Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-27
ARBOR DAY OBSERVED
School Pupils Engaged ia an
Elaborate Celebration.
PROGRAM AT THE FRANKLIN
Towering Cherry Trees From Japan
Transplanted.
EXERCISES THIS AFTERNOON
Each School Has a Special Feature
Ceremonies Attended by
Prominent Residents.
PROGRAM AT THE FRANKLIN
EXERCISES THIS AFTERNOON

Arbor day is being celebrated today in
all the public schools OF the District by
the planting of Japanese Towering cherry
| trees on the various school grounds. The
planting of the trees and the accom-
panying exercises began in nearly all of
the schools at o'clock this afternoon.
One boy in each school. who had received
instructions as to how to plant the tree.
prepared place for it. and in the pres
ence of all the pupils placed the roots in
the ground and covered them with dirt.
Following this recitations appropriate to
the day were given in each school by the
pupils and patriotic songs were sung.
At the Franklin School a special pro-
gram was carried out. The grounds
| around the school afforded no place to
plant the tree, and consequently 1t was
| planted in the park directly across 18th
street from the school building. This
| was done at II 80 o'clock in the presence
| OF all the children of the school. This
| early hour was chosen to enable the
smallest children to see the tree planted,
| for the reason that they are the ones
who are most likely to see II IN Its 1ull
growth and perfection
| Special Arbor day exercises were held
| in the school hall at 40 o'clock this
afternoon. Mrs. j. r. HILL a member of
| the board of education and chairman of
the committee on school gardens, pre-
sided Mr. David B. Faircnild. explorer
| for the Department of Agriculture,
| through whom the cherry trees planted
today were supplied to the schools. de-
scribed the verdure of Japan, with the
| aid of many pictures taken in the land Of
| the mikado Supt A. 7. Stuart. CON-
missioner H. B. r. mcfarland and others
| of prominence were on the list of speak
| ers. but neither of the two named could
| 49, ID
NJ. Hughes was in attendance and made
AL address.
At Franklin Park.
The planting Of the tree in the park
by the Franklin School pupils is regarded
as of special significance. Permission
was obtained from Col. Bromwell, super
intendent of public buildings and grounds,
by Miss S. B. Sipe. who is in charge of
the school gardens. and the purpose is to
| beautify the park, and at the same time
| develop among the children a larger in
| terest in the parks and their preserva-
| ton. This privilege, it is declared. has
| never before been allowed to the school
| children in the history of the Washington
| parks
| Washington is said to have an ideal
| climate for the Japanese Towering cherry
| trees, and there are already growing
| here several beautiful ones that flower
/
| light of those who see them. In Japan,
| it is declared, there are miles of them
| along the roadsides.
| Thinking that these beautiful trees
should be introduced into the parks and
! gardens of Washington, where in years
to come they may delight the children of
another generation. MIR. and Mrs. David
Fairchild have given to every school In
the District of Columbia small flower
| ing cherry tree.
! In order to impress the value of their
gift on the school children. they arranged,
through Miss Sipe, that each school shall
send one boy to their country place be-
yond Chevy Chase for the purpose Of
getting the cherry tree for his particular
| school,
Eighty-Three Happy Boys.
| Yesterday morning at $50 O'Clock a
special car was provided and eighty-three
boys went on cherry tree holiday. This
| is declared to be the first time in the his
| tory of America that such tribute has
| been given to the flower-loving Japane sc
| by the school children. of the country.
| At Chevy Chase Lake the boys scam
pered for the woods in the edge Of which
| Mr.. Fairchild's bungalow Is located and
around which hundreds Of young cherry
| trees have been planted. Single fle
| through the woods to Rock Creek and
back to where the small trees are heeled
In by the bank Of brook the boys wan
dered.
There each boy was given his tree. some
| moss and a piece Of Irvine and there on
tree for the trip home to his school, Mr..
| Fairchild's japanese gardener Mort, then
| showed the boys how his countrymen
plant the cherry tree. After cheers for
the trees, for Mr.. and Mrs. Fairchild. for
| Miss Sipe, for Mr.. Cramer and for Mort,
fh., marty urued To the civ