Evening star., 1925-08-22

atmosphere. Them the tree Is bolted
together with steel bolts covered with
galvanized piping. The tree surgeon
must be s careful as the dentist to
keep moisture out OF the cavity upon
which he is working or he simply will
have laid the germs for more decay.
The tree surgeon success often de.
pends on measurements as fine as
sixteenth OF an inch. especially when
dealing with the cambrum layer Of
bark, the weblike structure just in
side the main bark layer, upon which
the life or the Tree depends. Ii is
through this layer thai the sap Is
carried from the roots to the leaves
When this layer is cut all around the
tree dies. Pioneers. desiring 10 kill
OFF forests. often Girdled the trees
deliberately in order 20 kill them.
Trees Fed Regularly.
In addition To the surgical work
all the Capitol grounds trees are be
Ing fed systema tically, the oldest re-
ceiNinS the first treatment. Feed
ing consists Of cultivatine the soil
over all the area covered by the
branches. on the theory that the
roots spread out at least that far
Then the cultivated soil is treated TO
manure, bone meal or special mix
lures, and is given plenty OF
moisture
Some OF the larger trees have been
known TO drink out of the ground as
much as 10 barrels of water in a day.
and, after disestiuG the chemical food
materials. which the liquid has been
mixed in the soil. discharge il into
the atmosphere through its leaves
me tree. according tc the tree sur
Seons. has practical lily all the attri-
huteS OF an animal except the motor
nerve system. 1t eats and breathes.
certainly. and may have some ami
mal-llke nervous reactions
Nearly all The trees planted about
the Capitol in recent wears have init
male associations with some member
OF Inc House or Senate. Lately il has
become the custom for some member
TO stand sponsor for tree a its
painting There is one big English
elm near the Senate Office building
Tor instance. which will always be as
soclated with Elihu Root. When he
was In the Senate he paused every
oaN on his walk TO his office and ex-
amined II.
collection Valuable.
The collection is of great yanue
even apart from It's associations. On
me 81 acres which compose the
capitol grounds there are s25 trees.
comprising 81 varieties. and more
than $4,000 shrubs. The trees in.
clude some exceptionally fine speci-
mems OF hollles horse chestnuts
nagnolias and Oriental planes. Per
maps the most interesting OF the col.
lection Is the Christ thorn. a native
OF southern Europe. which Is one of
the several species from the branches
OF which the crown OF thorns was
reputed to have been woven. AS
matter OF TACT, II Is not thorn tree
at all
The box bushes are somewhat of
mystery. They are of the buxus
suspensa type and tend to form
large, isolated bushes rather than
hedge plants. They grow much IA ST
er than the hedge box. There are
no other similar specimens in this
part Of the country and nobody
knows Just how they came to the
grounds
The trees proba bly, thrive better
than those anywhere else in the city
Que 10 the constant care given them
The grounds are so underlafd with
tunnels connecting the buildings that
fhe roots do not have as much chance
t" spread as they should and the
soil dries out quickly.
The father of the collection was
John G. Calhoun. who in 1853 secured
after hard fight an approximation
or $4,000 to'make a park out of the
capitol grounds. MANY of the orig.
lnal trees were cut down during the
Civil War and probably all would
have been lost IL Senator Cameron
had not taken up the fight where
Calhoun dropped it.