The National Botanic Garden 
A bill has been introduced recently in the House of Representatives 
by Hon. John W. Langley (H. R. 2166), which has for its purpose the 
enlargement of the existing botanic garden at the foot of the Capitol 
by an extension to include the area between Third and Sixth streets, 
known as East and West Seaton Parks, or by the removal of the garden 
to East Potomac Park; thus preventing the removal of the garden 
from the Mall to Mt. Hamilton, the site recommended by the Com- 
mission of Fine Arts. 
The botanical garden enlarged in its present site or removed to 
East Potomac Park would never be capable of proper development, 
but would always be a distinctly mediocre proposition. In the Mall 
site the area would be restricted to 20 acres, whereas the finest 
gardens in the world have from 125 to 2000 acres and have elevations 
from sea level to hundreds of feet high, with great varieties of soil. 
The present site enlarged is absolutely level, with only two or three 
varieties of soil. In East Potomac Park, destined to be one of the 
three great island parks of the world and the most popular recreation 
ground in Washington, the Botanic Garden could never be over 100 
acres in extent, and it would destroy these grounds as a recreation 
park, on which already fully $200,000 has been expended. It would 
also abohsh the magnificent goK course, now over half completed and 
patronized by as many as 300 persons on certain days. The ground 
is absolutely level, with only about three kinds of soil, and in river 
bottoms, where it is too cold and damp for many kinds of plants. The 
site is comparable to the Arlington Farms nov/ used by the Agricul- 
tural Department, which by reason of their being near the river level, 
with no variety of soil, have proved unsuitable for the purpose and 
are to be removed from that site as soon as another suitable site can 
be secured. 
The site at Mt. Hamilton, recommended by the Commission of 
Fine Arts at the Hearing before the Joint Committee on the Library 
on May 21, 1920, for the National Botanic Garden, is only 2.00 miles 
from the Capitol, where it may be reached within a few minutes by 
motor, and is accessible by lines of street cars. Furthermore, the 
Mt. Hamilton site has 32 varieties of soils, with elevations from 
sea level to 239 feet, and has many varieties of plants and trees 
already growing there. Botanical gardens to be of any worth what- 
ever in the economic development of the country should be located 
so as to have adequate space for development. This was emphasized 
at the Congressional Hearing on the project last May. Other factors 
were likewise set forth and important recommendations were made, 
of which the following is a brief summary : 
I. The need of an adequate National Botanic Garden, comparable with that 
of other great countries of the world — 
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