The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1892-04-21
About Arbor Day.

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Commission are taking proper steps
to encourage the celebration of Ar
Dor Day, and thus impress upon the
young generation the need of re-
planting in measure, the grounds
that once it was necessity to clear.
The children are the proper sub
jects to interest in the restoration
of waste places. The old pioneer is
insensible to any sentiment favor
ing the cultivation or preservation
of Trees. He is too fresh from the
clearing. To him, in his early life,
the Tree was an enemy. 1t stood
IN his path. 1t didn't grow bread.
1t was cumberer, and until it was
destroyed from the face of the earth,
to establish home, he had no
farm. The enforced destruction
of the trees became to the pioneer
second nature, and even now in tired
old age the men who cleared up our
country, will take more pride in
killing tree than in cultivating it.
The children are s'vlrgin SOIL" so
to speak, upon whom to plant the
ideas of Arbor Day. All the schools
of the state will have celebration
appropriate to the occasion.
The Governor suggests that on
Arbor Day that vote of the chill
drcn be taken, each one voting the
name of the favorite tree and the
tree getting the most votes will be
the titular tree of Ohio.
The idea is pleasant one but we
doubt if the "Buckeye'' state, SO
named by the stalwarts, old heroics
who encountered their forest enc
mics and won, will yield to the
school children, who at best know
most of the Birch, the privilege of
exchanging our Buckeye, and sub
stituting childish fancy.
The Buckeye has been interlaced
in our name and fame. Buckeye it
Is. Buckeye let it be. The vote
is unanimous.
AS well try to take from our
state the Buckeye as from the Demo
cracy the Hickory or from the Re
publicans the Ash, transmitted by
their Whig ancestry.
In the forest are many trees, as
in the garden are many flowers and
tastes will have preference in trees
of utility and flowers of beauty. 1t
will be interesting though to have a
vote, and get a record of the young
foresters fancies-
Trees embody, some one has said,
the elements of the human; strength,
durability, straight, crooked, smooth
and gnarly, soft and tender and
beautiful, thriving, tough, poison !
Gus, curative, gracious and provok-
ing, plant and contrary, and so on.
Without dispute the Oak is mon
arch, so held in all ages and by all
people. Why so, our school chill
dren may think out and write their
notions for publication in the Senti-
mel. And as pertinent for Arbor |
Day compositions we will suggest
this.
The trees of which we have first
mention are the Cedars of Lebanon,
Trees of frequent Biblical mention
are the Date and Palm.
Noted in our English history,
among many, are King Charles Oak,
and Charter Oak. s'Logan Elm'' is
the tree most noted near to us. We
had the "Ewing Walnut near Hay
denvllle, the "Honey Tree" on
Honey Fork; ''The Beech Tree on
the road to Hell," the "Big Syca-
more on Hockin." These three lat
ter are historic, Hooking county
trees, mentioned in "Hildredths
notes."
Our town has trees that should be
written about by our pupils. The
tree that formerly stood in Judge
Bright's yard, was seldom noticed
by our people, but was talked of
and disputed over among tree men
all over the country. Once we took
three of the State Forestry commits
sion to see the tree aud tell what
kind of a tree, what species and
what variety it was and the three
had three opinions.
Several trees in our town dispute
in beauty as town trees.
The Walnut in John Hansen's yard;
the Elm on the Catholic church hill;
the Elm on the road near DR.. Lit
ties, the Oak on grounds in rear of
residence, and the Maple
in front of the Court House.
Let our young Foresters look
around and look to see and become
with the trees and write
about them, and the SENTINEL will
print and make them historical and
the types will make them immortal.