Evening star., 1923-03-09
"Old Home Trees Again-Civil
War Forts-Artificial Rainstorms


An EDITORIAL printed not long ago
In The Star on "Old Home Trees"
touching In q general way on
pecan, fg, mulberry and other trees
growing near Washington. has elicit.
ed letters asking for more spe.
cific Information. Up to the time
Of the civil war fg and pecan trees
were numerous In the gardens Of
washington and Georgetown and on
farms in the Potomac and Patuxent
valleys. It Is not to be expected that
any one should know all the places
where these trees are growing today
any more than that one man should
know all the places where bass are
to be caught. or where papaws are
to bs gathered In the fell.
In the matter OF fig trees there are
some growing inside and outside the
iron fence surrounding the monument
on the site Of the house George Wash.
ington was born in between Popes and
Bridges creeks in Westmoreland coun-
ty. These are. no doubt offsprings Of
ns trees that grew near the house
when the Washingtons lived there. A
colony Of az trees grew near the ruin
Of the Fairfax house on the old Lee
property Of Leesylvania, on Freestone
point. at the confluence Of the Poto-
mac and NeAbsco creek. A fig bush
grew for many years in the rear Of
| J, 7 0tr fo1, n,
taken OVER by the City Club. and the
club took pains to. spare that tree
A fig tree grows In the back garden of
3147 18th street northwest and bears
nne fruit every autumn. No doubt
hundreds Of fig trees are growing in
the District.
In the matter Of pecan trees two
very old and large were growing a
year or 90 ago, and very likely still
are, on the former Rozier farm on the
Maryland side Of the Potomac about a
mile south OF the District line. Pecan
trees grew on the farm called Bryan
Hall between Surrattsville and Pts.
Getaway, but 1t may be that those
trees have passed away. Black mul.
berry trees, native to this region. may
be found in number OF places. Up
to q few years ago two very old ones
were growing on the Talburtt farm on
the Eastern branch.
There is grove Of Kentucky coffee
trees at Ripon Lodge. on the Wash.
in Notwithstanding automobile road
between Occoquan and Dumfries. In
the matter OF holly drives there is a
relic of a once nne one near the
o'Hare house OF the junction of
the Riggs and Blair roads near the site
Of Fort Slocum. There is a splendid
holly drive at Montpelier, the old
Snowden estate in Prince Georges
county. and the relic OF long holly
hedge on the property Of the late Ad.
niral Amnen at Ammendale. Old
"cherry walks" are numerous.
k&xA
The Star not long ago published an
article or the civil war forts and fort
sites in and near Washington, saying:
"In connection with the revival Of the
plan for extending the highway sys.
TEN Of the District through the sites
OF old civil war forts encircling Wash.
inSton, II was revealed today that the
coast and geodetic survey has records
pertaining to the location Of the forts,
many OF which have been virtually
lost sight Of, enabling the survey to
establish accurately the position of
the historic sites" Military maps
made by the Engineer Corps Of the
Army. and which are preserved, show
the location Of all the defenses of
Washington, and the reports Of Gen.
J. G. Barnard give technical descrip.
ton Of most Of the works.
The forts built first were those at
the Virginia end Of the Long and
Aqueduct bridges and on the ridge
west Of Alexandria. These were
hastily built and later enlarged and