Evening star., 1938-10-30
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,

the Capitol group. such as the new Su-
preme Court Building and the Library
OF Congress Annex, has attracted atten-
ton from the leading landscape archi-
tectS OF the country-both for the design
OF the layout to be a thing Of growing
beauty for many years to come. and for
the quality of the plant material used
This work has been planned, laid out
and carried through under the direction
OF William A. Frederick, for the past %
years landscape gardener for the Capt.
tol grounds, and the plant material is
the product of the United States Botanic
Garden nursery at Poplar Point Ana
costa, and all grown under his personal
supervision. Members Of Congress on
the Appropriations Committee. including
Representative Louis Rabaut of Michi-
gan. the new chairman of the Subcom-
mittee on the Legislative Budget empha-
size that the Government has been saved
hundreds of thousands of dollars through
growing its own landscaping plant ma
terial instead of giving contracts to
some commercial grower as was the
custom for many years past.
MI. Frederick, who is one of the most
popular members on the efficient staff of
David Lynn, architect OF the Capitol,
went into the nursery business at the
age of is in Abingdon. Montgomery
County, just north of Philadelphia
After several years in the Meehan
Nurseries, at Germantown. where he
gained much practical experience in
landscape work, he was for six years in
charge of propagation of all plant ma
terial-tropical. subtropical and hardy
for Fairmont Park. Philadelphia, the
largest municipal park in the world,
comprising about 5000 acres. This ex-
perience in the art of Horticulture and
botanical work is today standing him in
good stead as gardener in charge of the
Capitol grounds and other buildings in
the Capitol group and in charge of prop
agation work for the Botanic Garden.
He was next engaged in the field
service Of the Department of the In
terror teaching general horticulture. and
spent three and one-half years between
Oklahoma, Kansas, North and South
Dakota and Nebraska. He was called
back into the park service and placed
in charge of the Northwest park system
in the National Capital. which virtually
made him director over all the plant
material coming into the District of Co.
lumbia, around the Lincoln Memorial.
Potomac Park and the entire Northwest
section.
For many years he was a close friend
of Dr.. Beverly T. Galloway. former as
sistent Secretary of Agriculture. who
became dean of the College of Agricul-
ture at Cornell University. Mr.. Freder-
ick was made member of the staff and
gave instructions in landscaping. There
he was associated with Ralph Curtis,
professor of landscape art. whom he
calls "the most outstanding plant ma
terial man in the world" They made
well-recognized team with Fredericks
practical experience and Curtis teachni-
cal knowledge.
In recent years Mr. Frederick has been
called into consultation on important
projects by the leading landscape archi-
tects Of the country. Through the efforts
of the architect of the Capitol he was
invited to join the expert staff at the
Capitol, to take charge of the Capitol
grounds and their extension. His train
ing and service fitted him to take over
the active management of the Botanic
Gardens when Congress took over that
Federal activity and placed its admins
tration under Mr.. Lynn. The leading grow
ers and landscape experts Of the country
have commended him for "outstanding
knowledge Of plant material adaptable
for public institutions, Government build
ings and public parks" One of his
most important assignments was the
landscaping of the Walter Reed Hospital
grounds. He co-operated with Paul Cret
on the Federal Reserve Building grounds.
His particular forte has been to harmon
ize the landscaping with the architecture
of the various Government structures,
utilizing the best plant material to make
these grounds distinctive and yet at
tractive for many years to come. He has
been called into consultation by prac-
tically every Federal department.