Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-26
AKBoR DAY AND A REGRET.

"Arbor Day" is to be observed at San
Francisco tomorrow. 1t will receive very
little attention in the interior, for the very
good reason that the date is too early,
especially for planting along the high
ways.
We may say, without offensive egotism,
that no Journal in the State has given
more attention to the subject of " forestry"
than the REcoRD-UNIoN. A decade ago
it drew attention to the need of checking
the destruction of our forests, and at fire.
quent intervals has labored to inform the
public mind upon the important relation
between tree-planting and growing forests,
and the agriculture, temperature, drain
age, river preservation and general pros
perity of given sections
When Mr.. joaquin Miller, acting under
a happy inspiration and moved by praise
worthy ambition, proposed to inaugurate
popular tree-planting in California with
some ceremony and more of practical
work, we heartily commended the move
ment as in line with the years of advocacy
of arboriculture on the part of the RECORD
UNION. But when ne proposed as early
date as October, and secured the kindly
acquiescence of General Howard, and the
remarkable approval of the Secretary of
the Forestry Commission, Mr. Foreman,
who should have been better informed, we
could not refrain from entering protest
1t was, however, first done by private COM
munication from this office, and as a result
November 9th was fixed upon by Mr..
Miller. This date, as Red Bluff con-
temporary remarked, was still too early for
the interior, for Washingtons Birthday,
February 22d, would be about the right
date to insure success in the valleys" 1t
was useless, however, to protest further
for Mr.. Adolph Sutro, who. endowed the
movement very literally, declared that his
experience approved the November date
It probably justifes that time for the i'm
mediate coast climate, but is out of season
for all the Sacramento valley, while any
date suitable for the valleys would be just
as convenient and fitting for the more
humid climate of the coast. The result is,
that to San Francisco, and possibly few
coast sections, viii be left the major por-
ton of the work and pleasure of fnaugu-
rating Arbor Day.
We sincerely trust it will be eminently
successful. 1t ought to succeed in the coast
line of counties and we hope the people,
wherever the soil is in fit condition, will
encourage the planting tomorrow, In the
great valleys, where arboriculture is most
needed, it viii be necessary to fix upon a
much later date. To plant forest or orna-
mental trees in the valley now, outside of
tracts diligently cultivated, would be a
waste of energy and money.
While We regret that any disposition
should have been shown to ignore the
larger portion of the State in aceommo-
dating the event to a day that would COM
mand the interest of the greater number of
the people, we recall the historical fact
that this disposition of self-assertion is in
grained in the constitution of the average
San Franciscan, and we cannot hope for its
elimination from that people in a genera
ton. Yet so unseliish are the people of
the interior that their regret does not take
the form OF ill temper. They will be
simply amused to see a State Arbor Day
inaugurated, with the greater part of the
State necessarily unengaged in the import
ant ceremony, because of the prohibition of
nature.
When the Legislature shall be called
upon to fix date by law, we apprehend
that a day will be named when the plant
ing in the largest possible area of Califor-
MIA can be done with the broadest proba-
bilities of successful results being attained.
In the meantime we hope to witness, as the
outcome of the ceremonies of tomorrow at
the Preside and on Yerba Buena Island, a
renewed interest in the subject, and the
practical awakening of all the people to
the great benefits, material and senti-
mental, that flow from the engagement Of
the people in tree-planting.