The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-13
Arbor Days in America
BY FREDERIC J. HAsI1IN.

| 4 IA ~
BY FREDERIC j. HAsI1IN.
To-day is Arbor Day in tho new
State of Oklahoma, being "the Friday
following the second Monday in March
as stipulated by the laws OF that Com
monwealth. With the possible excep-
ritory has a day known as Arbor Day.
The variation in climatic conditions
has necessarily made the selection or
that day a. different one throughout
the Union. In Texas it falls In Feb
ruary; in Arkansas and Oklahoma. III
March; in Nebraska, Utah and Colora-
do, In April; in Rhode Island and Mon
tana, in May. Other States have put
Arbor Day in the late fall and winter
calendar, Georgia having the first Fri
day In December. In some states the
day is q legal holiday. In some IL
has never had a definite date. that
being left to the discretion OF the
Governors.
A few years ago Arbor Day was gen
orally classed in the average mind as
being only among the things. that go
calendar. 1t meant gathering at the
little red schoolhouse to see pro
cession OF boys and girls in their best
clothes march proudly past sickiy
little sapling stuck awry in a badly
excavated hole, throw in handful OF
dirt and murmur some sentiment IN re-
gard to trees and flowers. Usually the
tree died. and the general bellef was
that the lesson of the day died, too.
But the lesson did not die. In proof
the doubling Thomases can be cited TO
the fact that more practical SIDE mas
been developed, more practical turn
given the exercises OF the day, and III
many instances, lectures on practlcal
forestry, gardening and plant study are
taking the place of the sentlnehtal
addresses and pretty poems. Ihcsc
sentimental things, however, were not
| to be cried down: they served their
turn. 1t is only that times are getting
| to be more practieal and things more
utilitarian.
In Canada, where our idea of Arbor
Day spread early. the proclamation
naming the day and stating It's pur-
| pose, also stated that on that day the,
| school gardens must be planted ana
| shrubs set for identifying the grounds.
This Is an idea that the forest service
| of the United States heartily indprses,
and its workers further urge that on
Arbor Day each school plant tree seeds,
| so as to have the plants ready for fu-
| ture use.
THE lesson of Arbor Day Is the use
| and value of the tree In the life OF the
| nation" says the forest service in one
| of its circulars. 1t deplores the lack
of prolonged interest that has hitherto
| characterized the observance or the
| day, the poor Judgment displayed In Sc
lecting trees that are adapted to local
| conditions of climate and SOIL, the lack
| OF care later given the trees, and the
| smallness of the scale on when plant,
ling has usually been done. When all
| 1t hopes for in the meaning of Arbor
| Day has been realized, the nation VIII
see that the day has come to nave a
wide significance. The term should
! connote knowledge of trees, the value
of trees for the protection and I'M
provement of home and school grounds
as we'll as the planting of trees 10
produce material for farm uses ana d TO
To-, ant fh.. wa nil Or timber
One mission of Arbor Day should
be to make every child I'M the United
States know the native trees near his
home. how they grow and how they
are reproduced. Such lesson will ul-
i timately be invaluable when the ma
ton begins to realize the necessity fol-
conservative numbering, and the arts OF
reforesting. Then it Will be known
what trees to use. In the Lake States
and the States of the Northeast, mos
of the timber lands have been lait
waste, but tho State and individuals
are planting white pine with pros
poet OF money return for the next gen
f Grafton, and an increase In land values
New York State, alone, has retorestet
1000 acres in the Adirondacks.
Railroads in the East are planting
trees on the mountain sides for future
I:supplies of ties. and coal companies ar
planting oak. chestnut. European larcf
in their mines. The farmers of the
wind-swept Middle West and those on
on the open irrigation projects are set
ting out fast growing species, such a
posts, and shelter belts and wood lot
of European larch, catalpa, locust
Usage orange and double rows of pine
and spruce Southern California
wonderful, rapid growing tropical tire
suited only to that State, while thu
government, with it's 100000 seeding
to set out each year, is plantin
Douglas fir, yellow pine, Jeffrey pin
and incense cedar.
One OF the biggest lessons to b,
taught on Arbor Day, one of equal in
terest> in country place or crowde'
city, is that the water" supply OF tn
country is dependent on the forest
of the mountain and hllsides; tina
only by trees and their roots can IN
nations water resources be con
manufacturing, power and for supply
ing the cities with water Uncle sam
perpetual Arbor Day of 365 real day
is devoted to the work OF plant It
in national parks, and It Is an Cd
ject lesson that is worthy considera
ton by every State on It's lndlVldua
Arbor Day.
in the forest service of the Unite
States receives hundreds of letter
every week asking that es seref ito
made, and in the majority of cases
they close with the plea that tn
small trees suited to that section b
sent from tho government nurserie
Such letters are difficult, to ,answe
1t is Impossible to say whit trees
plant unless the local conditions al
exhaustively detailed. AS to furnish
ing the trees-that is utterly imposs
BILE. 1t would take all the governmel
nurseries are raising each year fo
their own great schemes Of refores
! ing, and more, too.
1t has been suggested by mon WI
have given much thought to the prol
4 lem, that this business of furnishir
- trees to Arbor Day cclebrants be mac