The Washington herald., 1908-03-13

majority OF cases. they close with the
plea that the small trees suited 10 that
section be sent from. the government
nurseries. Such letters are difficult 10
answer II is impossible to say what
trees 10 plant unless the local conditions
are exhaustively detailed. As 10 fur
niShinE the trees-that is utterly impOs-
sble. II would take ali the government
nurseries are raising each year for their
own great schemes OF refOrestlng, and
more, TOO.
1t has been suggested by men who have
given much thought 70 the problem. that
this business Of furnishing trees 10 Arbor
Day celebrants be made that OF each III
dividual States forester. Twenty-six
States now have forest officers and agri-
cultural experiment stations. where such
work can be carried on. II would be
wise 10 make a small charge for each
tree, limiting the number sold 20 each
applicant and, as in the case of Ohio,
have an expert from the State forest
service see that each tree is planted cor
rectly. A small charge would save the
States the experience Of Kansas. Kansas
supplied 10000 trees for planting 10 her
people last year Often in busy days the
farmer let the trees ne had asked for lie
untended at the express Office. and then
lost the trees. which lad COST the S.3te
something.
The father Of Arbor Day was ]. Ster-
ling Morton. Secretary of Agriculture
under Cleveland. When governor OF Ne
braska. he grew Interested in the plant
ing Of trees 10 redeem vase lands At
a meeting Of the State board Of ag-iSul-
ture in January. 1874. he brought the
matter up. and the second Wednesday
In April was set aside as Arbor Day
The governor set about imbulng the clti-
Zens OF Nebraska with his 1Wa enthU-
siasm. and on that first American Arbor
Day observed only In Nebraska. Ne
braska is said 10 have set odt l40a. go
trees There sre now 100.08 reforested
acres in that state which are the re-
suit ~ the ArbOr Day movement Iowa
was the next state TO name a Gay. then
came Michigan. and Gov Alga. in his
message. said: we may not live 10 en-
JOY the full fruits Of this work. but our
children and our children's children viii
receive the benefit from the labor" In
ten years seventeen States had named
aFbOr days
Arbor Day became a day for children
in May. lS2. when AT the annual meeting
OF the American Forestry Association in
Cincinnati the little folks were invited
70 take part. Twenty thousand school
children. with bands playing and flags
flying. marched IN a body % Eden Park
and planted Authors Grove" as a per-
petual reminder of the day. West Vir-
ginia Immediately seized on the idea ard
gave her ArbOr Day 10 her school chill
dren- Since then other States and Terri
placed In the willing unframed little
hands the fate OF the day that must bear
so big and potent lesson TO the Ameri-
can people.
How much good has come from ArbOr
Day cannot be estimated. No State has
ever touched Nebraska's first record.
though Minnesota planted 10000 trees
on Arbor Day. 1876, and the Province OF
/ Ontario 5000 in 1855 The trees the chill
dren planted have often died. bat those
that the farmers planted from the days
I Inspiration have usually lived. So the
/ lesson has had its force Their interest
IN forestry has already been felt by the
: nation. The children Of San Barnardino
County. Cal. have decided to reforest
their mountains. and a petition recently
sent the government asking the estab-
lshment OF a redwood national park was
from the children Of Eureka, Cal.
II would be sOod 20 inspire IN all chill
dren such love Of trees as that held by
the late Col W II. jackson, Of Athens.
Ga Nearly 100 years ago he gave a great
tree there a deed 70 itself. for as the tree
stood near a thOrOughfare he knew IL
might some day be cut down. To-day
the tree still stands, though the good col
onel was long ago gathered % his faith
ers, while the deed is on record at the
courthouse, protecting the tree forever
FOR and in consideration OF the deep
/ love and yeneration 1 have for the oak
tree"
TO-morrow-The Carnegie Institu-
tiOn.