Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1891-04-24
ARBOR DAY.
An Interesting Circular tq School
Authorities by State Sdperin.
tendent Kiehle.

tendent Kiehle.
To County superintendent and
Teachers:
A year ago circular was sent out
by this department to the county
superintendent and teachers OF the
state earnestly inviting their hearty
cooperation in the general observ-
ance OF Arbor Day by the public
schools. The reports which have
come to us of the interest taken and
work done on that day in many To-
calities have been pleasant and very
encouraging, and it is confidently
hoped that still greater effort will
he made this year in every district.
by old and young, to help along the
good work OF identifying our school
house sites and making them more
attractive to teachers, pupils and the
public.
His excellency, Gov. w. r. Merriam,
has appointed for Arbor Day in Min
nesota, Friday, May l, 1891, and in a
well prepared proclamation, which
has been widely distributed, he urges
all good citizens to unite in making
it's practical observance Il success.
1t is especially desirable that our
young people, and more particularly
those connected with the public
schools, should take q prominent
part in the tree planting movement.
Arbor Day can no longer be looked
upon as an experiment Of doubtful
utility. 1t has passed through that
test and proved its right to a place
among ournational holidays. Those
who at first looked upon it as vision
airy, or as "boy's play" have been
convinced by what has already
been done, that there is nothing
chimerical about it, but that the ben
efits gained are substantial and last
ing. The ''logic OF events" has not
only met and answered every obiec-
ton, but has enlisted interest and
awakened enthusiasm in almost
every state of the Union.
. The children Of today who assist in
the good work OF adjoining the
school grounds with trees will. in
after years, be regarded in the light
of public benefactors, and few will be
better entitled to the proud distinc-
ton.
1t ia one great object of our COM
mon schools to teach the young to
wisely plan for the future, and there
is nothing to stimulate the mind of
the child in this direction than to
turn his thoughts toward the bene-
fits likely to proceed from protecting
our exposed prairie school houses
from the blasts OF winter and the
fierce heats of summer by surround
ing them with trees.
Let the graduating class in each OF
the graded schools plant group to
mark the event. The number should
correspond with the number of pu-
pills, and each might take the name
of the particular member who plant
ed it,
In the ungraded schools each one
of the larger pupils should he encour-
aged to set out and care for one tree
to be known thereafter in the district
as his tree. An enduring contribu-
ton to the attractiveness of the
school house may thus be secured,
which will increase in value with
each recurring season.
An excellent program for Arbor
Day will be found in "Arbor Day
Leaves" by N. H. Egleston, of the
forestry division of che Department
of Agriculture, Washington. The
pamphlet will be furnished by the
American Book Co., Chicago, at 10
cents copy.
A wise choice OF trees should be
made, and teachers and pupils should
seek the advice of practical tree
planters.