ARIZONA'S BUSIEST AMBASSADOR

BUSIEST AMBASSADOR

Years ago, in grade school, teacher often read us stories when we were good. My favorite fable concerned a lovable old man who was kind to children and who did nothing but good. His name was Appleseed Johnny. You'll remember he went about the world planting apple trees. He knew children would enjoy eating apples, playing in the leafy shade and doing skin-the-cats from the sturdy branches. He must have been a pretty nice old gent from all angles.Trees have always been the favorite playthings of chil-dren. Every child enjoys a tall tree swing, a tree house, or a tall tree top to climb and "look all the way to China." I think any one who plants trees should be well remembered in the next world.

Now, of course, apple trees are fine for boys and girls even though they do sometimes lead to stomach aches. I can't think of a better tree to plant, unless it's a Christmas tree. So far as I know, there's no Appleseed Johnny in business today. But I do know a Christmas tree planter. I wouldn't be surprised if eventually children choose his story as their favorite, especially if it's around Christmas time.The unusual thing about this Christmas tree story is that the "planter" lives in Arizona and gathers his seed from native Arizona Christmas trees. Now this is not strange to Arizonans. It's just strange to those misinformed people who believe that Arizona is nothing but bleak deserts and barren windswept mountains. They've been told there are no Christmas trees within 500 miles of here. They're wrong. The truth is that we have literally millions of the world's most beautiful Christmas trees. They're Arizona born, bred and named.

This is not just a local opinion or a Hassayampa tale circulated by imaginative chambers of commerce. There's fact and proof to back it up. History and standard botanical texts lend their support. Arizona has even been supplying parts of the world with these elegant Christmas trees for the past 43 years. With the entire global supply to choose from, the Arizona Christmas tree still rates number 1 by every test.

To start this story properly, however, we'll have to go back several decades-to 1907, to be exact. A young botanist, one Leslie N. Goodding, had just graduated from college. Flowers and trees were his business. The Old Arizona Territory looked pretty good as a business proposition and a field trip was organized. Among other assignments was an order for a certain type of cypress seed, said to be found only in Arizona.

At the time, young botanist Goodding thought it was just another tree. He couldn't arouse much enthusiasm about it. But it wasn't "just another tree." It wasn't even just another cypress tree. Who would guess (least of all this young botanist) that it would turn out to be a wonderful Christmas tree, of interest to all the world? Or that he would be permanently identified with the tree 43 years later?

He did know this much. The tree he wanted was the Arizona Cypress-Cupressus arizonica, his botanist's handbook stated. There was certainly nothing extraordinary about that. Or was there? Years before, wandering botanists (possibly English, Mr. Goodding believes) had found this same cypress to be uniquely an Arizona tree.

True, it grew in ragged scattered patches in neighboring states. But Arizona was its choice. It preferred the cool watered northern slopes of the central and southern Arizona mountains. There it flourished in thick stands. Its brilliant silvery-green branches brightened the landscape. Its perfectly rounded, typical Christmas tree shape caught the eye and brought memories of childhood, of Santa Claus, happy Yuletide and home.

Nowhere else was it to be found is such impressive size and grandeur. And so these earlier botanists knew at once that this was Arizona's own Christmas gift. Nature settled that issue for them. They named it the Arizona Cypress. But they could not guess that its handsome Yuletide green and symmetrical shape were destined for a wondrous man-made future, that it would gladden the eyes and lift the hearts of children all over the world. Of its satisfying beauty they were certain. Their eyes told them that here was the Christmas tree supreme-"The King of All the Christmas Trees."

It did not matter that a few insignificant specimens were found elsewhere. Nothing there could compare in profusion and majesty with the native Arizona Cypress. So what young Leslie Goodding considered at the time to be just another tree proved to be something else, indeed. Little did he see in that first inauspicious introduction that time would find him through the years more completely identified with this wonderful Christmas tree than he could possibly imagine.

BY CHARLES M. MORGAN

Soon the first 40-pounds of cypress seed were collected and shipped. In this final procedure Mr. Goodding looked again briefly at the shipping tag. It said: "To The Govern-ment of Transvaal, Pretoria, The Union of South Africa." What would they want with cypress seed from old Ari-zona? For experimental planting? Perhaps as a local Christ-mas tree crop for the native young Afrikanders? Who knows? At any rate the seeds arrived and were planted. Apparently the results were pleasing. More seeds were sold. As years went by, orders from all over the world came in to the eastern seed firms which ex-ported Mr. Goodding's seed. Wherever it was planted in its proper environment, the Arizona Cypress thrived. Its silvery-green beauty and rounded shape were a delight to everyone. In time, the admirers of hardy, fast-growing evergreens throughout the world would accept only the Arizona Cypress. It became the preferred decorative tree for parks, public buildings, cemeteries and private homes. It became the number 1 planted Christmas tree crop. Conservation agencies preferred it for erosion control, shelter belts and wildlife cover. The Arizona Cypress had come into its own. It had earned an enviable reputation. Wherever it was grown it pleased nurserymen, amateur planters and casual viewers. Those first 40 pounds of seed had travelled far, far from their native Arizona mountains.

Before we permanently consider Mr. Goodding to be nothing but a modern Yuletide Appleseed Johnny, we should explore other sides of his life. Actually, cypress seed collec-tions over the years consumed but brief moments in an otherwise busy career. Some 27 years were spent in government work as forest pathologist and botanist in the western states and Canada. Arizona was an operative base for much of this field work. Over 25 plants collected during these years by Mr. Goodding have been named after him. More than five of these plants were discovered in Arizona. In earlier years, his plant discoveries were sent to such famed herbariums as those in Germany, Scotland, several in India, Switzerland, and in other countries throughout the world. Other plants were sent to leading herbariums in this country. World famous botanical experts have checked and verified his plant discoveries. In recent years, all of his specimens have been sent to the herbarium of the University of Arizona. His extensive grass collection is at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. The common verbena of the southwest was given the Goodding name by a famous German botanist. The largest, most widespread willow of this region also bears the Good-ding name of gooddingii, which is the scientific varietal Latin name. A beautiful wild onion found in Arizona's White Mountains was named after him in 1947. Mr. Good-ding believes his prettiest namesake in the plant kingdom was a small talinum which he says is a relative of, and looks similar to, the beautiful "Spring Beauty." Over 20 plants not before recorded in Yavapai County were collected on Mingus Mountain alone by Mr. Goodding.

One of his most dramatic and helpful contributions to the science of forest pathology was the discovery of piñon pine blister rust at Prescott. In October, 1917, on a field trip through the then semi-wild Miller Valley, this forest enemy was discovered growing on a yellow flowering currant. When the news of this plant disease discovery reached Washington dozens of top forest experts rushed to Arizona to confer with the young botanist. This led to his entrance into government work and to his discovery in 1921 in Washington of the white pine blister rust. Thereby, in two spectacular instances, Mr. Goodding put all lovers of the forests and users of forest products forever in his debt through his thorough studies.

These discoveries brought merited recognition to his nearly 20 years of plant collecting and botanical field work. These field trips included membership in the first botanical group to enter the then new Yellowstone Park, and wide plant explorations through the entire west and into Mexico and Canada.

Through the years, additional recognition came for his outstanding work in botany. He was made a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Senior Member in the Society of American Foresters, a member of the Mycological Society of America, a charter member of the University of Wyoming chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and a member of Sigma Xi, honorary Science Fraternity.

Besides an interest in botanic Arizona, Mr. Goodding proudly mentions that he has two native-born daughters. His wife is a long-time Arizonan. A son, born in Oregon, recently graduated from the University of Arizona.

For a number of years Mr. Goodding was a botanist with the Soil Conservation Service in Tucson, later transferring to the Indian Service at Phoenix. During the early war years he was in charge of the guayule rubber planting project in southern Arizona. Later he was in charge of rubber producing plants at the government experimental station at Bard, Calif. At the war's end he was in charge of the milk weed floss collection project for the Navy at Salt Lake City.

When retirement came several years ago, Mr. Goodding was glad to return to Arizona. For a time he taught science in the Winslow High School. This bridged a gap of nearly 30-year's absence from Arizona class rooms. He formerly had taught at the Flagstaff Normal School in 1917 and was later principal at both Jerome and Willcox. An earlier teaching career near Benson and in Bisbee had followed the first cypress seed collecting trip into the Chiricahua Mountains in 1907-08.

With his retirement came a renewed interest in the Arizona Cypress, never entirely abandoned through the years. During his lengthy government career he occasionally found time to collect small quantities of the much wanted seed. One such project in late years has completely vindicated his long interest in the tree. A quantity of his favorite seed was used in an interesting test project by the Alabama State Department of Conservation, at Auburn, Alabama, from 1940 to 1945. Although the full possibilities of the tree were explored, including use as land cover, erosion control and as an ornamental tree, so far as Mr. Goodding was concerned, the real project was the Christmas tree test.

The southern experts found the Arizona Cypress bested all competition by every test. Its typical well-developed Christmas tree shape caught the customer's eye. The beautiful silvery-green color was just right. No spray, whitewash, lacquer or dope was required to enhance its attractiveness. The smooth needles were also easy to touch. There was none of the irritating scratchiness common to other evergreens. And the needles did not shed or wither so rapidly as did other trees. In fact, the customers liked Mr. Goodding's trees so well that they bought five times as many of it as of the nearest competitive tree. The Arizona Cypress had at last become the favorite Christmas tree in parts of the land.

To a tree lover and forester like Mr. Goodding, the best feature of all was that the main tree was not destroyed. Every year a new top grew from the old stump to fine size and shape and only this portion was harvested. Here indeed was the perfect Christmas tree. It scored first on every count and grew a new tree from the old roots every year-a never-ending Christmas tree. And you never had to cut it down and kill it.

Since these tests have been published nationally, the Arizona Cypress has been grown extensively as a Christmas crop tree all over the country. This is definite proof that 40-odd years ago the young botanist had selected the right tree.

To amateur tree growers who intend trying the Arizona Cypress in their locality, Mr. Goodding has this advice: They may write the Agricultural Experiment Station of the Ala-bama Polytechnic Institute at Auburn for Christmas Tree Production circular No. 92, November, 1945. Basic data on cultivation is given for conservation erosion control, for wildlife cover game club projects, and for growth as an ornamental or Christmas tree. This data is necessarily brief.

The tree can be grown from young specimens obtained at a nursery, or it can be grown directly from seeds. It requires at least 15-20 inches of yearly rainfall for favorable growth. Such a hardy grower is this cypress that little actual care is required. Test plots run by Mr. Goodding have grown healthy trees from loose seed tossed out upon bare ground and not covered, cultivated or watered. The rugged seedlings will crowd out weeds in a few months. It is safer, however, to prepare a seed bed and cover the seeds lightly to prevent wind-blown or seed-eating bird loss.

The one limiting factor besides the moisture required is local minimum temperatures. A few hardy strains have been developed for severe winter localities. Most trees, however, will be killed by zero temperatures which persist for long. The safe level seems to be for climates with a minimum of not under 5-10 degrees above zero.

The opened cypress cones also make beautiful Christmas tree decorations. Mr. Goodding has sprayed cones with aluminum and gold paint, and with red, gold and blue lacquer. The cones are then stapled, strung on stout cord and looped among the branches. This makes an especially brilliant and colorful trimming and is in exact harmony with the rest of the tree.

During his long botanical work, Mr. Goodding has collected many of the rare native plant seeds of Arizona for other purposes. Recently he has been supplying cactus and agave seed to an Italian scientist who is experimenting for the Italian government. He has also supplied many kinds of seed to British botanists. One of these assignments proved confusing.

Mr. Goodding has a strong dislike for alcoholic beverages and considers them great social evils. When the British government contracted for him to supply them with vigorous live hop plants, it posed quite a problem. What were they to be used for? For ale and beer, or for sober scientific research? The English ale makers kept mum. Mr. Goodding hesitated with indecision, but only temporarily. State pride and botanical interest overruled personal sentiment. If Old England wanted hops then she should have them. Since no official word had come, he'd prefer to believe they were for medicinal purposes.

Soon he had collected a hardy bundle of hop plants from Oak Creek Canyon, packed them in Coconino clay and fresh ferns and sent them along. He promptly forgot the whole thing.

But there's more to the story than that, and it all adds to Mr. Goodding's and to Arizona's fame. It seems that Merry Old England's hop industry needed hopping up. The beer bushes, like most other things in that war-torn, worn-out land, needed a transfusion of new life from the new world. And where did the world's finest hops grow? That's right; you guessed it. Not only Christmas trees, but beer bushes too grow their best in Arizona's salubrious clime. So chances are, before long, when a Cockney walks into the pub and downs his tankard of brew, he's sampling the GooddingArizona product. Who knows? Some day they may even call Mr. Goodding the "King of the hops."

With his unmatched knowledge of Arizona flora, Mr. Goodding has now been drafted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department to classify and identify range and forest growth in the state's vast game fields. After completing a survey of the famed North Kaibab Deer Range, he is now at work on the new experimental game project at Fort Huachuca. At 70 he still is spry and vigorous and can shame many a younger man as he climbs the hills and covers the rugged canyons in his botanical field duties.

With all his success and fame. Mr. Goodding still has a secret ambition. For years he has maintained a keen interest in the medicinal properties of plants as used for generations by southwest primitives. He has found a spectacular cure for severe burns. He also experimented with herbs and teas that have seemed to be beneficial for numerous internal organic ailments. His secret ambition is to work out this project in conjunction with skilled research chemists, pathologists and physicians. He firmly believes that such research would uncover powerful new anti biotics, and possibly new cures for heart and circulatory diseases, as well as for malignant growths. Investigations have already led him to believe that such discoveries may be near at hand.

Today this world famous botanist still maintains an intense interest in all the plant life of Arizona. He occasionally finds time for cypress seed collecting and is happy that such work allows him to dispense Christmas cheer the year around. And though he would stoutly deny it, the fact remains. Since he's been godfather to millions of Arizona Cypress trees all over the world for nearly 50 years, there will be no doubt in all the children's minds. To them, he'll not be the discoverer of willows, wild onions or talinums. He'll just be "Christmas Tree Johnny," and next to Old Saint Nick himself, one of their favorite persons.