Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-15
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

By WILL p. KENNEDY.
Emphasizing that the National Botan-
ic Garden Is an institution almost as
old as the Nation itself, Senator Simeon:
d. Tess Of Ohio, who on last Thursday
laid the corner stone of the new con-
servatory for the Greater Botanic Gar
den called attention of the entire
country to the importance of this great
scientific establishment in keeping all
the people. interested In the secrets Of
nature, and pointed to it as one Of the
outstanding features In the improve
nlent of the entire area surrounding the
Capitol.
He explained that the contracts call
for completion of the relocated Botanic
Garden in March of next year, 50 that
in the Bicentennial year, when all the
country is celebrating the anniversary
of Washington's birth, this institution
will be starting on a larger future in
fulfillment of Washington's own plans.
The foundation of a Botanic Garden
was the subject of much correspondence
between Washington and the Commits
sioners of the District of Columbia. Next
May the Botanic Garden will be Il2
years old, for it was in 1920, after some
years of discussion of various plans,
that the Columbian Institute for Promo
ton of Arts and Sciences secured pass
age of a bill in Congress, which became
a law on May 8, providing for a trtct
Of land, not exceeding five acres, u De
used for a botanical garden.
The first site chosen by the Column
bian Institute was on piece of land
between Seventh and Ninth streets, F
and G streets, where the Patent Once
now stands. But almost Immediately
after this selection 1t changed the
ftrct of
Capitol, and in 1924 the garden was
enlarged, on petition to Congress, to
comprise practically the area occupied
In recent years by the Botanic Garden.
This site was a desolate region in those
days. It was low and Swampy and
traversed by the old Tiber Creek, which
often overdowed, so that the question
OF proper drainage was serious prob
lem.
For many years, under the super
vision of the Columbian Institute, the
cultivation and development OF this
land into semblance Of garden went
slowly along with many reverses, most
Of them being due to lack of funds. At
that time there was no money to en-
ploy any one regularly on the place and
occasionally the gardener at the Capt.
tol grounds rendered some assistance.
In this more or less haphazard way the
1887, when the institute abandoned the
project, and apparently nothing much
was done with 1t for a out IL years,
although the real cause 81 revival OF
interest In the garden started in 1910
when the Government acquired large
quantity of plants and seeds collected
by the United States exploring expe-
dition in the South Seas.
For time they were deposited in
pnk t. Oh ~ ~
Charles Wilkes, who retained William
D. Breckenridge, who was assistant
botanist Of the expedition, to look after
the collection. This arrangement was
not satisfactory, and in 1912 1t became
necessary to construct q small green
house to house these plants and later
another one was built and completed
by January, 1874. These were erected
back of the Patent Once Building. In
1849 plans for the extension of the
Patent ONCE, and the fact that there
suited In the removal of these green
houses to the real Botanic Garden site
This was accomplished in 1850, and il
was at that time that the representa-
tive management of the Botanic Garden
was assigned to the Joint Library Com
mittee OF Congress, and the office OF
superintendent created, which title was
later changed to that Of director in
1920. Mr.. Breckenridge was the first
superintendent, and he was put in
charge Of the South Sea collection
that he had helped gather and which
had been in his care since It's arrival
In Washington. Some Of these plants
are still living and are more than 100
years old
In 1852. the second superintendent
assumed charge-William r. Smith,
that famous old Scotchman, who looked
after the fate of the garden for SO
many years, and until his death in
1912 was its jealous champion and
friend. He was succeeded by Charles
Leslie Reynolds. who died in 1918, since
which time George Wesley Hess has
served In that position, and in recogni-
ton Of whose efiicient work and zeal
for enlarging the influence of the
garden the title was changed in 1920
TO director. Senator Fess, in laying the
corner stone, took advantage of the &C.
casion to commend In glowing terms
the great public duty ably performed
by Director Hess in building UP the
Botanic Garden to become great edu-
cational institution.
Tne old main conservatory, about
which much discussion was raised
when plans for its reconstruction were
f1rst preached nearly q quarter of a
century ago, was commenced in 1867
from designs by Edward Clark, architect
Of the Capitol, who supervised the
completion OF extensions to the Capitol.
Around this old conservatory, now
about to be removed, are grouped 10
small greenhouses now out-of date and
dilapidated. They contain plants of
great interest, both historically and
scientifically. Many of them are more
than century old, and include trop-
ical and semi-tropical specimens and,
in fact, plants from all parts of the
world.
Congress was impressed by the fact
that If anything should happen to de-
stroy this collection many of them
could not be replaced at any price and
real botanic treasury would be de-
spoiled. Congress appreciated the in
heritance from the previous century
and It's duty to preserve 1t for poSterity
and to enlarge the opportunity for peo-
pie of today from all the States be-
coming better acquainted with the fora
Of other lands.
While the present director. Mr., Hess,
has been In charge he has accomplished,
reconstruction Of practically every
greenhouse in the propagatfhg section
of the garden south of Maryland ave-
nue., and in 1923 the large exhibition
conservatory appropriated for by Con-
gress was completed on additional land
along the old canal course.
In commenting upon the purposes
of the Greater Botanic Garden, Director
Hess said: I'VE are trying in every way
to follow the purposes and objects for
which it is intended-that Is, to be
Nof value to the public Internationally and
scientifically. This is perhaps the best
distinction that can be made between
the function of q botanic garden and
a public park. Nature is a great teacher,
but as time goes on and population be-
comes more and more congested in cities,
large areas in their natural state are
not available as formerly. The impor-