Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-29
GIFT IS DESTROYED
Found Necessary to Burn
Trees Presented by Japan.
WERE MUCH DISEASED
Fungus Discovered and a Large Va
riety of Bugs.
AN INSPECTION BY EXPERTS
Verdict Given by Government En-
tomologists-About a Dozen of
the Trees Have Been Saved.
AN INSPECTION BY EXPERTS

BY this evening all that will be left of
the Japanese gift of 1900 cherry trees to
the city of Washington, with the eXcep
ton of about a dozen, will be a few ashes
and the stems of the trees that are heeled
in the ground at the propagating gardens.
This is not act of discourtesy to
Japan. but was taken as measure of
self-protection, in view of the fact that
the trees were hopelessly diseased, and
carried a number of insect pests that it
was thought unwise to turn loose in this
country.
The fact that the destruction of the
trees is not regarded as an affront by
the Japanese authorities is evidenced by
the suggestion Of the Japanese consul In
New York that he would see that the
next consignment Of trees was In better
condition AS matter of fact, the trees
probably would not have lived had they
been planted AS the species is a dwarf
tree they were all old and in shape to
blossom In spite of their small size. Con-
sequently their roots were developed to
considerable extent and in taking the
trees up for shipment the roots were
pruned severely.
1t was thought doubtful by the green
house man at the propagating gardens
| whether they would have survived the
root pruning.
Examined by Entomologists.
| Being imported stock. they were turned
over for examination to the Department
! Of Agriculture, as is all other nursery
! stock, and it was found that they you'd
be menace were they planted The
! mil at hu ha i,ici
| Of entomology, and 1t was found that
the trees had gumboils on the roots, as
| it were; fungus on the branches, and
there was no telling what sort OF cpl
demic disease they would have developed
| in the leaves had they been kept long
| enough to grow leaves.
! AS to bugs, the report Of the bureau of
| entomology gave names to the varieties
| as long as the names held out and then
| had to resort to letters and figures, owing
| to the fact. that there were some speci-
mems heretofore unknown to science.
Some of these may be valuable bugs.
| Then again they may not.
Some Trees Saved.
buggiest trees reserved from the funeral
pyre, and planted out in the expert
mental plot Of the bureau. and there
will be an expert entomologist with a
| dark lantern, butterfly net, cyanide
| bottle and other lethal weapons placed
on guard over the trees, to see what sort
| of bugs develop, and whether any OF
them can be properly domesticated.
| 1t may be that the department will find
! some enemy of the cotton bol-weevil OF
| of the gypsy moth. Then again they may
| find that they have escaped an insect
| yellow peril that will make the green fly
| and the army worm look like selling
| platers
| Spring will tell what sort of insects and
| diseases the trees harbor. Meantime the
city fathers in Toxic are scrubbing and
| disinfecting a fresh lot of younger trees,
| and when they arrive the scientists hope
| that they will be able to pass quarantine
| and be planted out as ornamental shrub
| berry.