Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-28
Dignity the Dogwood
By Group Planting
10 the EDITOR Of The star:

It is gratifying to see increased effort
! doewood trees. The Wildfower Preser-
walton Society, the Garden Club of
| America and newspapers and maya
| zines take pains to remind the people
| that these trees should not be mutilated
! by breaking branches from them, these
| articles being especially aimed at city
people who drive to the country places
and load branches from these trees into
| their automobiles. That practice is
| especially to be condemned because
| those flowers wilt before the people
| reach their homes, the branches then
being thrown away.
State Senator Saxon w. Holt of New
| port News, Va, is urging strict enforce
/ ment Of State law which provides "a
penalty for cutting, breaking or pulling
up shrubbery or blooming things on the
lands of another without the owners
| consent in writing"
But let us not limit our efforts to
| telling people not to mutilate these
trees. Shall we not go beyond that
and take aggressive steps to promote
| and dignity the dogwood trees?
Is 1t not apparent that all our people
need to be made to have a real esteem
| for these beautiful trees? 1t is nv be-
lief that such esteem can be produced
by giving these trees public treatment
in dignified way.
That can be done by giving the dog
wood such treatment as we have given
to the splendid japanese cherry trees
in Potomac Park. For this a suitable
place should be found for planting large
numbers of dogwood trees In the man
ner the Japanese cherry trees were
| planted. The location should provide
environment which will display the
trees to best advantage relative to back
ground and contrasts. Furthermore. the
| location should be easily accessible to
the general public. Such a place can
be found where hundreds or many hun
= dredS of these trees can be given highly
! advantageous setting.
| When such display of full-grown,
we'll formed dogwood trees has been
arranged, that dignified treatment will
| give the general public such an appre-
citation of those trees as is now lack
ing and as will prompt protection In
stead OF destruction wherever lockwood
trees are found
Now, during the blooming Of the
cherry trees, our Washington people,
and people living at long distances,
| crowd into Potomac Park to see the
wonderful display. Such a planting of
dogwood as have suggested can be
made an equally attractive counterpart
Of the japanese cherry trees, the dog
wood blooming coming a few weeks
later than the cherry blossoms. When
we have such dogwood display, that
will make such appeal to- our Washing
ton people and others from distant
places as has been made from year to
year by the wonderful cherry trees
When this grand dogwood display has
become reality it will prompt the
planting and preserving of dogwood
| trees on private grounds in and around
Washington and in distant places. But
let our location and planting be on q
scale so large and Of such good quality
that other localities throughout the Ma
| ton will have to do we'll indeed to
equal our accomplishment.
In selecting a suitable location for
! this large display the nature of soil best
| suited to these trees must be considered
To obtain strong strain Of trees
seeds for starting nursery should be
| procured during this season from the
| strongest trees to be found around
| Washington and In distant States. I
venture to suggest that persons who
can contribute in this way communicate
with Mr.. P. L. Kicker of the Depart
ment of Agriculture and president Of
| the Wildflower Preservation Society,
| Washington, D. C. CYRUS KEHR.