Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-10-10
OBSERVANCE OF ARBOR DAY
How the Public School Schol-
airs Will Celebrate 1t.
A BIG CELEBRATION IN PROSPECT
DR.. Rothrock of Pennsylvania
to Speak at the High School.


worthy epoch in the history OF Tine pub
lie school system OF Wilmington. Pur-
suant to action of the Board of
Education at its last meeting, on the
motion OF DIR. Crumbaugh, the day
will be celebrated in all of the public
schools. Ii will be known as Arbor
Day and will be appropriately OBJ
served
A reporter of "The Gazette' called
on DIR. Crumbaugh last Friday and OBJ
tanned from him some information
respecting the celebration.
Arbor Day means tree day, or plant
day. Many analogies in plant life and
human life are suggested by the term
plant. To the Greek the groves teemed
with gods and goddesses, and almost
every plant was typical of some force
or spirit, or was the home of some
Getty. To the Scandinavian existence
was typified by the ash tree, Igdrasil,
with its infinite coniugation of the
verb to do. The versatile Hebrew
psalmist represents man as tree.
1.-THE righteous shall flourish like the
palm tree. - He shall grow like
cedar in Lebanon. - He shall be like
tree planted by the rivers of waters
that bringeth forth his fruit in his
season. A" Christ was spoken of under
the similitude Of Branch, Sprout,
a Root, and He speaks of Himself as
the True Vine, and of His people as
the branches thereof. Tree life is SO
fine an emblem of human life that
there is great temptation to dwell upon
the many and striking analogies sug
gested thereby.
The object of Arbor Day is primarily
to plant trees and vines; secondarily,
to talk and think about trees and other
plants, until we shall become SO pos
sessed by the true idea of the day that
we shall learn TO see a moral lesson in
every particle of vegetation. The les
sons of the day also tend to incite to
the study of forestry-a most important
lesson-and also of botany, and by
studying and familiarizing ourselves
with vegetation we learn to love Nature
In addition to the planting OF trees and
vines on Arbor Day either on the school
grounds or on park lands, there will be
exercises appropriate to the occasion in
all the schools. Prominent speakers
will speak on the subject, and in adj
dition the scholars will render pro-
grammes in which they will not only
sing the praises of vegetation, but will
tell what they know concerning trees
and plants.
At the High School II Japanese ivy
vines will be planted. The majority of
the schools have selected the Norway
maple.
In each instance, after the exercises
in the school building, all will repair
to the place where the planting is to be
done. A delegation or representative
r. II, H. - 81 ~
ing In most of the schools there will
be tree or vine for each class to plant
and name. each class being directed by
the member who has earned the title
of class leader by his or her proficiency
in recitations and department
The plants in all cases will be named
after historical characters. AS rule
the names selected are those of persons
who have passed away, but occasionally
names are chosen from a list of the
living But each class naming plant
must first be competent to pass an ex-
animation on the biography of the per-
son whom the members desire to honor.
So the method of procedure will be for
the classes to caucus and select the
name they desire in time to give OPP
portunity for looking up and studying
the biography thoroughly. OF course,
this only applies in cases where the
scholars are old enough.
While the children themselves will
do the planting they will be instructed,
directed and assisted by the teachers
and members of the Board of Ed uca-
tion.
The preparations are now being made
at nearly every school, and it is thought
that not single one will slight the
occasion in any way. The teachers are
being assisted a great deal by the Nom
bers of the Board of Education, and
the scholars already are taking an ac-
tive interest that augurs well for the
success of the occasion.
The most elaborate celebration will
be at the High School, whore, in ad-
dition to the planting, an address will
be made by j.. Z. Rothrock, commits
sioner of forestry of Pennsylvania, who
will give an idea of how the day is OBJ
served elsewhere. He is thoroughly ac
ouaintei with the subject and his adj
dress doubtless will contain valuable
suggestions and advice by which
scholars, teachers and the public can
profit.
DIR. Crumbaugh will preside at the
High School celebration. The exer
cises will commence promptly at 2
o'clock. The programme is as follows:
Overture. ..........H High School Orchestra
Responsive reading.
Prayer. :. The Rev. Lafayette Marks, u. d.
Song, Morning Invitation"
High School Chorus
Quotations. Members Of the School
RecitatiOns.. .ClusS Leaders
Song, "The Woodman."
High School Glee Club
Quotations. ......... Members of the School
Arbor Day address. ..... DIR. j. T. Rothrock
Selection ...... ...... High School Orchestra
Song. "Woodman, Spare That Tree"
(IIiller). High School Chorus
AT the conclusion of the indoor exer-
cises the class leaders will be an
nounced, after which a line will be
formed and the scholars will march to
the planting grounds, keeping step
with music furnished by the orchestra.
When the scholars are assembled in
front of the building the real object
lesson of the day will begin. Six Japa-
nese ivy vines will be placed on each
of the two fronts of the High School,
after which the naming ceremony will
take place, each class leader announcing
the choice Of his or her class, which
will be applied to their respective vines
with proper amount of solemnity to
implant the ceremony indelibly in the
minds of the participants in the days
observance.
In the evening Mr.. Rothrock will
deliver an Arbor Day illustrated lee
ture in the assembly hall of the High
School. His subject will be Beauti-
full Pennsylvania, with which he is
thoroughly familiar.
The celebrations in most of the
schools will be less elaborate than the
celebration at the High School. Ad-
dresses will be made by prominent local