Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-09

OF ARB0R DAY
State Superintendent Carleton
Issues An Address.
SCHOOLS TO CELEBRATE
A Legal H0liday--Exercises to be Held
Whether Trees Are Planted
Or Not.
TO CELEBRATE

State Superintendent of Public Instruc-
ton e. A. Carleton has issued a letter ad-
dressed to all school officers and teach
ers of the state, in which he called atten-
ton to Arbo day. recommending that 1T
be properly observed in all the school
of the state. Arbor day is fixed by law
in Montana as the second Tuesday in
May, and falls this year on May s. II it
were not for the statutory provision,
those in authority would doubtless set the
date earlier this year, as the season is
unusually early. Superintendent Carleton
said yesterday that the law arbitrarily
ixes the date, and exercises would be
held in the schools that day, although
trees should be planted now.
Mr.. Cartoons address, sent yesterday
to each county superintendent with the
request that it be furnished to teachers,
follows:
1.-The return of spring reminds us that
soon the public schools of the state will
be called upon to celebrate their great
anniversary festival-Arbor day, which
will occur May 8. The law requires that
this day be set apart for such exercises
as shall tend to encourage the planting,
preservation n protection of trees n
shrubs, n an acquaintance with the
best methods to be adopted to accomplish
such results
''This day will be a legal holiday, and
no school can be held except the Arbor
the forenoon and the pupils allowed the
afternoon for a half holiday.
1T is a pleasure to note the growing
interest taken by the schools Of Mon
tana in the observance of this day. De-
spite adverse conditions in many places,
more trees and shrubs were planted last
ArbOr day by the school children thar on
n similar occasion during the 10 years
that Montana has had an Arbor day law.
whether you plant trees or not, there
are many and most valuable lessons to
be taught and learned on this day, lessons
whose Importance make it the foremost
school day in all the year. Aside from
the economic values Of trees, which is
surprisingly great, they have an ethical
value AS I have said before, trees are
teachers in the truest and best sense"
Children should early be taught to love
trees and shrubs n flowers. and to know
them. They should early be taught to
love and to know the birds and dumb ami
mails. By such instruction it will make
it safe for the feathered songsters of the
air to come and build their nests in the
trees in our yard gardens and furnish us
the very best music without charge.
"In some states the law provides for
the observance of bird day in conjunc-
ton with Arbor day. While we nave no
law of this kind, our statutes have pro-
vided for the protection of song birds.
Sections, 1116 and I'LL of the penal code
read:
EVERY person who wilfully shoots or
otherwise kills or causes to be killed any
robin. meadow-lark, blue bird, thrush,
oriole, w~oodpecker, hooking bird, gold
finch, snoW-bird cedar bird, or any other
of the small birds, known as singing
birds. is punishable by a fine not exceed
ing ten dollars.
LIVERY person who wilfully destroys
the nests, or carries away the eggs from
the nests of any of the birds or wild fowl
mentioned in this chapter, is punishable
by a fine not exceeding ten dollars
1.-THE question of asking the legislature
to designate a day to be observed by the
public schools as bird day, might be dis
cussed and voted upOn by the schools.
ION Arbor day. 1899, in response to my
request. the pupils of the state selected,
by a great majority, the pine as the state
tree. This does not mean, however, that
no other trees are to be planted on this
day, any more than the selection of the
bitter root as the state flowers means
that no other flowers are to be studied by
the children. You should plant such trees
and shrubs as are best adapted to your
locality. and see to it that they are we'll
cared for after they are planted.
1.-THE planting Of trees is almost as
old as history. The Aztecs. we are told,
planted a tree every time a child was
born, and named it after the child. The
custom is an old one in Germany, where,
at whitsuntide, it is said, In the country,
each member of the family plants a tree.
I'm this country. Arbor day was first
! observed in 1872. In Montana the law
was enacted In 1887, since which time
the day has been more or less irregularly
observed.
I'm celebrating such a day as this. I
trust that all will bear in mind that
there is need of this day. We should re-
member that, after oil, it Is not book
learning which constitutes all of the
child's education, il indeed. it is even the
most important part OF it. If the pupil
has all the learning Of theb books, and yet
is lacking in these finer feelings, II he
| possesses not these nobler instincts, If he
cares not for trees In shrubs and flow
ers and birds, and knows them not: If he
ihas-pot learned he lessons of patriotism
and obedience, of patience and fidelity, of
what worth is his education? Let such
lessons as these be instilled into the
minds and hearts Of FOUR pupils by OBJ
you deem best suited to your school and
! which will best accomplish these objects.
Let us for this one day, at least, realize
the poets thought:
".And thus our life. exempt from public
haunt.
Finds tongues in trees, books in the
running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in every
~ thing"
L. A. SISLEY & CO., REMOVED.
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