BOTANIC GARDEN AND ARBORETUM FOR THE NATION 



By W. R. Mattoon, United States Forest Service 



17 ORESTERS and lovers of trees the country over will 

 *- be interested in the movement on foot to establish a 

 great national botanic garden and arboretum in the su- 

 burbs of Washington. Few botanic gardens exist in the 

 country ; the best known are the Arnold Arboretum near 

 Boston, the New York Botanical Garden and the Mis- 

 souri Botanical Gardens at Saint Louis. The United 

 States Government has no real botanic garden. The 

 present plot of about 12 acres, located on Pennsylvania 

 Avenue just west of the Capitol grounds is used chiefly 

 to produce cut flowers and decorative plants for official 

 use, and attracts little public attention. There is a demand 

 for a real botanic garden where the public may examine 



of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture needs 

 some means of retaining and growing thousands of plants 

 brought here through the efforts of its agricultural ex- 

 plorers. The Biological Survey of the same Department 

 is interested in a bird refuge Which the uplands of the pro- 

 posed site and some islands in the river will adequately 

 provide. r i 



Professor N. L. Britton points out that botanic gardens 

 are important factors in public education and at the same 

 time places for recreation and enjoyment. They are mu- 

 seums of living plants, arranged and labelled for impart- 

 ing information direct to 'he public. Economic features 

 are brought out by food plants, drug plants and fiber 



LOOKING EASTWARD ACROSS THE ANACOSTIA RIVER 



On the proposed site of the national arboretum are approximately twenty-seven different soil types, and thirty-six native species 



of forest trees now grow there. 



living species of the great variety of trees, shrubs, vines 

 and herbaceous plants native to the District of Columbia 

 or capable of growing there. The plants should be clas- 

 sified and the public given free access to the grounds for 

 recreation and study. 



The climate of the District makes possible the grow- 

 ing of a very large number of plant species of the temper- 

 ate zone. The Forest Service has for several years been 

 interested in securing a location for establishing an ex- 

 hibit of the trees of this and other countries. The Bureau 



plants and the arboretum illustrates the subject of forest 

 products- Many phases of biological relationships, phy- 

 siological features, and geographical distribution of plants 

 can be studied. The general public, however, taking a 

 real interest in the educational features of botanic gar- 

 dens, is more interested in landscape effects and in plants 

 from the standpoint of beauty. Woodlands thickets, and 

 meadows appeal to people as attractive places to visit, 

 while developed flower gardens and well-kept public 

 grounds, with a system of paths, carry instruction in the 

 beautification of the home grounds. 



