Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-04-25
SCOPE and use
OF ARBOR DAY
Suggestions for Making the Planting
of Trees by School Children an

suggestions Tor Making the Planting
of Trees by School Children an
Exercise in Forest Work.
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 OBJ
servance exists in almost every state
and territory.
The central idea of Arbor Day is
the Intelligent and appreciative plant
ing of trees by school children. The
planting is usually accompanied by
exercises, which are intended to i'm
press upon the children the beauty
and usefulness of trees and thus to
lend to the work the value of bit
of nature study. Arbor Day has un-
| doubtedly done much to inculcate a
Hove 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 be-
ing made the opportunity for carrying
out simple steps in forest work. The
permanent results of Arbor Day from
the standpoint of successful planting
have frequently been di sappointing.
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 unpro-
tected from animals, insects, and
other destructive agencies the intend
ed good example is turned, for want
OF little care, into negative one.
But even when the planting has
been well conceived and wisely car.
ried out, there is often lacking, in
work of this nature, all reference to
the larger aspect of forest planting.
The ultimate aim of the day might
well be to prompt and encourage not
so much a sentiment for trees as a
sentiment for the forest. Yet the
practice has been to plant individual
trees rather than groves, and the rela.
ton OF the single tree to the forest
has not been pointed out. Talks on
ATbor Day have not dwelt enough up
on the economic side of forestry, or
have tended to give wrong impress
sion of the whole subject by lament.
ing all cutting of trees. The effect
| OF this has been actually opposed to
4 the forester's teachings.
| Arbor Day is the time for dissent
mating sound, practical knowledge re
garding forestry in its broader aspect
/ The mere act of setting a few trees
without reference to the commercial
utility and the protective value O,
4 forests, is but small part of the Worl
Iof the day. I; :; ..s.#
i The proper season for planting ii
! not everywhere the same. South ol
4 the thirty-seyenth. especially id the
more humid regions, fall planting i:
perhaps preferable, but north OF this
1 the winter comes on SO quickly thai
| the trees have scarcely time to de
yelop roots strong enough to suppori
4 them until spring. and spring plant
j ing is therefore more advisable. TIKI
i right time to plant Id spring is wher
u the ground has ceased to freeze and
4 before budding begins. Evergreent
4 may be planted somewhat later thar
hardwoods The day 10 plant ii al
most as Important as the season
Sammy windy weather Ii very un
favorable; cool damp days are the