, 1922-08-10

N'OA Va Ahh ACiIO a. vi Iul VI
the grounds occupied by the Botanic Garden is
proof that Congress means business and that
Uncle must move his flower and plant show
wherever 1t points out.
Besides, the Botanic Garden is Il cheap affair.
comparatively speaking. Several American cities
have far larger and better gardens. And compared
with such shows as the Royal Botanic Gardens of
Kew and the botanic gardens of Berlin. Paris.
Edinburgh. Glasgow and Rio de Janeiro-why.
Washington simply isn't In it.
Congress Is considering the various aspects of
ahe Botanic Garden question. 1t appears likely
that The public features of the present garden will
oe transferred from the west side of the Capitol
10 the north side and that a new botanic garden
and arboretum on an adequate scale will be
established not far from the Capitol.
Senate resolution 165, affecting the ACQUISITION
of a site, is now before the committee on the
library. The fine arts commission, of which Iieut
Col. Clarence o. Sheriff., Corps of Engineers
Is secretary and executive officer. has made a re-
port or the Botanic Garden. Following are some
of TIL points made in this report:
The present Botanic Garden was begun about
9S20 under congressional permission granted 70
the Columbian Institute for the Promotion of
Arts and Sciences, which went out of existence
tn 1897. Then in the years 1S3S-1S42 the Wilkes
surveying and exploring expedition of six gov
eminent ships to the South Seas, collected a
barge assortment of horticultural and botanical
specimens. These formed the nucleus of the
present garden. The total expenditures on the
garden from 1912 to date, including the original
appropriation Tor the expedition, amount to about
$1.Il6,74s. 1t appears that the garden, wisely and
adequately begun. now serves mainly as u dis
trlbuter of plants and flowers.
BY way of comparison, our Botanic Garden con.
tains less than 13 acres, while the famous Kew
Gardens contain 2SS acres and are closely identi-
fed with twenty-four colonial botanical gardens of
the British Empire. Berlin has 1,325 acre. in its
Ootanl garden, which was established at II cost
q St,00O,OOO.
Tae location problem may be stated thus:
L.. r..g,py flut kTII apYanr fha RArunIp Car.
den must be removed from its present location.
Congress, when it located the Grant Memorial In
the garden area, forced the garden out. Such was
the intention Of Congress. The action was entire
az | goa. That space was designed 10y President
Washington and Mai. L'Enfant as an open ap-
p.oach to the Capitol, and is so shown on the
aric.na' plan OF the city. 1t was proposed Mt
that time that this area should be subject TO
recommendation with memorials, foundations ana
the like, but not shut Off by walls and fences
d.ocati-g the Botanic Garden In this area was one
az ulose serious mistakes made in the early part
Nf the century whereby the great plan for the
Nations Capital suffered dnmnge that has con
tInued to this day. The location of the Grant
Memorial was the first step toward repairing this
damage. The subsequent location of the Meade
Memorial in the same area is n further advance
an the restoration Of the original pan.
la furtherance of its purpose to restore the Mall
60 its original status ms n park connection between
the legislative and executive departments. Con
rress paid the Pennsylvania Isr.lroud Sl,JOOOoO
10 remove its tracks from the Mall. The public
nlnza or square on the west front of the Capitol
Groundg Is a feature Of this large plan. The New
national Museum Building. the Agriculture De
snrtmert buildings. nud the gallery for the Freer
9etiiacIcus all have been located with reference
40 the general plan. Slowly, hut steadily. changes
In conformity with that plan are now being ear
rIad ont throughout the entire 2lh miles from the
capitol Grounds To the Lincoln Memorial. The
removal nf the Botanic Garden is essential to the
development Of the great composition.
n Congress desires to continue a garden for
n, purpose of obtaining flowers for its members
aud for growing shrubs To Disseminate through
ont the country. both OF these purposes can be
suhservcd quite g. well lay glass houses and gar.
deus IN other accessible locations.
The enlargement of the Capitol Grounds on the
north affords an areu for girdens uf great beauty
and distinction through which will rass all visitors
60 Washington ana n large proportion Of those
persons who daily go To the Capitol and the
library and Congress. The present Botanic Gar.
den IS seen by an insignificant fraction of visitors
ar residents. Tho removal uf The garden features
fran the vest side NJ the Capitol to the north
side simply makes such features more available.