The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-03-15

Washington, D. C., March 14.-- Thousands of tourists make an arl- ilual pilgrimage to Washington, D. C.. to see the. famous Japanese flow .ering cherry trees in bloom. The trees are of two varieties The sin gle pale pink Somei- Yoshino va .riety is planted around the Tidal Resin, and the double-bloom varie- ties are set out principally in East Potomac Park. Their blooming time depends largely on the weather. The single Towering trees bloom about .ths first week in April and. remain in flower about ten days; the double towering trees usually begin to bloom about two weeks later. Some times the lapsed time between the blooming of the single and double towering trees has been as long as "a month. Predictions for the date Sof blooming cannot be made with accuracy until approximately two weeks in advance. Over @ period of years, the single Towering trees have come into full bloom as early as March 20, and as late as April e15. The double Towering trees have .bloomed as early as April 14, and @as late as May. A Cherry Blossom Festival" is held in connection with the blooming of the single Towering trees.
 Z. The flowers of the single varieties are at first light pink in color and fade gradually to 8 virtual white. The petals of the single varieties start to fall about the fifth day sand continue until all of them have left the branches. The petals of sthe double, including the Fugenzo variety, are characterized by light pink flowers, and the Fukurokuju and Kwanzan varieties produce large and deep pink flowers.
 Except in rare instances, none of the towering cherries in Washing ton bear fruit. The single-1ower- ing trees in the Plant Introduction Garden, Chico, California, and the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, sometime bear fruit.
 Dr. David Fairchild, who founded the Division of Plant Exploration and Introduction in the U. s. De- partment of Agriculture, has spent half of his life exploring the world for desirable trees, plants, grains and fruits for the United States. In the eighteen nineties Japanese friend in Yokohama gave him about 100 seedlings of the Japanese cherry, which he planted on his 40-acre farm a few miles north of Wash .ington near Kensington.
 First Collection in 1903
 In 1903, the Division of Foreign Plant Introduction received from Japan, as a gift, through Dr. Fair child and the late Barbour Lathrop, 8 named varieties of Towering sherries. The following year a col- lection of 50 named varieties was imported through a nursery in Yokohama, Japan. The propagation and distribution of these and later irnportations made by the same di- vision have been important factors in establishing the Towering cher ries in this country. In 1906, Dr. .Fairchild brought in 25- of the bet ter single and double varieties from Japan and planted them at his resi- dence, where many of them are still growing.
 In 1908, at Dr. Fairchild's invita- ton, Miss Susas B. 6ipe, supervisor of Mature Study" in the Washing ton public schools, tok one boy from each school in the Distrtict of Co., ,lumbia to the farm where Dr. Fair child showed them around and talked about the history and culture of the Japanese towering cherry.
 The following spring. Miss sipe invited school officials. teachers and others to c meeting ct Franklin school where Dr. Fairchih gave c lecture, illustrated by stereoptican aides, on the use of the Japanese cherry in iss homeland. Among the guests was Ms Eliza R. ekidmore. noted writer Of travel bOoks on Japan. At the close of tho lecture ahe went directly to the White Hotse and begged the interest Of the laresldegth wile. Airs. William tIows ard Taft, iii plantlngs Of the nowers inR cherry l1 some Washington naFk. Nest day. the park coilinnb' aion Of the District Of Columbia 70. eelged e request from the While fsouas to secure What Japanele cherry trees wefe aynllable hnd plnnt them on tbe then new epesd'
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