Evening star., 1925-08-22
AK REVEALS Ills
OF CAPITOL GROUNDS TREES
Major Operation Begun on Cameron Elm. One of
Most Famous on Hi--Nan, Others Placed
Under Experts Treatment.

Trees in the Capitol grounds. rich
in historical and legendary associs-
ton this Summer are on the oper-
atins table while skilled surgeons
probe their insides 10 repair the raw
ages of organic diseases and assure
their patients Of another century or
so of life
Among those upon which ma jor op-
eratfons are being made is the Cam
eron elm, located on mound lust
southeast of the House wing. This
tree is reported To have been saved
by special act Of Congress when
the present system OF walks in the
Capitol grounds was hein2 laid out
Vt stood in the way Of one Of tha
walks as It stood on the blue print
Senator Simon Cameron Of Penpsyl-
Nania. afterward SecretaEy Of War in
Lincoln's cabinet. happened to be TAX
ing walk through the grounds just
as the workmen were whettin2 their
axes 10 attack the venerable Amer
lean elm.
Hc prevailed upon them to delay
the work. while he hurried 10 the
Senate. Due 20 his speech on that
occasion. 1t was directed that the
walk he built around the tree. The
speech was one of the most celebrated
ever made by Senator Cameron In
the course of it he said:
The man who plants tree must
have civilization in his soul. The man
who brings flowers here and plants
them near these beautiful buildings
musi have plenty of poetry IN him.
The man or woman without poetry Is
not ut 70 live here or anywhere else"
Action Is Legendary.
The speech itself is matter of
record. The action by Congress IS
rather legendary. since it is not men
toned in the incomplete reports for
the day.
The Cameron elm is from 10 10 1l5
years old. II was apparently in per
rect health. but the tree surgeons de
tected this Summer r spot on the
bark which indicated that al some
time there had been an incision into
the trunk. This aroused their Sus-
picions. and the interior was probed
with an anger. Conditions were found
which certainly would have killed the
tree in the next few years. Some in
lection had been carried into the wood
at the time OF this old incision As
A result a considerable area WAS rot
ten so much. in fact. that when the
infected area has been chopped away
four men can squeeze into the cavity
without discomfort
The hidden decay had been going
on for the pa ast 90 years. AT one time
about 50 years ago. the tree had had
setback in growth. II was found BY
counting the annual rings. Work OF
flling the hewed-out cavity with con
crete will start soon.
Another legendary tree is TO receive
attention from the surgeons. although
II Is in fairly good condition. This Is
the Washington elm. across the plaza
from the Senate wing. under which
the Father of His Country is reported
to have rested
The surgery is being carried on
under special appropria ton OF
$4,000 from the last Congress TO pre-
serve the trees in the Capitol grounds,
All Will he inspected carefully for
signs OF decay. which often can be
found In its incfrient stages only with
expert diagnosis.
Like Operation on Human.
The method Of much OF this surgery
can he compared TO fitting human
being with part Of new spine First
all the diseased area is removed. Just
as dentist takes out the decay in
tooth. Then the cavity is painted
with special paint. Then the con
crete, just damp enough to mold in
the hand. is filed in In layers or
6-inch blocks, each being separated by
n sheet OF thick tar paper. This meth
cd is followed SO that when the tree
bends or sways the filling will not he
cracked. but the blocks will slide over
each other.
The concrete becomes almost a part
of the wood itself. ii absorbs its
share of the moisture brought up from
the roots and discharges this into the