Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-03

been similarly doctor6d or nurseo,
and, wherever there is decay. treated
with tree surgery as scientifically as
any human patient.
Now that Washington is to lose the
arboreal support of Senator Pepper
the project of a National Arboretum
may be delayed. but in the mean
while there is a world OF interest IN
studying the trees of Capitol Hill,
both from the standpoint of horti-
culture and historical romance.
Opposite the Cameron tree there
stand two glorious specimens OF elns,
alongside each other. One IL an
American elm. the other an English
elm. The difference in the varieties
is marked. The American elm 10
lighter in color and perfectly sym
metrical in form. 1t leaves out
earlier in the Spring, but the English
elm holds it's foliage five or six weeks
later in the Fall. and the English,
more sturdy though less uniform in
shape, will live, perhaps, half cen
fury after the other dies.
Connecticut avenue, now as bald
as a. noctogenarian, Is soon to have
setting of uniform American elns
and in 10 years-well 10 years VIII
make quite showing.
+ X
The selection of trees for city
streets is governed now by the en-
vironment, not by first cost, but by
the height of buildings shading the
street, etc.
One of the recognized authorities
on street trees is William Solotarom or
East Orange, whose book Shade
Trees in Towns and Cities" Is the "Bi-
| BILE" of experts. He says:
What shall the image Of the ideal
street be? Looking down the long
perspective we observe that but one
species of tree has been planted
throughout it's entire length. These
trees are alike in size. The distance
between them is uniform, and is such
that, when the trees mature, their out
stretching limbs will not meet. but
will leave sufficient space between the
| trees for the admission OF light and
free circulation of air.
Surely, that expert must have seen
our triumphal arch of foliage, alias
New Hampshire avenue. Yet the sky.
light seems missing,
Or has he seen the avenue of gtngko
bilboa in the grounds Of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, and on certain
Or have we all looked upon the
washington tree"-an American elm
on Capitol Hill, beneath which
George Washington once ate his
lunch? Have we seen the rare ZiZy-
phus jujube there on the hill-the only
one in America? In Lafayette Park
there is the cedar OF Lebanon. such as
King Solomon used in building the
temple? mighty poor looking for
lumber, IL that be its full size. Even
in today's lumber famine we get bet
ter beams than that would make.) And
there is the huge tulip poplar on the
Grayson estate. Thirty-seventh and
Quebec, and the mighty oak on the
grounds of the Naval Observatory!
Yes. we've seen the japanese cherries
AS If that were all we could APP
preciate.
See Washington first before
crossing the continent to find the
giants of California, or Drawing the
government Of President Gales and
the priests of Tule, to behold, near
Oaxaca. Southern Mexico, the marvel
, Of marvels---the cypress of Monte
yuma" in the churchyard there. 1t is
lac feet in circumference and 164 feet
high and as old as the bulrushes OF
little Moses. Read the apostrophe
carved into it's bark by Humboldt q
sesquicentennial ago!
From the battlefields of France
comes the voice Of the slain poet,
Joyce Kilmer. to the Washington
barbarians who do not love trees:
1 think that ! shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree;
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet-fowing
breast:
A tree that looks to God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest Of robins in her hair:
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make tree.
icopyrtght 1875. b. Paul " csln1kA