6b ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN. 



Mr. Hess. I did not understand you. 



Senator Knox. Would not the greenhouses have to go eventually 

 if the plan to extend the Mall from the Capitol down to the Lincoln 

 Memorial is carried out? 



Mr. Hess. Yes, sir; they would have to go, and it would destroy a 

 valuable collection of plants, because some of those magnificent 

 palms are 100 years old; they are not in tubs, but are planted in the 

 ground of the conservatory, and I am afraid they would be de- 

 stroyed ; I do not think we could move them. 1 



The Chairman. Do you know of any other place which could be 

 made available as a site for the Botanical Garden other than those 

 that have been discussed, especially in the Northwest section? 



Mr. Hess. No, Senator; I can not say that I do. I have thought 

 that the land that was formerly occupied by Camp Meigs might 

 make a splendid location, although I do not know what the acreage is. 



Mr. Moore. Would it have advantages over the Mount Hamilton 

 tract? 



Mr. Hess. Only that it would be more accessible. Less money 

 would be required for grading purposes. 



Another thing I want to mention is that I do not want to see the 

 fence taken down until Congress has decided upon a permanent loca- 

 tion where we can take care of the plants. 



The Chairman. Do you think the provision in the sundry civil bill 

 as passed by the House relating to the fence is a proper one? 



Mr. Hess. Yes. sir ; of course, it is necessary to remove part of the 

 fence, but I do not want to see any more of the fence removed than 

 is absolutely necessary until some provision is made to take care of 

 our plants. 



The Chairman. Now, is there anybody else, Mr. Moore? 



Mr. Moore. Yes, sir: Col. Ridley. 



STATEMENT OF CfOL. C. S. RIDLEY, SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC 

 BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS ; SECRETARY AND EXECUTIVE OFFI- 

 CER OF THE COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS. 



Col. Ridley. I have nothing to say in addition to what has been 

 said except I would like to read some letters which have been received 

 from various persons: or. if you desire, in the interest of saving time, 

 I will insert them in the record. 



The Chairman. You might just state the contents briefly and let. 

 them be inserted in their entirety in the record. 



Col. Ridley. I have a letter here from Dr. George D. Moore, the 

 director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, in which he 

 expresses his regret at not being able to be present. 



The Chairman. They all advocate the project, do they not? 



Col. Ridley. Yes. sir. 



The Chairman. Well, they speak for themselves. 



Mr. Johnson. What project do you speak of? 



Col. Ridley. The project of an enlarged botanical garden. 



The Chairman. Does he advocate any particular location? 



Col. Ridley. Xo. sir. 



The Chairman. I will ask you to put those letters in the record. 

 Are they all in favor of an enlarged botanical garden? 



1 Palms of this size have been moved. 



