Evening star., 1925-01-06
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

An arboretum is museum" Of
living trees and shrubs, cultivated for
scientific and educational purposes.
1t differs from a museum of geology
or biology, whose specimens relate
to the past. 1t Is out of doors, where
nature is beautiful, as well as in
structive and inspiring.
The Government is now considering
the establishment of such an ar
boretum. and when established and
developed, this institution will be
more than a mere gallery of ~speci-
mems" where the scientist may spend
quiet hours of study and where the
unlearned may find curiosity in the
unknown. 1t will have practical use
fulness in furthering the introduce
tion OF new plants and trees, Great
ing new sources Of food and in the
study Of soils and climatic conditions.
The Pepper-Luce bill, now pending
in both branches of Congress, pro-
vides for a national arboretum upon
Mount Hamilton, in the suburbs of
Washington. 1t will occupy some
457 acres. already partly covered with
original forest patches of fine trees.
The arboretum will be under the
control of the Department of Agri-
culture.
The United States is almost the
only country of Importance which
does not possess such an arboretum
under government control. Ameri-
cans are proud of the fact that, since
the establishment of the Department
of Agriculture, in 1852, and later of
the State experiment stations, more
rapid progress in scientific agricul-
ture and horticulture has been made
than in any other country; but it
must not be forgotten that in Europe
the nations began to feel the need
of such science before we did, and
they are in advance OF America in
technical investigation.
America has nothing comparable with
the arboreta at Kew, near London in
| Edinburgh, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Petro-
grad; Perideniya, in Ceylon; Calcutta,
| in India, and Buitenzorg, in Java.
The only tree museums which ever
existed In the United States were or pri-
yate origin. The earliest and one Of the
most important was established in l72S
| on the bank of the Schuylkiil, miles
from Philadelphia, by John Bartram, a
| farmer The Bartram Garden is now a
part of the Philadelphia park system,
and some Of its original trees still -four
| ish. Here were planted the first foreign
trees introduced in America.
v X y y
| In 1873 Humphrey Marshall, a cousin
of John Bartram, also farmer, planted
| a similar arboretum near West Chester,
| Pa, and some of Marshalrs trees are to
this day unequaled, except by those at
| Mount Vernon, planted by George Wash
| ington Marshall wrote the first Ameri-
can book about American trees, and
thereby initiated the systematic and
| scientific investigation of them.
| In the first half Of the nineteenth Gen.
| tury other private collections of trees
| were planted. Gradually public interest
was aroused, making possible the recog-
| milton of the Importance of the science
/ of arboricuiture which came, so years
| ago, by Harvard University, through
the initiative of Boston schoolmaster
George Barrel Emerson.
| Mr. Emerson was a, trustee of the
estate of James Arnold, whose will had
bequeathed 100000 to increase the
knowledge of agriculture and horticul-
ture" In 1879 the Arnold trustees pro-
posed to give the bequest to Harvard
University, provided the university would
set aside a certain tract of It's acres
for, an Arnold Arboretum. Little was
| done in its development until 10 year:
tlater, when a. contract was made with
Boston whereby the city added to tht
| acreage of the arboretum, and agreed
to build and maintain public road:
through it and to pay all taxes for / ,00t
years The arboretum remained unde1
control of the university, but was opened
to the public. BY this contract it is as
sured that, no matter how Boston lanC
may increase in value, the Arnold Ar
boretum will not be disturbed prior Il
the year 1882 A. D., and, according t
DR.. c. 8. Sargent, its director, and thu
tArnoid professor OF arborioulture o