Evening star., 1932-02-10
u. s. URGED TO RUSH
|ARBORETUM PLANS
FOR B|CENTENN|AL
Washington Advocated Idea.
Park Chief EnviSions
Tribute to Him.
PLANT LIFE PRESERVE
ALREADY LONG DELAYED
F. A. Delano, in Forestry Article,
Asks Speedy Development of Gar
den on Anacostia River.

den on Anacostia River.
Aggressive development Of the Ma
tional Arboretum this year as one Of
the Bicentennial tributes to George
Washington, lover Of trees, Is advocated
by Frederic A. Delano, chairman Of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, in an article in the Feb
ruary issue of American Forests, publi-
cation of the American Forestry Asso-
citation.
The new issue Of the magazine,
dedicated to the Bicentennial, is de-
voted largely to a description of the
trees and parks of the Capital and is
replete with attractive Photographic
illustrations. An article by DR.. Fred
erick " Coville and o. M. Freeman
discloses there are 90 different kinds of
trees in Lafayette Park. DR.. John c.
Merriam discusses the relationship be-
tween trees and architecture in Wash
ington. There also are articles on the
George Washington Memorial Parkway.
by Clarence Phelps Dodge, and on me-
mortal trees Of the city, by Adelaide
Borah.
Action Long Delayed.
Mr. Delano declared that George
Washington hoped to see established
somewhere great garden, where all
trees and shrubs that would grow in
the habitat of the Potomac River could
be seen and studied"
When Congress in 1927 passed the
act providing for a national arboretum
in or near the National Capital" Mr..
D1lo 1Jai,, ~,
tionalized George Washington's idea of
a great company Of trees and plants
Just why our people were so long in
putting the idea into national form is
difficult to understand. Perhaps We
| have been too busy tilling the soil and
building our cities to give the subject
and the need Of national arboretum
much thought"
The Park Commission head pointed
| out that the arboreum Is still in an
uncompleted stage The site lies along
the Anacostia River. where more than
so different types Of soil are available.
The area designated for purchase"
he said, totals 425 acres. Congress
appropriated 100000 with which to
buy the land OF this sum S226,437 has
| been spent in purch3 sing 100 acres
, which represents the area that has been
! acquired by the Federal Government
! Unfortunately difficulties have arisen in
! the purchase Of additional land.
Blocked BY Land Prices.
The provision of the act creating the
arboretum limited the price to be paid
for the land to not more than 125 per
cent of the assessed value. In an effort
to secure an additional acreage by con-
demnation after long and tedious pro-
ceedings, the total Of the awards aver
aged more than double the assessed
value. Under the creating act Of
March 4, 1927, it was impossible to use
the unexpended part of the appropria-
ton towards purchasing the land con-
Gemned nor was the adjudication of
the court proceedings made binding
upon the Government.
The result is unfortunate, first. in
failing to carry out the project of Cen
grcss: soccnd. in putting the property
owners whose lard is to be taken in
parently can be Strengthened out only
by congressional authority to pay the
amount of awards of the land con-
demned by the court and an additional
appropriation TO cover the increased
costs involved. It is to be hoped that
the wide national interest in the ar
boretum will influence Congress to
take the necessary action promptly.
1T would seem highly appropriate
to free the arboretum Of these difficult
ties in 1892 and thus permit it to de-
velop as rapidly as possible. Surely in
commemorating the Bicentennial of
George Washington we are justified in
giving more thought to trees and to his
idea, rough though it may haze been,
| OF testing out trees Of different sections
and different clineS"
Tree Varieties Listed.
The article on Lafayette Park de-
| clared there is probably a greater va
riety of trees there than in any other
equal area Of park space in the city.
There are, it was pointed out, spruces.
frs, hornbeams, beeches, magnolias.
| oak, five kinds of linden, six kinds of
elm and ten kinds of maple. A map
Of the park shows the exact location Of
each Of the trees, with the variety in
dicated. There are photographs of a
number of the outstanding specimens.
DR. Merriam called attention to the
magnificent natural setting which
Washington provides for Its fine build
ings.
known the world over for high at
il, be Pete of tbe its etV Of
4
Washington is recognized also as one
in which the architecture Of nature is
given exceptional importance through
varying expression In uses Of the tree"
No. city, he asserted. has offered op-
portunity for development Of plan "in
which greater contribution to comfort
and beauty could be made by use OF
the tree than Is now possible in Wash
ington.
Mr.. Dodge, in his article on the
George Washington Memorial Parkway,
outlined the scope of this ambitious
project for development of the Potomac
! River shore from Mount Vernon to
Great Falls. He described the tree life
along the banks of the river and re-
called that an expert has estimated
there are IS different kinds of trees rep
resented there.
Started by Washington.
Miss Borah said that the history of
memorial trees in washington may be
said to have begun with the planting
Of an elm by Washington on the bank
Of the Tiber River, between the Senate
wing Of the Capitol and "the house he
built to lodge the members Of Congress"
| This tree was cut down in 1873 In con-
| nection with improvement Of the Cap
itol Grounds. She gave the history OF
many of the more interesting nemorie!
trees of the Capital.
lPOWER HEARING TUESDAY