LABELING THE CAPITAL'S TREES 



LIEUT.-COL. C. O. SHERRILL 



Who has charge of Public Buildings and Grounds at Wash- 

 ington, D. C. He recently received from President Harding the 

 Distinguished Service Cross for valor in action at the Argonne. 



FOLLOWING suggestions that the trees 

 ' in the parks of the national capital be 

 labeled so that visitors from all over the 

 world who visit the parks may know them, 

 Lieut.-Col. C. O. Sherrill, who has charge 

 of Public Buildings and Grounds, has 

 chosen a label. This will give both the 

 common and scientific name of the tree, 

 and will be a feature much appreciated by 

 the thousands who daily go into these 

 parks. The style of label and the plan of 

 marking the trees might very well be 

 adopted by other cities. 



In describing the plan Lieut.-Col Sher- 

 rill says : 



"The label consists of a base, so designed 

 >s to be bent approximately to fit the par- 



ticular tree on which it is used. On the face of this base 

 is riveted a plate, upon which will have been previously 

 ^tamped the botanical and the common names of the 

 tfees. The plate is then screwed with screws to the trunk 

 of the trees sufficiently high up to prevent its being 

 damaged by children and yet not too high to be clearly 

 seen by. persons interested in tree nomenclature. 



"A number of different methods have been tried in 

 the District for labeling trees, but none have ever proven 

 entirely successful in that some became detached and 

 carried away by souvenir seekers. It is believed that the 

 size and weight of this label and the printing on the 

 face, which clearly indicates the fact that it belongs to 

 the Government, will deter souvenir hunters from car- 

 rying these labels away. If the plate containing the 

 name alone, should be pried loose it can be readily re- 

 ])laced at very small expense. The screws used to at- 

 tach the label to the trees are placed one above the 

 other so that the growth of the tree will not ])ull them 

 out, and it is believed that they will not do any damage 

 :o the tree. There will be a thousand of these labels put 

 in position at the most necessary places during the 

 ];resent Fall. 



"I desire to give Mr. Frederick D. Owen, the office 

 architect and engineer under the Office of Public Build- 

 ings and Grounds, full credit for the work in designing 

 this type of tree label." 



Because of the great interest shown all over the coun- 

 try in the labeling of trees in the District, it is reason- 

 able to suppose that many other cities will follow Wash- 

 ington's example and label their local trees. In many 

 towns, especially throughout New England, there are 

 trees of wonderful interest and historic value. Such 

 cities might do well to adopt a similar label to that being 

 used in Washington, the design of which is simple, dig- 

 nified and beautiful, and at the same time, most practical. 



LABEL FOR TREES IN THE PARKS OF THE NATION'S CAPITAL 



