Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-20
OFFICIALS SUPPORT
ARB0RETUM BILL
Tell Senators at Hearing
Project Would Improve
Trees of Nation.

F;sta blshment of national ar
boretum on the Mount Hamilton tract
In Washington would enable the De-
partment of Agriculture to make
| scientific Investigations to improve
the forestry and plant life or this
country in the same way the depart
ment now studies the needs OF agri-
culture. witnesses told the Senate
committee on agriculture at near
ing today on the arboretum bill.
The members OF the committee dis
pla we'd keen interest in the posi-
bility of improving the trees of the
United States through the work OF
an arboretum and asked many ques-
tons OF the officials Of the Aericul-
tural Department and the spokesman
for national organize tons who ap-
peared in support Of the bill.
Lot Of Witnesses.
Senator Pepper of Pennsylva mia. u
thor Of the arboretum bill in the Sen
ate. directed the prese ntatiOn of the
matter and introduced the following
speakers: Mrs. Harold |. Pratt. secre-
tary of the Garden club OF America:
DIR. William a. aylor. Bureau Of
Plant Industry of the Department Of
Agriculture: Robert Pyle. American
Association OF Nurserymen; Col. W. Il.
Greeley. forestry service chief. Depart
ment of Agriculture; DR.. Frederick Co
Vile. botanist of the Department OF
Agriculture: stephen childs, repre-
sentina Landscape Architect; Mrs.
Frank r. Moves, Garden club Of Amer
lea. and John Young, American Flor
LIST and Orna mental Horticulturist.
{ The hill now pending in the Senate
ana House nXes the limit 90 cost and
land 10 he acquired for the aboretun
at not to exceed 5000. 900. However.
when members of the Senate com
mittee asked DR.. COille today how
much the necessary Iand would cost
he stated that he Understood a letter
was on its way TO the committee from
the Secretary of Agriculture giving
the Secretarys view conc"rninI the
cost
The committee was told high Of
tiCials of the Department of AgriCul
ture felt that authorize ton should
not he limited to $500, 600. because
OF the possibility that slightly more
might he needed TO lay out the
aboretum properly.
Speaking for the Garden club OF
America. Mrs. Moves told the Sena e
committee Of the imminent danger
that the Mount Hamilton tract might
he lost for aboretum purposes II II Is
not soon acquired. and tor Ihat rea
son urged the committee to take
action on the bill as soon possible.
Praises Owners Of Land.
Mrs. Moves testified that The owners
Of the land had shown their public
spirit by holding II. although posi-
hilities of disposing Of il exist.
In his testimony. DIR. Coville EN-
pha sized the peculiar desira Utility or
the Mount Ha milton site for an ADORE
tum becaueS il contains a great va
I'll ,.f Il LII md of
would make possible the growth of
larger variety of trees and plant life
than any other site In his section.
DR.. CovilIe declared good site is
dificult TO find. and pointed out that
houses are already being built slone
Bladenshure road near Mount Hamh-
ton.
AT this point Senator Pepper asked
Or. CovilIe If il was not true that The
integrity Of the tract is threatened by
! building operations a nd that IL Is
case Of now ar never?
DR.. Coville replied that Senator Pep
per was correct and that if the project
is DELAYED Tor year the very core
Of the site may be gone.
Stresses Need Of Aboretum.
Dr. Taylor of the Bureau OF Plant
Industry told the Senator'S that the de-
partment has the facilities for carry
Ing on 10N6StlSdl ltti Uni OuEncut Inv
country concerning ordinary crops OF
agriculture hut does not have an ade-
1uate place for the breeding Of trees
and their studies. such as would be
provided in the aboretum He told
Of the work which could be done To
develop trees that would withsta nd the
attacks Of insect and disease.
Members of the committee were
anxious to know IL experimental sta
lions would not he necessary through
out the country in studying particular
kinds Of trees and how they grow in
certain sections. DR.. Taylor and Dr.
Corille expla med that the arboretum
. in Washington would be central
la horatory for cooperating with any
experimental stations throughout the
Nation. All Of the witnesses EN-
phasized the fact that the National
! Arboretum should he located here for
two important reasons: First. be
cause the climate of the North and
South overlap in way that would
, make possible the study of a great
variety OF plant life. and secondly.
because II would be availa BILE for re
search work TO the several hundred
scientists and experts Of the Govern
ment who are located in Washington.
Senator Norris Of Nehra ska chair
man Of the committee, and Senators
Ransdell OF Louisiana. Hendricks OF
Wyoming and Sackett OF Kentucky
all asked many questions of the wit
nesses as to particular pha ses OF for
estry and horticulture that might be
benefited as a result of the investi-
cation and experiment carried on at
the oboretum.
The hearing was completed today,
but the committee probably will not
consider the bill in executive session
for several days. Similar hearings
We're held yesterday before the House
committee on agriculture.
DR.. T. s. Palmer of the Audubon So
ciety of the District urged establish
ment OF the arboretum. pointing out
that in addition to the great service
the arboretum would render TO forestry
and horticulture. II would serve as q
refuge for the many varieties Of mi
gratory birds that come to this sec
ton Of the country at different times
Of the year. At the suggestion Of Sen.
ator Pepper. DR.. Palmer also pointed
out that the birds are valuable in kill
ing off enemies OF trees and other
plant life.