Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-19

research along these lines. A case IN
point may be cited. AS result OF
blight which came from Japan on
stock about 25 years ago. we
are facing the prospect of the elimina-
ton of a certain type of chestnut.
Botanists believe that if we are to re-
place this tree, which is of importance
facturer by reason of the tannin it sup
plies. we must develop a blight-resistant
form of the tree.
Government experts have searched
the Orient, the region where the dis
ease came from, in the hope OF flndlng
there trees sufficiently resistant and
sufficiently large in stature to take the
place of it. This, however, is a long
journey. If the search fails. then the
solution would lie in breeding the dis
ease-resistant chestnut out of the mate
rial that exists in this country or which
can easily be gotten from other coun-
tries. There is similar need for the
development of other types of pest-re-
sistant trees and plants.
In setting forth the forestry needs of
the United States to the House COM
mittee on agriculture. DR.. John c.
Merriam, president of the Carnegie
Institution of Washington, gave strong
support to the arboretum project.
Much of National Heritage Wasted.
THE people of the United States"
he said, face today a situation which
they are Just beginning to understand
with relation to conservation problems
in general. The last half century has
seen the United States pass through a
period in which we have had prosperity
such as has come to very few peoples
or very few nations. That prosperity
is due in large measure to the fact
that we have had unparalleled natural
resources. AS boy, living in the West,
any one who wanted a farm had only
to go and take it; as a young man,
living in the farther West. any one who
wanted a mine or forest practically only
had to go and take it and use it.
1.-The result has been that what was
easily acquired was readily wasted, and
a large part of our heritage is already
gone. We still have the farms. So
far as our forests are concerned, my
friends in forestry tell me, We are
about half way or little more than
half way through In Washington to-
day you have the largest group of men
anywhere in this country, perhaps any
where in the world, engaged in this
problem-more than 200 botanists and
foresters. Much work will be done by
industry much by agricultural col
leges, much by institutions privately
founded, as by Harvard University: but
whatever concerns the people as a
whole ought to concern the depart
ment set up by the Government for the
purpose of engineering and research in
these fields, SO that today, as We have a
great center in Washington, We lack one
thing which is fundamental, and that
is a laboratory in which they can
work-a place Of trees, an arboretum,
into which they can bring all kinds of
trees from all parts of this country
and from other countries to study
them"
To Standardize Nomenclature.
The arboretum. it is hoped, will make
1t easier to standardiZe the nomencla-
ture of plants and shrubs. A single
plant at present is sometimes known
by twenty or more names. The Euro
pean white water lily. Nymphea alba,
is credited with having total of 245
names-l5 English. A French, los Ger
man and IS Dutch common names.
Nurserymen and horticulturists have
directed attention to the difficulties and
the confusion that these differences In
names give rise to.
Supporters of the arboretum project
suggest that Washington is favorably
situated. 1t is in latitude in which
IluIlQIeuS VI pldIlIS CdIi NC sloWu IildV
grow farther South, and by the same
token, there can be grown here virtually
every plant that grows farther North.
Nurserymen have stressed the point
that at present there is no way OF
putting out the new trees and plants
side by side, and have them compare
to and test with existing plants and
trees. The new arboretum will afford
such an opportunity for comparison,
and so may be of great help in putting
an end to the existing confusion In
names.
I'VE are anxious that this great ex-
detrimental arboretum be put in by the
Government" declared Harlan P. Kel-
sey, speaking for the American Associa-
ton of Nurserymen, 80 that it may
tend to introduce more varieties and
better varieties of horticultural prod
uctS, and it will lower the cost to the
American people The demand for hor-
ticultural products is growing in this
country, and We feel that only the
United States Government itself can
step in at this time and help out In
this situation"
Provides Field Laboratory.
The arboretum will give the Depart
ment of Agriculture a field laboratory
of the size and dimensions that 1t
needs to carry out proper studies of the
plant life of the country. Experiment
stations may be found in several States,
but these stations deal with small prob
lens for the most part. The Arnold
arboretum in Boston, for example, has
received requests from the American
paper industry to learn what type of
trees may best be planted in reforesta-
ton and In providing paper plulp for
the future.
The Department of Agriculture Is
without the means to work out prob
lens Of this kind, so important to
many of our industries. The arboretum
will give it just the kind of tools that
it needs to carry on large scale expert
ments over a long period of years.
When completed the arboretum will
enhance the physical beauty of the
Capital City. Visitors it is believed, will
go home with a better idea of what
plants can do for forest, park and
street A survey of the area made sew
eral years ago revealed that it contained
80 different types of soil.
Advisory Council Appointed.
As set forth in the act passed BY
Congress. the aim of the arboretum is
to stimulate research and discovery"
The Secretary of Agriculture was au-
thorized to appoint an advisory council
to help plan for its development. The
members of the council include Fred
eric A. Delano of Washington, men,
Der of the board of regents of the
Institution. chairman; L.
H. Bailey of Ithaca, president of the b.
tanical Society of America; Henry S.
Graves, dean of the Yale Forest
School; Harlan P. kelsey of Salem,
Mass, former president of the Ameri-
can Association of Nurserymen.
a. Also John c. Merriam, president of
the Carnegie Institution of Washing
ton; Mrs. Frank B. Moves of Washing
ton, chairman Of the District of Column