The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-27
ARB0R DAY WAS
DULY OBSERVED
IN THIS CITY
County and Federal Offices
Closed, Along with Schools
Origin of Celebration.

Today was the day appointed by
Governor E. Y. Sarles to be Arbor day,
set aside for the planting of trees and
shrubs. and for special exercises in
schools. No regular sessions were
held in the Grand Forks schools but
at some of the buildings the pupils of
various grades, under the direction of
their teachers, arranged flower beds
and planted trees in locations where
they may ultimately be a source of
beauty.
The various public offices, county
| and federal, along with the banks, OBJ
served the day.
| In this connection it might be in
teresting to note something of the
conditions under which Arbor day was
| first inaugurated.
Arbor day was instituted in Nebras-
ka in 1872 by Hon. j. Sterling Morton,
| afterwards secretary OF agriculture,
and has since made its way from state
to state until provision for it's obserr-
ance exists. in almost every state and
territory.
The central idea OF Arbor day is the
intelligent and appreciative planting
of trees by school children. The plant
ing is usually accompanied by eXer-
cises. which are intended to impress
upon the children the beauty and use
| fulness of trees and thus lend to the
work the value of bit of nature study
Arbor day has undoubtedly done much
to inculcate a love of trees. and has
| given added impetus to the general
movement for the better knowledge
and the wiser use of forests
Yet there is no question that Arbor
day can be made more practical than it
has been: that it can be brought into
closer touch with forestry by being
made the opportunity for carrying out
simple steps in forest work. The per-
manent results of Arbor day from the
standpoint of successful planting have
frequently been disappointing Too
often species entirely unsuited for
either economic or ornamental plant
ing have been used Still more COM
mon causes of failure have been the
lack of sufficient care in doing the
work. and neglect of the trees after
they are planted. In this way much of
the educational value of the work is
lost. BY leaving the trees unprotected
from animals. insects and other de-
structive agencies, the intended good
example is turned. for want of little
care, into negative one.
But even when the planting has been
we'll conceived and wisely carried out.
there is often lacking, in work of this
nature. all reference to the larger as
pect of forest planting. The ultimate
aim of the day might we'll be to prompt
and encourage not so much a senti-
ment for trees as sentiment for the
forest. Yet the practice has been to
plant individual trees, rather than
groves. and the relation of the single
tree to the forest has not been point
ed out. Talks on Arbor day have not
dwelt enough upon the economic side
of forestry. or have tended to give d
wrong impression of the whole subject
by lamenting all cutting of trees. The
effect of this has been actually OPP
posed to the forester's teachings.
! Arbor day is the time for dissemin-
ating sound. practical knowledge re-
garding forestry in its broader aspect
The mere act of setting few trees,
without reference to the commercial
utility and the protective value of for
ests, is but a small part of the work
| of the day.
The proper season for planting is
not everywhere the same. South of
the thirty -seventh parallel, especially
in the more humid regions, fail plant
ing is perhaps preferable, but north of
this the winter comes on SO quickly
that the trees have scarcely time to de-
velop roots strc:lg enough to support
them until spring. and spring planting
is therefore more advisable, The right
time to plant in spring is when the
ground has ceased to freeze and be-
fore budding begins. Evergreens may
be planted somewhat later than hard
woods. The day to plant is almost as
important as the season. Sunny,
windy weather is very unfavorable;
cool. damp days are the best. For
this reason it is we'll to leave the date
for Arbor day unfixed, so that the best
opportunity may be chosen. Such en-
ercises as are desired can follow when
the planting is done.
The careful selection of trees for a
specific use and situation is essential
to success, and proper planting is
equally important. Though less fas-
tidious than agricultural crops in their
demands upon the soil, trees cannot be
set in rough soil at random and then
be expected to flourish. They should
be planted without allowing their roots
time to dry out from exposure to the
air. When delay between procuring
the trees and their planting cannot be
avoided, the roots must be-kept moist
by standing them in a puddle" made
OF earth and water mixed to the con-
slstency of cream, or 'haeed-in" by
nearly burying them in fresh earth.
| In setting the Trees it is important to
place them aDout three inches deeper
than they stood originally and 10
spread out the roots and pack the soil
firmly about them. Two inches of soil
at the top should be left very loose,
to act as mulch to retain the moist
ure.
Large trees are by no means always
the best to plant Small seedlings may
be secured easily and cheaply, and are
much more likely to live If these are
set out in good numbers after the pat
tern of commercial plantation they
will become in due time a forest on q
small scale. a
If only few trees are planted, as is
usually the case, 1t is still possible to
make plain the true relation of such
work to forestry. No matter how few,
the trees. they may be made to illus-
trate planting for commercial or pro-
tective use
The scope of Arbor day planting may
sometimes be ,broadened by securing
permission from some public-spirited
citizen or nearby farmer for the chill
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