The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-10
THOUSANDS OF
CATALPAS FOR
YOUNG PEOPLE
ArbOreal Beauty of Bridgeport
to be Increased by Planting
of Many Trees on
ArbOr Day
The SapIings Are Gifts of Busi-
ness HOuse-Nine Trees to
be Planted in Barnum School
Yard

Arbor Day will be observed in
Bridgeport, tomorrow, as never 1t
has been before, for to every pupil
in the schools Of the city there will
be given the opportunity to individu-
ally plant a tree in honor of the day.
There are being distributed today 10
all the schools, catalpa trees Of the
Seeding age and the speciosa, family.
Tomorrow these trees will be given
to the scholars to take home and
plant in convenient place. With
each tree, pupils will be given a card
instructing them how to plant and
care for the tree itself. If Arbor Day
of 1911 is not long remembered by
Bridgeport school children it will in
deed be odd.
The catalpa is tree which lends
itself we'll to the purpose for which
Arbor Day was established; that OF
adding new trees in city and coun-
try in place of those which are be-
ing cut down Or killed by diseases.
Catalpa trees grow very rapidly. They
develop into handsome and ornamen-
tai trees which give a delightful shade.
Their leaves are large and glossy and
their blossoms, which grow in clns-
ters somewhat similar to those of the
horse chestnut, are of agreeable odor.
There are a few specimens in the
city now: notably on William street.
near East Washington avenue. II
these can be taken as a criterion,
these that grow from the seedlings
to be distributed throughout the
schools will be real additions to the
tree life of the city.
Rather unusual is the manner in
which this tree-planting opportunity
comes The trees are an absolute
nf hn ri
That gift is made by the Rowland
Dry Goods company; distribution be-
ing made through .the courtesy Of the
Board of Education, which last month
approved Of the plan. The trees them
selves are a year old and were pur-
"a nursery in Ohio that makes spe-
cialty OF tree culture. They will
average two feet or more in height
and If properly planted and cared for
can be counted upon to live and
thrive.
Beside giving tree to each child
in the Bridgeport schools, the Howland
company is including all the towns
adjacent. Milford Stratford, Fair
field. Westport and the cities Of Nor
walk and South Norwalk all will profit
by the generosity Of the company. In
Bridgeport and Norwalk, trees will
also be presented to the pupils in the
OarCCnldi SCl1OOlS ctLluOUSI ILLS Ceil-
not be done until next week as they
are at present closed for the Easter
vacation. The Howland Co. has a
shipment of 25,0O0 saplings.
Incidentally, this distribution OF
trees marked the first appearance up-
on the streets Of Bridgeport of the
Rowland company's delivery automo-
bile. This car, a Loco, of the same
general style as the familiar Howland
wagons with their decoration Of red
upon black, was used in delivering
the trees to the schools in prepara-
ton for their distribution tomorrow.
Yes indeed, Arbor Day is to be quite
a day this year hereabouts. And If
you see q boy or girl with a small
tree tomorrow hurrying home from
school you will know that there is
one participant in a really-proper OBJ
servanee Of an important day.
At the BarnuTn school, sessions will
be stopped earlier in the afternoon,
than usual, when the children will
congregate in the school yard to as
sist in the planting OF nine well grown
trees, the gifts to the school OF the
Bridgeport Civic Alliance, who have
yearly given trees to the school chill
dren to be planted in the school
yards. ----..-..