Evening star., 1925-01-04
ARBORETUM NEED
DECLARED VITAL
Dr.. C0viIIe Sees Great Aid in
Combating Flora
MaIadies.

waited varieties Of trees and plants
and thus effecting great saving to the
American people is advanced by DR..
Frederick ". Coville, botanist OF the
Department Of Agriculture, as the
fundamental reason why a national
arboretum should be established at
Washington.
DR.. Coville in discussing the need
for such an arboretum as is pro-
posed in the Pepper and Luce bills
now pending in Congress explained
that the breeding OF disease-resistant
varieties was becoming necessary be-
cause of a weakening in the strength
Of cultivated plants to Withstand
attacks upon them by their natural
enemies.
"In the development of our agri-
culture" explained DR.. Coville, ut
Is found that many of our cultivated
varieties have become, through mar
row breeding, susceptible to fungus
diseases and to insect pests, while
the wild stocks from which they
were derived are still vigorous and
resistant to such troubles.
sees Enormous saving.
There is no question that in many
cases we can introduce strains or dls-
ease resistance into our cultivated
varieties and thus obviate the enor-
nous expense and loss to which agr-
culture is subjected in combating
these diseases and pests. This IL
seems to me, is the fundamental rea-
son for the establishment or an ar
boretum in Washington.
"The Botanical Society of Washing
ton has nearly 200 members, profess
sional botanists," continued DR.. Co.
VILE, most Of them engaged in the
advancement Of American agriculture
through their connection with the
United States Department OF Agrf-
culture They often have had extreme
difficulty in obtaining the breeding
stocks they need, having to wait for
years before these plants can be
brought to the United States from
different parts of the world in which
they grow.
The work of these men would be
immensely more valuable to the Ma
ton If they were provided with the
additional facilities of an arboretum.
Like Great Library.
'T should regard an arboretum as
corresponding to a great library, in
which the books are trees and other
outdoor plants, which can be drawn
upon by scientific men for purposes
of study and scientific discovery, just
as we go to the Library of Congress
for rare and expensive books which
we need to use in some special in
vestigation.
Such an arboretum would be of
immense value, not only in the work
of the scientific investigators of the
of Agriculture here, but
also in the work of scientific men IN
experiment stations throughout the
1T ought to contain all the wild
relatives of our cultivated plants
from all parts of the world, at least
those which will thrive out of doors
in this latitude.
In the arboretum these plants will
be brought together where they will
be- available to every plant breeder
In the country.
Sees Subject Only Touched.
I'm my opinion the world has made
hardly more than a beginning in
the breeding of plants useful to the
human race. In a hundred years from
now people viii be looking back to
the present time as a primitive period
in plant breeding.
The American Association of Nur-
serymen and other commercial or
ganizations are deeply Interested in
the establishment of an arboretum,
because it constitutes for them and
for the public who purchases plants
from them, a bureau OF standards for
horticulture, in which the identity
and authenticity of varieties bought
and sold can be established
so many losses occur to purchasers
OF incorrectly labeled nursery stocks
that there Is now pending in Con-
gress bill exacting severe penalties
of nurserymen who sell incorrectly
labeled stock. A national arboretum
at Washington would serve as a very
valuable intermediary between the
public and the horticultural trade in
Strengthening out these difficulties
There are certain Incidental uses
Of an arboretum in Washington which
are distinctly worth consideration.
An arboretum established on Mount
Hamilton and the adjacent upper
Anacostia River flats would consti-
tute a living museum of outdoor
plants, having great value for public
instruction and outdoor recreation.
1t is the same sort of instruction and
recreation that is found in museums
OF science and of art, but it has the
additional advantage Of being located
out of doors.
Many Lessons Conveyed.
1.-THE Mount Hamilton tract contains
some fine areas of our native hard
wood forests. In the more open spaces
some of the individual trees are of
great dignity and beauty and are fine
examples of the park or pasture type
of tree. Other areas have the i'm
pressiveness Of the deep forest. All
these things convey lessons in the
art of tree planting, and they are
stimulating to persons seeking out
door refreshments and recreation
Along the Anacostia River at the
foot of Mount Hamilton and Hickey
Hill fs a large area of the original
wild rice marsh, which was formerly
characteristic of the Potomac River in
the neighborhood of Washington.
Dredging operations threaten to wipe
out all these marshes. 1t is now pro-
posed that as part of the arboretum
g. suitable area Of the wild rice marsh
be preserved forever, where 1t will
be washed by the tide, and thus kept
free from predatory animals. SO that
the bobolinks, blackbirdS and other
migratory birds, in their northward
and southwark migrations can find a
quiet and safe resting place and feed
ing ground. The sight Of hundreds of
thousands of these birds dropping
down at night into such a wild rice
preserve within the limits of the city
of Washington will be a source of
perennial satisfaction to all lovers Of
birds.
Great Bird Resort.
For many years Hickey Hill has
been known to ornithologists and out
door people as one of the greatest
bird resorts in the District of CO.
lurnbia. It's preservation with the
adjacent feeding ground for the birds
nesting there would make of this
part of the arboretum a permanent
bird sanctuary"