Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1904-04-09
PLANTING THE TREE.

its shade and be rested. The poplar is
cold and playful, and its dancing leaves
bid us be moving.
The Lombardy poplar is as prim and
proper as Il soldier, but the maple or
the basswood or the apple tree is as
familiar and lovable as our dearest
friend. When we meet n new play
mate we know that he is different from
every other playmate, although we may
not know why. There Is something
personal about him which makes him
different. If we were to draw his pic
ture, then we should find out some Of
the reasons why he is different-per-
haps because of the shape of his nose
or chin, the size of the head, the color
of the eyes or hair. Now, l like to
think of trees in just this way. A
beech tree is different from maple and
an apple different from pear. Yet l
may not stop to draw them and may
not know just why they are so differ
ent, but l feel the difference and love
them all the better because they are
differcnt-that is, l love trees just as
they are, without stopping to ask why.
Now, my playmate looks different in
winter from what he does in summer.
He has different clothes in different.
seasons. Then, too, he looks different
in different years because he is grow
ing older But even if my playmate Is.
so different at different times | like
him just the same. My trees, too, are
different in winter and in summer, but
| like them in every season. Look at
them today as they stand out bare and
bold against the sky. See the graceful,
flowing outline of the elm, the broken
and rugged framework of the oak, the
bushy, dense head of the apple. Are
they not all different and just as easy
to distinguish in winter as in summer
And if they interest us at one time
they should interest us always.
Trees are interesting not only be-
cause they are trees, but because they
clothe the earth. They are part Of the
landscape-that is, of the scenery.
They belong with the grass, the sky,
the water and the flowers. They are
parts of pictures. Each tree is just as
interesting of itself as 1t is when
standing wholly alone, and it has this
other interest in making beautiful
scenes. Therefore when we plant
trees on Arbor day let us choose differ
ent kinds so that we can have more
kinds of friends, and then let us put
them where they will be parts Of pic
lures.
Instead of a canvas we shall use a
greensward, and instead of paints we
shall use trees and bushes and flowers.
We will so manage it that the school
yard and house will be one picture
that is, we will not scatter trees and
bushes all over the place, because we
are then interested in these various
things and not in the grounds them
selves. We will leave the center open,
with IL good, clear view Of the school
house, and then we will plant our trees
and bushes around the sides of the lot.
In this way we shall inclose the space,
have good lawn or canvas in the cen
ter, and the paintings along the fences
will be the frame to our picture. Per-
haps there is an orchard or a forest
Just at the back or at one side of the
school grounds. GSd, If so, we will not
need to plant so heavily there. But If
our school grounds stand out bare and
open to the fields, then we shall plant
upon all the sides except along the
road Our place will then look snug
and cozy, and the schoolhouse will nes-
tie in the center, and we shall have
little landscape or scene all its own.
OF course we can have few trees
scattered about the place for shade IL