The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-04-21

culture, and has
since made its way from State to
State until provision for its observ-
ance 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 I'M
doubtedly done much to inculcate a
love of trees, and has given added i'm
petus 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 car
rying out simple steps in forest work.
The permanent results of Arbor Day
from the standpoint of successful
planting have frequently been disap-
pointing. Too often species entirely
unsuited for either economic or orna-
mental planting have been used. Still
more common 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 destructive agencies the
intended good example is turned, for
want of little care, into a 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
we'll 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
relation of the single tree to the for
est has not been pointed out. Talks
on Arbor Day have not dwelt enough
upon the economic side of forestry.
or have tended to give a wrong i'm
y preston of the whole subject by la.
menting all cutting of trees. The
effect of this has been actually op-
posed to the forester's teachings.
Arbor Day is the time for dissent
mating sound, practical knowledge re-
garding forestry in its broader as
pect. The mere act of setting a few
trees, without reference to the COM
mercial utility and the protective
value of forests, is but 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, fall plant
ing is perhaps preferable, but north
of this the winter comes on so quick
ly that the. trees have scarcely time
to develop roots strong 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 before budding begins Ever
green's may be planted somewhat
later than hardwoods 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 exercises as