Evening star., 1934-03-29

QOIle Dy llle bNpdi liiSiI VI hSiASoi-
ture in connection with plants and
flowers has attracted wide interest
among garden-minded Americans and
horticulturiStS. Because of this valu-
able work and because the depart
ment is so we'll equipped with scien-
tific men and botanists, the demand
that the United States Botanic
Gardens be transferred to the control
of the Secretary of Agriculture has
gained many advocate.
In the Plant Introduction Bureau
of the Department of Agriculture,
there are eight eminent botanists,
whose knowledge of plants and flower
ing shrubs extends not only to native
flora, but encompasses ornamental
plants of Europe and Asia. They
are Knowles Ryerson, chief OF the
Bureau of Plant Industry; Benjamin
Y. Morrison, chief OF the division OF
plant exploration and Introduction;
DR.. Frederick Coville, acting director
of the arboretum: DR.. o. F. Cook, in
charge of rubber investigations; Paul
Russell, whose book on japanese
cherry will soon be published: and
three agricultural explorers DR.. Joseph
F. Rock. R. Kent Beattie and David
Fairchild.
For this reason, as we'll as others,
the Department of Agriculture be-
lieves it is better equipped to take
care of the Botanic Gardens than
the Joint Committee on Library OF the
House and Senate, under whose Jurls-
diction they have been for nearly
80 years.
Economies Are Cited.
Senator Robinson of Arkansas, the
Democratic leader, has introduced q
bill in the Senate authorizing trans
fer of the Botanic Garden to the De-
partment of Agriculture. At hearings
before the committee in February,
Frederic A. Delano, chairman OF the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission; Mrs. Fairfax Harrison,
representing the Garden Club OF
America; Mr.. Ryerson, Harlan r
KELSEY of the Massachusetts, Horticui-
flral Society, Leonard Barron OF the
New York Horticultural Society. and
Robert Pyle. representing the Amer
lean Association for Nurserymen,
spoke unreservedly in favor OF the
Robinson bill.
Last week Senators Tydings OF
MARYLAND. Capper of Kansas. Keyes
of New Hampshire. Gibson OF Ver-
mont. Byrd of Virginia and Carey
of wyoming, in conjunction with
Representatives Bacon Of New York,
Luce and Rogers Of Massachusetts.
and Bailey of Texas went on record
as approving the shift on the grounds
of economy and because the Depart
ment of Agriculture is much better
prepared to develop and keep up the
Botanic Gardens.
Mr.. Ryerson. in an interview with
The Star today, said:
"If the Department of Agriculture
had charge of the Botanic Gardens'
both the gardens and the arboretum
would get first call on any approprla-
ton because they are permanent IN
stitutions. We would consider them
as important as our research stations,
State experiment stations and FED
eral stations"
Chinese Plant Imported.
Mr.. Ryerson explained that since
the depression, with its corollary,
the problem of leisure, people were
turning more and more to garoen-
ing. He believes that the pressure
from this gardening public, who want
more and new plants as interest
increases, will create demand for a
national exhibition Of ornamental
plants. He told of a recent expedl-
ton, sponsored by the University OF
California and the nurserymen and
private gardeners there, which sent
DR.. Rock, one of the explorers OF
the Department of Agriculture, to
Yunnan. From this province OF
China, just north Of Indo-China,
he brought back rare specimens OF
azaleas. rhododendrons, primroses
and lilies. Mr. Ryerson also said
the British Government Is sending
its experts to this country to COL
lect rock plants from the Allegheny
and Rocky Mountains.
With this rising enthusiasm Tor
gardening letters are coming in to
the Department of Agriculture ask
ing about herbs. spices and orus
plants. One of the best herb gardens
in the country is grown by Mrs.
Mortimer ]. Fox, sister of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury. Mrs. Fox has
consulted constantly with the De-
partment of Agriculture during the
years she was developing her garden.
Mr.. Ryerson believes the surface
hasn't been scratched in the field OF
medicinal herbs.
There certainly should be place
in the Botanic Gardens where the
school children of Washington, both
the little ones and the older ones
in botany classes, could see how the
common herbs grow. There should
be cinnamon and pepper, coffee and
tea and medicinal drugs such as
ouinine and strychnine," he said.
Four Gardens Operated.
Chrvsanthemums grown by the De-
partment of Agriculture and one OF
their carnations are used by nursery
men all over the country. One OF
the DeSC COlleCGlOllS VI pdliio IA eAAS
States is in the Government Plant
Introduction Garden at Cocoanut
Grove in Florida.
There are four of these gardens.
The most important, because it also
acts as a receiving station, is at Bell.
near Glenn Dale, Md. Here are
grown Towering cherries, a greater
variation even than in washington
lilacs, mock oranges, deutzias, ceano-
thus, bar berries, privets, evergreens
such as spruce and fir, witch hazels,
styrax, Towering ounce, Japanese
naples. azaleas and rhododendrons.
Under the supervision OF Mr.. Nor
rison, there is also a plant-breeding
establishment at Bell. Mr.. Morrison's S
objective is to produce plants that are
both hardy and beautiful. He has
some 10000 azaleas besides day lilies
and a large field of tigridias This
latter is a dubious plant from Mexico.
The original wild type is tomato
red. Mr.. Morrison has already bred
them in pink and clear yellow.
In addition, the Bell garden has a
good collection of succulents, the best
of which is a group of aloes.
The garden in Cocoanut Grove has,
Iz.;la. e,,norh no1ro collection