West Potomac Park
The West Potomac Park is a park in Washington, DC, which is adjacent to the National Mall. It comprises the area south of the line Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool and Washington Monument. The park is home to many national landmarks, such as the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the surrounding grounds on the shore of the Tidal Basin, an artificial bay of the Potomac River, built in the 19th century was the Potomac and connects the northern end of Washington Channel. He is managed by the National Park Service.
Cherry Trees
The famous Japanese cherry blossoms ( sakura) line the Tidal Basin of Washington and are the main attraction of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in early spring when the cherry blossoms bloom. Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore had to plant cherry trees after a visit to the Japanese Empire, first the idea in Washington. She turned in 1885 to the then superintendent of public buildings and grounds Colonel Spencer Cosby, who rejected her idea. In the next 24 years, they spoke to each new superintendent, without success! In 1906, imported Dr. David Fairchild, a botanist who worked in the Ministry of Agriculture of the United States, 75 flowering cherry trees from the Yokohama Nursery Company in Japan. Fairchild planted these trees on a hill in its own grounds in Chevy Chase, Maryland, to test their hardiness in the Washington area. In 1907 started Fairchild and his wife, excited to praise the development of the trees, the Japanese cherry as the ideal tree for planting along the avenues in the Washington area. Friends of the family were also interested in the trees and on September 26, concluded with the Chevy Chase Land Company contracts for the order of 300 Kischbäumen for the Chevy Chase area.
In 1908, Fairchild has given away Cherry seedlings to students in the district that they should at the Arbor Day planting on the school grounds. Concluding his speech on Arbor Day, Fairchild brought his vision to express that the " Speedway " (today's corridor of Independence Avenue in West Potomac Park ) should be to a "field of the cherries ." In attendance what Eliza Scidmore, splat afterwards he referred by to as a great authority on Japan. 1909 Scidmore decided that they wanted to try this, necessary for the purchase of trees to raise money and donated it to the city. Scidmore sent a message in which it outlined its new plan, the new First Lady, Helen Taft - wife of President William Howard Taft had once lived in Japan and was familiar with the beauty of the flowering cherry trees. Two days later, the first lady replied that she finds the idea. They would, however, prefer an avenue through the park today, as the rest of the site would be too rough for plantations.
On April 8, the day after Taft's letter was Jokichi Takamine, a Japanese chemist who became known as the discoverer of adrenaline, with Mizuno, the Japanese consul in New York City, in Washington. When he learned that in Washington Japanese cherry trees along the Speedway should be planted, he asked whether the First Lady could annähmen a donation of about 2,000 trees. Mizuno thought that was a good idea and suggested that could be given on behalf of the capital, Tokyo, the trees. Takamine and Mizuno met with Helen Taft, who accepted the offer.
On April 13, five days after the request of the First Lady, ordered the Superintendent of Public Buildings and Facilities 90 cherry trees (Prunus serrulata ).
A few months later, on 30 August, the Japanese Embassy informed the State Department of the United States, that the city of Tokyo wants the United States to give 2,000 cherry trees should be planted along the Potomac River. On 10 December, the trees arrived in Seattle and on January 6, 1910, she reached the capital. An investigation team from the Department of Agriculture examined the trees and found that these were infested with insects, nematodes and plant diseases. To protect the American flora the Ministry decided that the trees had to be destroyed. On January 28, Taft agreed to destroy and the trees were burned. This led to an exchange of correspondence between the Secretary of State and the representatives of the Embassy of Japan, in which all participants expressed their regret. Dr. Takamine took over in 1912, again the cost of the trees and their number increased to 3,020.
Map of West Potomac Park
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