Evening star., 1926-05-10
ARBORETUM PLANS
PASSED BY SENATE
$500,O00 Estimate, How
ever, Reduced to 100000.
I Bill Goes to House.

The Senate today passed the bill
providing for the acquisition OF the
Mount Hamilton tract, near the up
per Anacostia River, for the establish
ment of d national arhoretum Tor the
Department of Agriculture.
The amount authorized to be appro
priated was reduced by the Senate
from $500. 600, as recommended by the
committee on agriculture, to S30O,000
after several Senators had expressed
the belief that the lesser amount
would be sufficient. The bill now
goes to the House for action.
The Senate also adopted amend
ments proposed by Senator Jones of
Washington which would make the
arboretum available also for recrea-
tional and park purposes. There was
no opposition to the measure when
it was reached on the Senate calen-
dar today and the only debate was
that relating to the amendment.
Warren FavorS Lower Sum.
Senator Warren of Wyoming, chair
man of the Senate appropriations
committee, recommended that the
amount in the bill be changed from
$500 00o Ia $500, 900. stating that he
was anxious TO see the bill become Il
law and that since he had been ad-
Nised that $500 000 would he ample.
he deemed ii wise to make the change
in the interest of securing its final
enactment into law.
Senator MCNary of Oregon said he
also WAS concerned over seeing the
bill become a law and called attention
to the letter received by the agricul-
ture committee from the Department
OF Agriculture suggesting the $500
000 amount.
Senator King of Utah at this point
in the debate. stated that he had talk
ed recently with Charles c. Glover,
whom he described as man who has
done much for the Improvement of
the National Capital. and that Mr..
Glover advised him that the $500 600
figure would be sufficient
The Mount Hamilton tract has been
described by experts as an exception
ally desirable site for an arboretum
because of the soils to be found and
because there is sufficient overlap
pins Of the different climates TO make
it possible to preserve and develop on
that tract trees and plants from va
rious parts of the country.
Plant Collection Feature.
The arboretum would contain per
manent living collection of trees and
other outdoor plants for the purposes
of scientific research and education.
II has been referred to as a bureau
of standards tor horticulture. Among
other features would be a water gar
den and a wild rice preserve.
Attention also has been called to
the fact that the arboretum would
m, l. "a ,,f L.a Of
Agriculture more valuable to the
country in many ways, particularly
through plant breeding. The develop
ment of faster growing timber inn
proved fruits and disease. resistant
plants generally through the facilities
afforded by the arhoretum would in
crease the agricultural wealth and
welfare of the country, it has been ar
gued. .rs.4-
The Mount Hamilton and Hickey
Hill tracts in the District of Column
lha, together with the Anacostia River
Flats, above Benning Bridge. consti-
tute an admira BILE site for the arbore-
tum, convenient in location and with
a great variety Of soils" the commit
tee on agriculture stated in its report
to the Senate. About 400 acres of
the proposed site is already owned
by the Government. 1t consists OF
marsh land about to he drained b"
Army engineers"
In addition to this Governments
owned land, there are 40S acres pri-
Vately owned in the Mount Hamilton
and Hickey Hill areas. An eXamina-
tion of this site by u soil expert in
1917 showed that more than 80 differ
ent types exist there.
Dfhas. AdXantaooc (;toL
The report Of the committee also
cited the following as other advan-
tages that would accrue from the es-
tabliShment of the arboretum:
1t would make possible compre-
hensive collection of trees and other
Outdor plants, including the preserva.
ton of authentic specimens of the
thousands Of plants introduced into
this country by the Department of
Agriculture from foreign lands
1t would furnish such d knowledge
OF the breeding of forest trees as
would make it possible when the
country reaches the point of setting
out forests. to use improved varieties
which may grow twice as fast as
those we now use
The arboretum also would serve as
4 bird sanctuary.
The establishment and maintenance
of the arboretum is intruSted to the
Secretary of Agriculture. and the
President is authorized to transfer to
the jurisdiction of the Secretary any
land which now belongs to the United
States within or adjacent to the Dis
trict of Columbia. located along the
Anacostia River north of Bennins
Bridge, for this purpose
When the senate and House com
mlttees on agriculture held hearings
on this measure earlier in the session
a dozen or more of national orGaniza-
tions interested in horticulture and
nursery work Joined in urging it's
passage. The Garden Club of Amer
lea. took an active part in presenting
the advantages of the arboretum to
the committee.