The L'Anse sentinel., 1922-11-08

AA<I
WI was originally intended. The loca-
tion of Grant Memorial on part of
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 a cheap affair
comparatively speaking Several American cities
have far larger and better gardens And compared
with such shows 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 Ii.
Congress is considering the various aspects of
the Botanic Garden question. II appears likely
that the public features of the present garden will
be transferred from the west side of the Capitol
to the north side and that botanic garden
and arboretum adequate scale will he
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 Lieut.
Col. Clarence o. Sheriff.. Corps of Engineers
is secretary and executive officer, has made q re-
port or the Botanic Garden. Following are some
of tn" points made in this report: t
The present Botanic Garden was begun about
1S2O under congressional permission granted to
the Columbian Institute for the Promotion of
Arts and Sciences. which went out of existence
In 1887. Then in the years 1S3S-1S42 the Wilkes
surveying and exploring expedition of six gov
ernment ships to the South Seas, collected
large assortment of horticultural and botanical
specimens These formed the nucleus Of the
present garden. The total expenditures on the
garden from 1S42 to date. including the original
appropriation for the expedition amount to about
S14l6,14S. 1t appears that the garden. wisely and
adequately begun, now serves mainly as a dis
tributer of plants and flowers.
BY way of comparison, our Botanic Garden con-
tans less than 13 acres while the famous Kew
Gardens contain 2SS and closely denti-
fled with twentyfour col ,nial botanical gardens of
iticl poriip Iac 1 in IL
botani. garden, which was established at a cost
o. St,OOO,OOO
The location problem may be stated thus:
For reasons that will appear the Botanic Gar
den must be removed from its present location.
Congress- when 1t located the Grant Memorial In
the garden area forced the garden out. Such was
the intention of Congress. The action was entire
ly r.ca. That space was designed by President
Washington and Maj L'Enfant as an open APP
p:oach to the Capitol, and Is so shown on the
oric.na; plan of the city. 1t was proposed at
that time that this area should be subject TO
ornamentation with memorials, foundations ana
the like but not shut off by walls and fences.
Iocatig the Botanic Garden in this area was one
of t,,ose serious mistakes made In the early part
of the century whereby the great plan TOT he
Nations Capital suffered damage that mas con-
tinued to this day. The location of the Grant
Memorial was the first step toward repairing TINS
damage The subsequent location OF the Meade
Memorial In the same is further advance
in the restoration Of the original pan
In furtherance Of its purpose to restore the Mall
TO It's original status park connection between
tho legislative and executive departments, Con-
rress paid the Pennsylvania Railroad $l5OOOOo
to remove its tracks from the Mall. The public
p,aza or square on the west front Of the Capitol
Crounds is a feature of this large plan. The New
National Museum Building the Agriculture De
partment buildings. and the gallery for the Freer
collect ,ons all have been located with reference
70 the general plan. Slowly. but steadily, changes
In conformity with that plan are now being car
ried out throughout the entire 2h miles from the
CapitoI Grounds to the Lincoln Memorial The
removal Of the Botanic Garden Is essential to the
development Of the great composition.
II Congress desires to continue garden for
the purpose of obtaining flowers for Its members
and for growing shrubs to disseminate through
out the country. both Of these purposes can be
subserved quite well by glass houses and gar
dens in other accessible locations.
The enlargement of the Capitol Grounds on the
north affords an area for gardens OF great beauty
and distinction through which will pass all visitors
To washington and 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 resIdecfs The removal of the garden TEXTURES
from t.e >,est side Of the Capitol TO the north
aide simply makes such features more available.