Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-19
benefit of the District, and to lose 1t

it to some museum.
benefit of the District, and to lose 1t
as blessing to the District itself
would be an irreparable calamity"
Representative Ketcham, Republt
can, Of Michigan also made an inter
esting speech regarding the advan
tages OF a national arboretum, and
particularly at the site proposed, as
follows:
This proposition has been before
the committee on agriculture for two
or three years. 1 may say 1t has been
given very careful and very thorough
consideration, and the sentiment is
strong on that committee in favor of
the proposition.
There are just two or three prac-
teal questions that undoubtedly arise
in the minds of those who are think.
ing at all about it, and l want to an
sWer those questions If ] can.
Location Here Held Ideal.
"In the first place, the question
naturally raises as to why we desire
an arboretum located at this particular
place. 1 may say that the committee
was impressed with the idea that
Washington is an ideal location for a
NOSC IiiIlCuI pAOJCCL VI tuIS SOTL. we
already have in the United States
several fine arboretums, but they are
privately owned and controlled We
have nothing of a national sort. There
fore it has seemed fitting. in view of
the new interest that is being taken in
the question of forestry and the great
importance that forestry shall I'M
doubtedly take in connection with our
national life in the next few years
that the National Government should
become interested in the proposition OF
establishing a. national arboretum.
By reason Of the fact, therefore, that
we have here assembled in the Depart
ment Of Agriculture the largest corps
Of experts in that particular line, 1t
seemed only natural that If we could
locate some tract Of land near by
Washington where these experts
might have easy access to 1t such a
combination would be almost ideal.
Further than this, SO far as the cli-
matte conditions are concerned, Wash
ington was thought to be fairly repre-
sentative of the whole country. Here
the trees that might grow in the more
rigorous conditions of the Northern
sections Of the country would grow
to advantage and here the plants and
trees that grow in the Southern sec
tons might also develop under favor
able conditions, except, Of course,
those that come from the very extreme
South. So, from the standpoint Of cli-
matte conditions and the availability
Of this particular point In the United
States, because Of it's suitability to the
various kinds OF trees that are grown,
the committee thought that Washing
ton would be a very advantageous
place.
Would Be Bureau of Standards"
Then, SO far as this particular
tract Of land is concerned, If we are
going to have the wide range Of
plants AID trees grown as would be
fitting III national arbOretum, GER
tainly we must have all conditions Of
soil, and so it is contemplated that
the 400 acres already owned by the
government on the flats Of the Ana
costa River shall be a part Of this
tract Of land. and that, together with
the fine uplands so delightfully."- de-
scribed by the gentleman from Massa-
chusetts (Mr. Luce. will. when put
together, give us all the range of soil
that will be needed to grow the va
riety Of plants and trees that should
be found in a national arboretum.
I'm addition to that may I say that
by reason of the fact that here are
very many other experimental
projects of the Government, 1t seemed
fitting that this new project should
find q place somewhere near where
these others are carried on. If I were
to sum 1t up in about one word or one
expression, think we might say that
the proposition of establishing ma
tional arboretum here would be
something in the way Of having a
bureau Of standards in horticulture
located on this tract of land. do not
need to spend a moment with the
members of the committee to magnify
the importance of the work Of the
great Bureau Of Standard in con-
nection with many other activities OF
our people; and, with the growing i'm
portance of trees and with the in
[ creased Importance Of all kinds OF
horticulture, certainly think 1T is a
fine phrase that some one has coined
to describe this new project as a
bureau of standards in horticulture
For these reasons it has seemed to the
committee as If this particular tract
of land in this centrally located place
was almost ideal for this purpose, and
SO we gave 1t strong support.
Could Experiment.
There are two other phases that
| want to dwell upon briefly. First,
| with reference to one. aspect of it
| that l am sure must appeal to those
Of us who are interested in the paper
industry. I happen to come from the
section of the United States that in
recent years has taken the lead in the
manufacture of paper.
1.-THE City Of Kalamazoo. Mich,
chances to be in the district of my
colleague, Mr.. Hooper, and that city
has become in recent years the paper
| manufacturing center of the whole
United States. It's boast is that a
trainload Of finished paper is shipped
from that city every day Of the year.
Naturally, then, we are interested in
the source from which we may get q
| supply Of raw materials that go into
the making of the very high.grade
papers that go out from that city.
| We have a very practical interest in a
national arboretum because the tim
Der supply Is vital to the people who
are manufacturing paper. I think
it is one Of the fine things that we
may look forward to in the future
with regard to this proposed aboretum
that experiments may be made here
with reference to Quick-growing trees
that may be imported from foreign
countries. 30 that those u W Nha arc