The Holly chieftain., 1922-08-10

The problem is only half solved when provision
is made for flowers for member of Congress and
for the present limited output Of shrubs and
cuttings. There is demand for real botanic
garden, iii which the public may examine living
specimens of the enormous varieties OF trees
shrubs vines, and herbaceous plants native to this
locality or capable of being grown here, freely.
out Of doors. These plants should be classified
and the public should be made free Of the grounds
for recreation and study.
A large area Is required to grow well-developed
specimens Of the different kinds Of trees which
are native to the District alone, to say nothing
of showing the very different aspects Of those
trees when grouped as In wood and when grown
singly as lawn street trees. The great numbers
Of native shrubs, the equally important and In
teresting trees and shrubs which have been In
trOduced and will be introduced from all over the
world requires an outlying area running into
some hundreds Of acres. 1t presents wholly
different problem from that of a place limited
primarily to the exhibition Of garden flowers In
the usual sense Of the term. 1t calls not only for
large tract of land but for Of diversified
soil and varied exposure.
An exhaustive search has been made of areas
available for garden purposes in the District OF
Columbia. The commission has sought location
on which botanic garden might be established,
with such area and such diversity of soils
would enable 1t to take rank a great institution.
Examinations were made of tracts at Rock Creek
Park. Brightwood. Foundry Branch Mount Hamil.
ton, on the eastern side of the Anacosa River
and In Virginia.
OF the sites suggested, the at the head of
Rock Creek Park is given first consideration. be-
cause 1t has frequently been mentioned as avail
able at no cost for land. The entire park COM
prses 1,60G acres most Of which is in steep wood
ed hsides.
One objection to Rock Creek Park Is that 1t has
many steep slopes, so that the layout and ad-
ministration would be inconvenient and costly.
A vital objection Is that the park is natural
beauty spot, which is too scenic 1t Is to be
used for any other purpose
1t is not necessary to express an opinion as to
whether the purposes of national botanic garden
are more or less important than those for which
Rock Creek was acquired. The point Is that both
purposes cannot dominate the management of one
piece of ground without conflict, and this piece
of ground was set apart by Congress for the pres
ervatiOn of its natural scenery. II the original
intention of Congress In this instance Is to be
observed. the Introduction of such n foreign ee.
ment a botanic garden is too dangerous to be
ventured. Therefore, the use of Rock Creek Park
for this purpose cannot be recommended.
The Mount Hamilton site Is situated between the
Bladensburg Road and the new Anacostia reclama.
tion project Just south of the National Training
School for Boys. 1t Is now privately owned. II
has three rOund-tOp peaks Immediately adjacent to
the Bladensburg Road which In themselves cover
about 80 acres. The tract fronts on the AnacostIa
River for distance Of about 1900 feet and car
ries large variety Of soils in such condition that
very little preparation for the uses of botanic
garden would be needed. Little grading other than