The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-04-15
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1908.
AReoR DAY.

Lug "OuVu Va 1APA"
observ q of Arbor day in most OF
states that have officially provided for
participation in the anniversary. In
Montana, q legislative enactment
named q date in May IS Arbor day in
this state, but it was afterwards
changed to the third Tuesday in April,
which this year is the 21st day of the
month.
The original idea Of the Arbor day
movement was to awaken public In
terest in the matter OF beauttfying
home surroundings by planting trees
and shrubs, but in later years 1t has
become recognized as an institution
that will assist in maintaining the
timber resources of the country. In
many of the states it is observed with
this special object in view, and
millions Of suitable trees have been
planted to provide the timber that
may be needed by the present and
future gener atone. This feature OF
the observance of Arbor day is COM
mended by forestry experts, who state
that our domestic timber supply is be-
ing rapidly depleted.
The state of Nebraska was the
pioneer In Arbor day legislation, the
father of the movement being j..
Sterling Morton, who became sec.
rotary Of agriculture In the sec ond
Cleveland administration. It was in
1872 that Mr.. Morton conceived the
idea of this unique holiday and he
forthwith introduced before the Ne.
braska state board OF agriculture, of
which he was q member, Q resolution
setting apart April 10 Of that year as
"Tree Planting day." The sugges.
ton was adopted, and it is said that
the first observance Of the day in
Nebraska resulted in the planting Of
about q million trees by the people OF
that state. In relating the beneficial
results OF the tree planting festival in
that state, q newspaper article says:
"If Nebraska can be taken as an
example the influence of Arbor day ia
certainly most beneficial, and the
great pity is that all the other states
could not have placed the holiday on
their official calendars as early as did
Nebraska. In the first l6 years after
Farmer Morton secured the adoption
of the Arbor day project more than
three hundred and fifty million trees
and vines were planted in Nebraska,
and the work is still going on.
"At the same time the law-making
body OF Nebraska has sought to en-
courage tree planting by every means
possible. For instance, a provision
was inserted in the constitution OF the
state to the effect that in assessing
taxes upon lands no account should
be taken of live fences, fruit OF forest
trees grown or cultivated on the prop
erty. A statute designed to further
the same general purpose requires thu
authorities of cities and towns tt
plant shade trees along the street'
and empowers them to make addition
al assessments for taxation upol
lands benefited by such planting"
Tree planting in Montana was en-
couraged by q territorial law whicl
provided that any person who plante'
and guilty ated one or more acres il
fruit trees should, for the next eigh
years following thereafter, receiv
annually a reduction or exemption
from his assessment of 800 for eac|
acre 80 planted, and as long At tn
SAM was kept in growing condition
This law is no longer in effect, as
was not incorporated in the codes.
The observance of Arbor day i
Montana in not conducted on such a
extensive scale as that reported
other localities, but 1t has greatly in
proved the home surroundings {
thousands of residents Of this stat,
1t is a c~ommendable institution, an
should receive generous recognitio
from progressive citizens in all par
of the country.