Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-24
BY ALMA Chestnut.

TN authorizing the Secretary of Agri-
culture to purchase the 400-acre
tract Of land known as the Mount
n Hamilton site for a national ar
boretum, Uncle Sam figuratively
oons overalls and sets about the task of
planning great garden. whose unique
features are destined to make 1t famous
throughout the entire world.
From distant continents trees and
shrubs representing all varieties that
can be made to flourish in this climate
Will be brought and planted side by side
with collections of trees native to Amer
lea. Each will be arranged according to
a systematic plan. and will be accurate
~ labeled like specimens in a museum.
And, indeed, this garden will constitute
museum, living museum of trees. It
will also constitute a great outdoor lab
oratory, and herein it will differ from
botanical gardens and arboretums spon-
sored by other governments.
1t will be under the direction of
competent group of scientists and dedi-
Gated to scientific experimentation in
the breeding and hybridizing of trees
and in the introduction and develop
nent Of new varieties and species.
Negotiations for purchase of the land
from its present owners are under way
now. and it is estimated that these will
require about a year. Meanwhile in
formal meetings of the advisory coun-
Gil named by Secretary Jardine to plan
and develop the land are being held, so
that actual work may be initiated i'm
mediately after full title to the land is
secured
Passage of the Pepper-Luce bill, pro-
viding for the arboretum and carrying
an appropriation of $500 900 for pur-
chase of the tract. represents a three
year effort on the part of botanists,
nurserymen and other interested per-
sons to convince Congress that need
exists for such garden. As early as
1917 the Mount Hamilton site was eX-
amined by direction of David F. Hous-
ton, then Secretary of Agriculture, as a
favorable location for national botanic
garden.
The tract lies within miles of the
Capitol, and is situated between the
Bladensburg road, leading to Baltimore,
and the Anacostia River. 1t adjoins an
other 400-acre tract already owned by
the Federal Government and available
as an addition, making total available
area of 800 acres. Three round-top
peaks. nearly all wooded and covering
in themselves about 80 acres, are in
cluded, the most prominent giving the
site its name. Between Mount Hamilton
to the east are the Anacostia flats, rich
in their growth of wild rice and adapta-
BILE as bird sanctuary and as water
gardens.
X X X *
SCIENTISTS who have examined the
~ tract agree that it is ideally located
and admirable in every way for an
arboretum. There are 80 different kinds
of soil, almost every variation possible
in this part of the country enabling
the botanists to grow trees with the
most eXacting soil requirements. Elk
posures to the sun from north. south.
east and west also enhance its value as
a garden site
A reliable guide to the adaptability
of the land is found in the existing plant
cover. Approximately $50 acres are
grown over with timber, little Of it
scrub pine and most of it hardwood,
such as oak, hickory. tulip poplar, sweet
and black gum and other American
trees.
Mount Hamilton supports an almost
pure growth of oak and, in a strip run
ming down to its northeast foot, the
trees approach the dimensions of a
prineval forest. Toward the south foot,