Evening star., 1940-06-09
Arboretum Being Developed
As Serene, Beautiful ISLE
Ground Work Now Important
In Building for the Future
LSee Todals GrQpuue Section Arboretum Pictres,l

BY FREDERIC A. DELANO.

BY FREDERIC A. DELANO,
Chairman. Advisory Council Of the National
! Arboretum.
The location of an arboretum in
q national capital suggests various
distinctions and excellences that
might not be so keenly expected of
other arboreta. These character
1stlcs must be looked for in relation
to the city where it lies and to the
public that it is to serve. Washing
tonians are justifiablv proud of the
study that has gone into their city
plan and are interested also in the
care with which that plan is being
correlated to the Metropolitan Area
as whole and the flow of traffic
that passes through or about the
city from our neighpo1 States. Both
OF these things affect the National
Arboretum, which Is located within
the District, but far enough away
! from its center that it need not
suffer from metropolitan congestion.
| One great stream of motor traffic
passes Its boundaries on the west, a
line Of railroad traffic flows past it
on the north, a great projected park
way lies to the east, with the Ana
costa River flowing through it.
Eventually M street. which bounds
1t on the south, will carry another
artery of traffic, and an avenue COM
ing up from the Capitol itself will
impinge upon this border. The ini-
tial area allocated to the arboretum
lies, therefore. like q serene and
peaceful island, easily reached from
all directions, but not disturbed by
the business of the passing world.
AS one stands in the arboretum on
Hickory Hill and looks west across
the valley toward Mount Hamilton,
only the sound of distant traffic re-
minds one that the city is near.
Slowly there is emerging in this
island where the botanist and
forester will 60 to study, the geneti-
cist to make his cross pollinations,
the horticulturisv to learn plant ma
terials. the amateur gardener to
study for his own personal garden
problems and the general public to
enjoy the wonders of nature. A sys-
tenn of walks, paths and roadways
that will make every portion of the
area quickly accessible in emergency
and slowly available to the visitor
who must abandon ali ideas of speed
here or else belle his intentions!
Beauty Developed.
OF the original projected area
little remains 20 be ACQUIRED. Several
| small gardens, lawns, pastures and
meadows are now all consolidated
representing small wooded areas.
Great fields have been carefully
studied and drained where need be
and enriched year by year with crops
of rye and clover in winter and cow
peas in summer. Woodlots which
had had no care for years have been
freed from mountains of honey
| suckle, endless Drlers, excessive
growth of wild cherry and locust and
finally cleared of deao trees and in
jured specimens. Through the
marshy spots now runs a clear
stream and in the wet valley are
three ponds, in two OF which this
| year waterlilies will unfold and re-
fleet the beauties of the waterlily
gardens incorporated in the National
Park System across the Anacostia
valley.
There are as yet no buildings to
meet the permanent future needs of
this arboretum. The permanent
buildings will be located at various
points in the property according to
their uses, the administration build
ing and herbarium on knoll over
looking the Baltimore pike, service
buildings on the north property
lines, superintendent's group near
M street at Twenty-eighth street.
Today we have only the buildings of
the c. c. c., with the small Office
where all visitors must report, the
necessary shops and sheds and some
temporary greenhouses where there
are now growing nearly 10000 hybrid
azaleas to join the thousands already
In the nursery. All these together
will one day make an azalea display
that will equal those of our South
and create one more stop for the
winter pilgrims returning home in
the spring. And since most azaleas
flower when dogwood is at its best,
the future panorama startles even
the imagination.
Rows of Small Plants Thrive.
From these simple greenhouses
and frames it is no great step to
the nurseries. where row after row
OF small plants are developing under
local conditions. To these have been
added during the last few months
large collections Of Philadelphus
mock orange), weigelias, deutzias
and cydonias. These last, varia-
tions from the well-known Towering
ounce, have been given great atten-
ton of late and many fine new
varieties have recently been named
and introduced
A group of over so Sargent cher
ries were transferred to the arbore-
tum this year from the United States
Plant Introduction Garden at Glenn
Dale, Md. This uncommon flower