Omaha daily bee., 1884-04-10
Arbor Day.


IMinnesota.> Kansas, Michigan, Indian
West VirrIrA \, Ohio, and perhaps 9th
states now has, > their Arbor days.
Iast vecy man v schools in Ohio, esp
cisllv those in On ,~cinnati and Columbu
appropriately obser, red the day. Tall
on trees, their value and beauty, occ'
pied the morning hour,' and the afte
noon was given to- practical work. Supe
intendent Peasley, Of Cincih natl, is r
ported as saying that these talks wei
the most Interesting and profit, 'ble lie
sons tho pupils Of Cincinnati ever had
a single day.
Let Arbor dsy be more generally ol
served this year than ever before. "
want trees about our homes, on
churches, our sciool houses. along tn,
roadside, and much waste f,nd nigh
be made valuable Ivy being planted Will
them.
There is n beauty and attracsivenest
about the small townsand country homes
and even cities of the western reserve,
seldom found elsewheYsybo this depend,
more on its neat lawns aud the Abundance
of trees and shrubbery about their homes,
than anything else. The LADY who cut
down q beautiful rose zine because i,
obscured from view a ten sent paper win
dow shade with gay pictureoon it, doe snH
live IN the western reserve.
The rich man may adorn hishome with
carved pillars and expensive ornaments,
but no architectural skill can give to a
residence that comfortable, homrlike ap.
pearance which a few fine trees will.
Time, which makes such havoc among
men, deals more gently with tho trees.
The child will grow to maturity, pass on
to the feebleDess of old age, while TIE
trees beneath which he played in, shiid-
hood still stand in their ~perfection
of beauty to shelter his children's chill
drem
We love the trees which have grown
beside us from our youth. They h,Je
been associated with our past life, have
been silent witnesses of u JOYS ana sor-
rows until they seem like old friends.
When, perhaps, after years of absence VIC
return again to the old homestead, we
visit the trees and delight again to sit in
their shadow and think of the past. IF
parents would hold the hearts of their
children to their homes they should
encourage them to plant and cherish
trees.
We may not be able to decorate our
homes with expensive paintings or works
of art, but We can do without these, if
have nature, the great artist, model
ing tree and shrub, aud painting leaf, and
and draping vine, with highest
about our dwellings. Happiness
may be made of cheap materials, as we'll
as of expensive and many a poor person
has found more enjoyment in the few
vines, and flowers, and trees they have
planted and tended themselves, than the
wealthy do from their expensive conserv-
Let us cultivate the simpler
pleasure, and if the plot of ground is ever
so small, improve il. Nature does won.
derful things in the way of ornamental
ton, to those who help themselves. Wen.
derful possibilities are locked up in little
and plants. Help to develop them.
Victor Hugo says: ''The world would
regard that man an %improvident waster
of time who should spend half a day in
the forest enjoying it's serene beauty, but
he might spend days there studying it
with reference to its lumber value, and it
would be very praise-worthy." But
man shall not,livs by bread alone"
The Lord might have made lumber in
the shape of telegraph poles, and indeed
it would seem more economical of ground,
but he wisely preferred trees with their
nnnwn of beauty. Trees, however, are
not tn be despised even with reference to
their lumber. We need lumber to build
houses and to furnish them, to make
railroads and run them, for ships, wagons,
telegraphs, fences, fuel, wooden nut
megs," and ''Quaker gums"
Indeed, we can scarcely have anything
that lumber is not directly or indirectly
employed in it's manufacture. Man has
found out many inventions, but 30 far
the only way known to make lumber is
by the slow process of growing trees.
There was once D company formed in
london to make boards out of sawdust,
but the enterprise failed, probably for
want of q live Yankee to run it.
In some countries forests are protected
by government from destruction, and in
some places where one tree is cut down
two are required to be planted. Even in
our own plentiful land o man should
hesitate long before no cuts down a tree
or grove. With q good AZ he may destroy
in a day what nothing but Tod and ages
of time can replace. The whole neighbor-
hood may be made the poorer by his
work, but perhaps they will never know
it. Green grass. trees, and beautiful sun
sets are not specially valued in the coun-
try, they are too common.
Trees also exert an important influence
the climate. The government of Egypt
years since planted thousands of trees,
and as q result they have several days
more rain each year than formerly. Our
ancestors were famous in proportion as
they felled the great trees, but the pre- val
once of foods, droughts, and cyclones
admonish us that planting trees IS very
appropriate work for the present genera
ton.
Not only ia the probable scarcity of
timber beginning to excite u~neasiness,
but great changes have been affected in
the climate Of u own country by the
wholesale slaughter of the forests. 1t has
been suggested that the government in
homesteads should stipulate that
a certain number of trees be planted be-
fore the little is given. TIL. immense
plains of the great west which were tho
great American desert in the old geo.
graphies, are rapidly being made habit
able by tree planting and cultivation.
The money value Of trees to property
ia largely overlooked. A shrewd business
man looking at some real estate recent
ly, with reference u investing, valued
each tree fairly started worth $b
30 the place. / know a little house,
in a little town, that rents readior and
for more money than most others, and
A.. .-Jx .z..o~ Z. Loaaraa tba ouuar Uaa