The Holly chieftain., 1922-08-10

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 cheap affair
comparatively speaking. Several American cities
have far larger and better gardens. And compared
with such shows as the Royal Botanic Gardens of
new and the botanic gardens of Berlin, Paris,
Edinburgh, Glasgow and Rio de Janelro-why.
Washington simply isn't In 1t.
Congress is considering the various aspects of
the Botanic Garden question. 1t 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 new botanic garden
and arboretum on an adequate scale will be
established not far from the Capitol
Senate resolution 165, affecting the acquisition
Of site, is 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 re-
port or the Botanic Garden. Following are some
of tho points made in this report:
The present Botanic Garden was begun about
1920 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 1S3S1S42 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
garden from 1912 to date including the original
appropriation for the expedition amount to about
$1,416.74S. 1t appears that the garden, wisely and
adequately begun. now serves mainly 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 288 acres and closely identi-
fed with twentyfour col Inial botanical gardens Of
the British Empire. Berlin has 1925 acreS In Its
botani: garden, which was established at cost
O.. $4OOO,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 l.g.cai. That space was designed by President
Washington and Maj. LEnfant as an open ap-
proach to the Capitol and is so shown on the
orig.na; plan of the city. 1t was proposed Mt
that time that this area should be subject TO
ornamentaton with memorials, foundations, and
the like but not shut off by walls and fehces.
Locating the Botanic Garden In this area was one
of those serious mistakes made In the early part
of the century whereby the great plan for the
Nations Capital suffered damage that has con-
tnued to this day. The location oil 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
in the restoration of the original pan
In furtherance of its purpose to restore the Mail
to its original status as park connection between
the legislative and executive departments, Con-
,,ress paid the Pennsylvania Railroad $l.5OO.OOO
TO remove its tracks from the Mall The public
oloza or square on the west front Of the Capitol
Grounds is feature Of this large plan. The New
National Museum Building, the Agriculture De
partmept buildings, and the gallery for the Freer
COLLECT, ,ons all have been located with reference
to 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
capItol 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 n 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
subseryed quite well by glass houses and gar
leps in other accessible locations.
The enlargement of the Capitol Grounds on the
north affords an for gardens OF great beauty
and distinction through which will pass all visitors
to Washington and large proportion of those
nersops who daily go to the Capitol and the
Library and Congress. The present Botanic Gar
den ia seen by an Insignificant fraction OF visitors
or residents. The removal Of the garden features
from the west side Of the Capitol to the north
side simply makes such features more available