Evening star., 1901-04-22
OAK TREES PLANTED
Memorial to Late Secretary Rusk and
Assistant Secretary Willis.
THE OBSERVANCE OF ARBoR DAY
Ceremonies Under the Auspices of
Departmental Agriculture.
THE ADDRESSES DELIVERED

The ADDRESSES DELIVERED
| Two willow oak trees were planted today
| in the grounds of the Department of Agri-
| culture in memory of J. NJ. Rusk and Ed
win Willis, secretary and assistant sec
retary of agriculture, respectively, from
1889 to 1888. The trees were planted in a
triangular piece of land about 100 yards
north of the magnolia garden and 200
yards east Of 14th street. Brief addresses
were made by Secretary Wilson, B. 7.
Galloway, director of plant industry, and
George b. SudWorth, dendrologist Of the
department. A recess was taken by the
official force Of the department. that all
the employees might attend the arbor ex-
ercises. 1t is the intention of the officials
of the Agricultural Department that one
or more memorial trees shall be planted
annually, and they hope to encourage the
observance of particular day as arbor
day in the District of Columbia
When the crowd had assembled about the
tree holes, which had been dug earlier in
the day. Mr.. Galloway advanced and said
they had met to celebrate arbor day and
pay tribute to two men who had helped
make the department what it Is 1--WE
propose said Mr.. Galloway, ito plant
two oaks in memory of two men who like
oaks. We're always found to be true, stanch
friends. Secretary Wilson was introduced
and spoke of the desrabiity of encourage
ing the planting of trees throughout the
country. He called attention to what he
termed the short-sighted policy of plant
ing trees of quick growth and early decay.
He said that the folly of this plan is
SHOWN IN the Smithsonian grounds, where
IN their desire to make haste in the mat
ter OF growing things they planted things
which nave grown to be weeds" Mr. VIII
son spoke of Washington as "the most
naenlncently G,a treed city in the United
States He referred to the work which is
being done by Mr.. Clifford Pinchot, chief
OF the division of forestry, saying that the
department is engaged in studying the
methods OF propagating the seeds of ma
i've nara wood trees. and that when the
department shall have learned this lesson
IT WILL through means of farmers bulle-
tins, teach Americans generally how to
grow trees.
Secretary Wilson's Address.
Secretary Wilson said in part:
The destruction of trees In our country
mas peen thorough and continuous from
the Atlantic westwardly, as population
Travelled. until the Pacific was reached
where our last great forest reserves are
now being destroyed at rapid rate
through the agency of nearly a thousand
saw mills. The pine forests of the Forth
have been cut down. and those of the
south are rapidly following. The walnuts,
guage, have become so scarce that they
nave almost ceased to be articles of COM
merce 1he oaks are going rapidly; only
rev great reserves are left to US This
may be said of many other varieties of use
full trees. -
1T is our privilege and our duty to take
steps for the reforeSting Of our country
Educators throughout the centuries have
paid no attention to this subject Only
within the last few years have any OF
our educational institutions established
schools for instruction along these lines
1t is within our power to do something to
right the great wrongs that have been per-
petrated against the trees in the past We
have gathered into our department most
of the scientists of the country who have
Knowledge of trees. We have set about
teaching the people hew to propagate trees
from the seeds. 1t Is our intention to
propagate every fine tree in America and
furnish them, through congressional dis
tribution and otherwise, to the localities
where they are most at home; and it is
also our intention to bring seeds and plants
Of valuable trees from foreign countries
and introduce them into suitable localities
in our own. When we have thoroughly
learned how to propagate the seed Of each
tree we shall be ready to send abroad
farmers bulletins telling the people how
to do it.
Much sentiment attaches to trees Poets
have sung their praises, and we all enter
tain esthetic feelings. but the making Of
songs and the writing Of prose regarding
trees, except In so far as farmers bulle-
tins are concerned is not our province.
1t is our privilege and our duty to give in
formation to the people Of the United
States how to propagate and plant, when
to go to tree for It's seed. and how to
manage that seed after 1t has been gather
ed And II in the future it shall be said of
this department that 1t taught the people
of the United States how to propagate tree
seeds. and introduced from foreign coun-
tries those that are valuable, it will have
justified the expenditure Of all Of the peo-
pes money that has gone through its bu-
reaus. divisions and Offices"
At the close Of Mr.. Wilson's address Mr.
Galloway set the small tree and two
gardeners shoveled the earth about the
roots There was then placed at the foot
of the tree a label inscribed as follows:
Memorial oak. ]. NJ. Rusk, Secretary of
Agriculture 1SS9-1S93. April %. 1901
Represents Division of Forestry.
The crowd then shifted fifteen yards to
the west and Mr. Sudworth was introduced
by Mr.. Galloway. Mr.. Sudworth said:
THE honor of saying a few words upon
this Occa sion comes to me, mainly through
the absence of the chief forester, Mr.. Gf
ford Pinchot who would otherwise have
responded in behalf Of the division of for
estry The celebration of Arbor day is
widely spread observance. or all of our
states and territories Utah. Indian terri
tory and Alaska are the only ones in which
a day of this kind is not celebrated. The
first Arbor day was celebrated on the 10th
of April nearly thirty years ago, in Ne
braska. 1t is, perhaps natural that the
thought of establishing such day should
have originated in one Of the great prairie
states, where trees are very much more
highly appreciated than they are here in
the east
"Of course. you all know that to the
former Secretary of Agriculture, j. Ster-
ling Morton of Nebra ska, belongs the credit
Of inaugurating the first Arbor day. He
is known as the Father of Arbor day
The District of Columbia is somewhat
tardy in coming to an observance of this
day: So far as I.G2know exercises of this
kind are not as yet regularly observed
here 1t is hoped, however. that hereafter
an annual Arbor day celebration will find
place in all of the public schools Of Wash
ington. AS the national capital there is
no more appropriate center in which the
spirit of the dayI should become strong
than in Washington, and the District OF
Columbia. And l Wish.to say in this con-
nection that no schoek exercises of any
kind can be more lberalizing. more elevat
DhH thor hn