ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN. 23 



The Chairman. Without objection that will be clone. 



Mr. Olmsted. If I may add just one more word about the connec- 

 tion of the work of this American joint committee on horticultural 

 nomenclature. I have here a letter to Mr. Moore from Mr. Harlan 

 P. Kelsey, secretary of that committee, and also a member of its 

 working subcommittee. Bather I should say it is a telegram. It 

 reads as follows : 



Salem, Mass, May 17, 1320. 

 Charles Mooke. 



Chairman Commission of Fine Arts, Washington, D. C: 



Yours of May 14, with reference conference on botanic garden on 20th. 

 Regret impossible to attend. American nursery interests vitally affected and 

 benefited by an adequate botanic garden, especially since drastic quarantine 

 excluding foreign transportations. It is an economic proposition and will be 

 of vast importance in developing economic as well as ornamental tree and plant 

 material. Production is lessening, and it is of vital importance in the future 

 of our industry that a real botanic garden be immediately established and 

 maintained. Four hundred acres entirely inadequate in size, in my opinion 

 and I plead for not less than 1,000 acres, with diversified soil suitable for al* 

 classes of plants. 



Harlan P. Kelsey. 



Mr. Kelsey is representative on the joint committee of the Orna- 

 mental Growers' Association and is also a member of the American 

 Xurserymens' Association. He is a large grower of plants, and the 

 point on which he touches is an important one. The restrictions 

 upon the importance of plants at the present time in effect, in connec- 

 tion with the general disturbance of transportation, has put Ameri- 

 can horticulture in a very difficult situation at the present time by 

 closing the foreign sources of supply, and there is greater need for a 

 national botanic garden than ever before. There is greater need 

 than ever before of helping to encourage and stimulate the propa- 

 gation of plants in this country. 



Mr. Mooee. Xow, I would like to have Gen. Harts address the 

 committee. 



The Chaiemax. Gen. Harts. 



STATEMENT OF GEN. W. W. HARTS, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, UNITED 

 STATES ARMY, FORMER SECRETARY AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER 

 OF THE COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS. 



Gen. Harts. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Moore, and gentlemen, I would 

 be pleased to have you ask me any questions you desire. 



Mr. Mooee. I would like to have Gen. Harts state how his atten- 

 tion was directed to Mount Hamilton in connection with the Botan- 

 ical Garden and what he did in the way of developing the informa- 

 tion in regard to the availability of Mount Hamilton for a botanic 

 garden. 



Gen. Haets. We were very much impressed while I was in charge 

 of the public parks of the District of Columbia, with the need of 

 having some possibility of expansion for the present Botanic Garden 

 which, in its present site may not be improved on an adequate scale ; 

 so it was part of my duty, and I was very happy to undertake it, to 

 look about all over the District to try to find some site which would 

 be more suitable for a larger and more adequate botanic garden in 

 the District of Columbia than its present site. 



