Omaha daily bee., 1910-07-05

method 70 satisfy the need hit upon the
idea Of setting aside a certain specified
day for the Inauguration Of a tree planting
movement.
At the annual meeting OF the Nebraska
State Board OF Agriculture held In Lincoln.
January. 1874. he introduced a resolution
which read.
Resolved That Wednesday. the 10th day
OF April ls72. be, and the same is hereby,
especially set apart and consecrated for
tree planting in the state OF Nebraska, and
the state Board OF Agriculture hereby
names II Arbor day; and to urge upon the
people OF the state the vital importance Of
tree planting, hereby offers a special pre-
MUM OF 500 to the agricultural society Of
that county In Nebraska which shall upon
that day plant properly the largest number
of trees: and a farm library OF t25 worth OF
books to that person who on that day shall
plant properly in Nebraska the greatest
number of trees"
The resolution, unanimously adopted, met
with such enthusiastic response that on the
first Arbor day over 100000 trees were
planted. The day was established as an
annual event. In 1856 the legislature passed
an act designating the 22d of April. Mr..
Morton's birthday, as the date OF ArboT
day and making Il one of the legal holidays
OF the state. y
Ten years later the idea OF Arbor day
was so proudly claimed by Nebraskans as
their own that tho legislature in Joint
resolution adopted as a popular designation
for the commonwealth. The Tree Plant
ers state"
State. Follow Nebraska's Example.
The idea was quickly followed by other
states DR.. b. @. Northrop a congrega-
tional minister of Massachusetts, known
as the great apostle OF Arbor day" gave
up his other work to devote his entire
time to the tree planting culture move
ment. The American Forestry association
made him chairman of committee to
push it, and in lectures, newspapers and
pamphlets he spread the Arbor day propa-
ganda until before his death he had seen
It adopted by almost every state and ter
ritory. He even carried It across the
waters Of the Pacific and induced Japan
to make it one of the national holidays.
This was in 1895. His word bore some
weight in the land of the mikado, and his
visit was a happy one for him, as he was
well known. At one time he acted as
guardian to three Japanese women who
had come to this country to be educated.
One of them became the wife of Oyama
and all that she could do to honor her
old friend was done while he was in
Japan November 3, the date of the en-
peror's birthday, was selected as a fit
ting time for the japanese to observe as
tree-planting day.
In this country Arbor day is movable
holiday, each state selecting the date most
seasonable and convenient April seems
the most generally favored time, but its
observance ranges from January, the date
of the Florida Arbor day, to December,
though none OF the states uses the summer
months. Washington's birthday has been
selected by a number OF southern states.
In many of the states the date is fixed as
in Illinois, by the governor. The forms Of
observance have gradually become identi-
fled with the schools so that in one sense
it is practically a school holiday. School
superintendent throughout the country
prepare annually programs the purport OF
which is aimed to inculcate in the hearts
and minds Of the boys and gir,s a growing
appreciation Of the important relation
which trees bear to the climate the goog-
raphy, the history. the whole life of man
kind.
Always in wooded countries there has
been an intimate relation between man
and the trees which in earlier day he
worshiped. The mythology of all the older
people is as full Of tree lore as is the work
of the latter day poets. The love of tire ca
is not a modern discovery. but their in
telligent care and conservation is a COM
paratively new thing in this country, and
Arbor day has undoubtedly done much t.
educate the present generation as to Its
duty in this respect-Henry Barrett Cham
berlin in Chicago Record Herald.