
grow in this climate, might be formed at
| comparatively small expense. This could
all, | feel sure, be accomplished without
| sacrificing in any way whatever perspect-
| i've, picturesqueness or beauty, so essential
| to the success of any parking system. The
| Department Of Agriculture has every facil-
| ity at hand for the gathering together of
countries for the purpose, and the expert
| knowledge to plant, care for and name
| them when obtained.
.If this matter could be taken up and
decided upon In advance, the trees and
shrubs could be obtained and kept in nur-
sery ready for as soon as the land
| scape architect had the grounds laid out
| for their reception"
| ArbOretum ms an Educator.
Mr.. Read has sent to Mr.. Mcmillan with
| his letter correspondence and extracts from
The Star bearing on the subject Of his sug
gestion. Mr., Frederick v. Coville, botanist
! of the Department of Agriculture, writing
| of the arboretum, says:
II believe that as an educational institu-
| ton arboretum of this sort would be
enormously useful 1t costs little more to
| grow ten trees each OF ten different kinds
| of NAPLES than to grow one hundred trees
| Of silver maple. 1t would cost little more
! to have in some one place in the mall a
complete collection Of hardy japanese trees
than to grow large mass Of Norway ma
pies. Internationally, however, the two
plans are Incompatible.
In his annual report of 1899 the Secretary
of Agriculture refers to the first arboretum
established by the department In 1868 by
Mr.. VIM. Saunders This was necessarily
small undertaking, as the establishment
Of an arboretum in this climate would re-
quire, he said, an area of several hundred
acres.
''The time has come when the economic
needs Of the department and the education
| and pleasure Of the people demand rich
collection of trees planted SO as to secure
the best effects Of landscape art, furnishing
complete materials for the investigations of
the Department Of Agriculture and 80
managed as to be perennial means of bo-
tanical education. We are now engaged In
introducing useful trees from all parts of
the world, such as those producing fruits,
dyes, nuts, oils and tans those useful for
ornamental purposes and especially those
promising shade, shelter and fuel in the
arid region.
"At the present time we have no central
place in which to plant and maintain a
series of these trees for study and propaga-
ton. The importations must be sent. out
as fast as they are received without any
opportunity for our investigators to make
any observations on their behavior under
| cultivation, and in the case of small and
valuable importations subjectine the whole
view of these conditions, l wish to bring
| to the attention of Congress the Importance
or placing at the disposal Of this depart
ment an area Of suitable size and situation
for a comprehensive arboretum. In order
to give specific basis for consideration
or this project. | suggest that the area
known as the mall be set aside for this pur-
pose"
Action of the Board of Trade.
January 10, 1900, the Board Of Trade
adopted resolutions favoring the planting OF
an arboretum on the mall where all trees
could be introduced that will grow in this
climate, and fnstructing it's committee on
parks and parking to cooperate with the
Secretary of Agriculture to that end.
In a recent communication to The Star
on the necessity for marking trees to indi-
cate their names, Mr. Read said:
Ignorance of the Trees
lis it not a fact that we teach our chill
dren in the public schools a certain amount
Of botany and then neglect to open I'D to
them the more practical study Of this sci.
ence by placing before them in their daily
walks the knowledge Of the trees and
shrubs and flowers SO lavishly displayed in
our streets and parks?
THE Botanic Garden does at present, I'm q
half-hearted way, name it's plants with
wooden tags and stakes, and the extension
OF their system, in whole-hearted way
through the mall could be arranged with
comparatively little cost The Agricultural
Department prints for the good of farmers
costly bulletins on forestry and then ne
elects to give tongue to it's magnificent COL
inn nf anil Nd