Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30


ton Of a national ar oretum. a
cherished scheme of botanists and
garden lovers of the Capital for
many years, drew a step nearer COM
pletion last week when the House
committee on agriculture favorab bly,
reported the Senate bill to purchase
the more than 400 acres included in
the Mount Hamilton area.
1t now appears certain, according
70 leaders in Congress in charge of
the legislation. that the bill authoriZ
ing purchase of the land for the
specific purpose of creation of the
national arboretum will be passed
before the middle of February and
that the money agreed on as neces-
sary for the purchase-$300.0 00--will
be provided In either deficiency
appropriation measure or added as a
rider to one of the other appropria-
ton bills.
House leaders have announced
that the measure authorizing pur-
chase of the land and establishment
of the arboretum is definitely a part
of the majority legislative program
and will be put through shortly.
These leaders have been assured that
the bill, in its amended form, will
be accepted and passed by the Sen
ate. The amendments are to reduce
the purchasing authorization from
100000 to 100000 and to eliminate
the park and recreation provisions.
Longworth Favors Plan.
Speaker Longworth, House Leader
! Tilson and Chairman Smell of the
rules committee have all expressed
themselves heartily in favor of the
legislation and the plan as q whole
The Commission of Fine Arts, which
has been in close touch with the en-
tire situation. Is anxious that steps
be taken Immediately toward actual
purchase Of the land, in order that
the encroachment of private building
operations in the area comprised in
the Mount Hamilton tract may be
checked and the approach to the
arboretum saved.
The area proposed to be purchased.
and urged by many national organi
cations as an ideal site for the ma
tional arboreutm, included the Mount
Hamilton and Hickey Hill localities,
lying between Bladensburg road and
Kingman Lake. or the Anacostia
River, on the east and west sides, and
running north and south approx
mately from NJ street to- T street
northeast, although its northeastern
corner runs beyond T street to the
Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. It's
southern boundary Is about three
fourths Of q mile north Of the Ben
ming road. The area is quite heavily
wooded, and according to botanists
and gardeners, is an ideal location
for the proposed national plant
laboratory.
When the enabling legislation is
passed the first step will be to enter
into negotiation with the more than
80 private owners of the property, a
move that will probably take a year,
while in the meantime the Depart
ment of Agriculture may proceed
with the plans II has already outlined
for arboretum development, and which
are now before the Budget Bureau.
Work May be Delayed.
Actual development work may not
begin for two or three years, but
once begun, 1t will move fast The
Fine Arts Commission points to the
balancing of research laboratories of
the plant and animal kingdoms on
both sides of the Capital, with the
arboretum on the east and the Ma
tional Geological Park on the west.
In addition to becoming national
laboratory, affording opportunity for
the more than 200 prominent bota-
nists in Washington to experiment
with plant and tree life, 1t will offer a
site near the Capital for comprehen-
sive experimentation in timber grow
ing, according to r. C. Coville Of the
Department OF Agriculture.
Declaring that by development of
improved varieties of grain, fruits.
vegetables and other crops. the eff
ficiency of agriculture and the finan-
cial returns from IL have been en-
HANGED, Mr.. Cbvilie pointed to the
possibility of eentering timber pro-
ducing trees development work in the
arboretum.
I'VE are just beginning to grow
trees for timber" he said. Millions
of dollars will be spent on timber
growing in the next few generations.
An improved variety that will mature
In SO years will cost the grower only
one-fourth as much, by reason of the
compromising of the investment, as an
unimproved variety that requires
eight years. To assist the foresters
Of the country In the development of
such rapid.growing varieties is one OF
the objects of the National Arboretum.
Timber Losses Cited.
Enormous losses of timber are caused
by destructive fungus diseases of
trees, as for example, the Asiatic
chestnut blight which has almost
wired out the American chestnut from
several of our. States. The develop
meut of varieties immune to such dis
eases should be undertaken at once at
the National Arboretum.
Timber trees are subject to the
ravages of destructive insects The
cultivation OF locust, for example. for
fence posts and railroad ties is regard
ed as impracticable because most of
the trees are destroyed by insects. Oc-
casional individual locust trees. how.
ever, are not affected. Apparently
they are distasteful to the insects.
Such individual trees should be made
the basis of experiments to determine
whether varieties can be bred which
are free from the attacks of destruc-
tive insects Work of this kind should
he carried on at the National Arbore-
tum.
ut is we'll known that first genera
ton hybrids In plants and animals
often possess useful qualities in COM
binations that do not exist In either
parent. A mule Is more useful for
certain purposes than either the horse