Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-05-11
Civic Art (Continued From Page One.)

tree? It was Ruskin who said. What a thought that was when God thought of tree.'
 How abundantly has our native state Teen blessed with the climate and soil .wherewith to grow almost an illimitable number of trees. Our soil yields such wealth of returns for toll invested, that we of the Southern cities, should not be chary of bestow ing on Mother Earth that which is her own, and which she will return to us Ibeautiful and glorious, and a joy for ever. Civic pride should create civic industry towards the upbuilding and beautifying of our city The city which by location an denvironment is destined to become the metropolis of our state.
 The planting and care of the proper trees nour sidewalks and premises is the first step towards civic art, and the fulfillment of our ambition to make Pine Bluff "A City Beautiful The American Civic Association rec omnends to American cities that the Shade Tree Commission, the fOrma- ton of which is advocated, be re- Quested to take up in broad and efficient way, the whole question of planting and maintaining trees.
 0S kl,ic inn n the efforts of other American cities ;n this direction has disclosed many interesting facts.
 Stockbridge, Mass, was the home of the first Village Improvement So- ciety in the United States. organized in 1853. The first year this society planted more than 400 trees, and of- fered prizes for their planting by others, and rewards for the conviction of those who injured the trees. Other towns have offered prizes to children for eggs of the destructive caterpillar, thereby accomplishing wonders in the abatement of this nuisance.
 Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Troy, and Duluth awakened to aesthetic as- pirations, have provided that their shade trees te made city charge. In other cities it only applies to one Street. as in Commonwealth avenue, of Boston. For thirty years Buffalo has had authority to plant trees, and assess cost to owner if he failed to plant, but never once has it been nec- essary to exercise the right.
 Tn Washington ID. c. the trees are in charge of special City Commits. sioner and number S0,0O0. New Jer- sey and Massachusetts each have laws fer the protection and maintenance of trees
 When 2. severe storm destroyed street trees in Savannah, a Tree Com : missioner was formed to restore to t,he streets their lost beauty In this instance the expense was paid from inc city treasury. In Aiken, $. C., .he Village Improvement Society appoih'- cd committee on the planting o' Pine trees, and it has done a mag nificent work Cleaning from Dem ver's enterprising little paper, aMuni- cipal News" Free shade trees will De distributed to householders Of Denver on Municipal Arbor day in April as usual. this year. Fifteen thousaho trees. mostly Naples and Films. VII be given away. Last years trees are in excellens condition, having been planted by rules laid down ov yhe city forester, SS per cent Of them all thriving. By terms of the co"- tract the rate is about 2S eeT,s per tree. and none are less than i-4 in. in diameter"
 recent telegram to one ot our dailies, states that the people of heh- newick. Wash, on April 1lth, Of this yesr, planted ten miles of shade trees along the bank of the Coiumoia r;vor as their contribution to the statewide observance of Arbor Day Rusiness was suspended, and the ciu- zens turned out en masse. Thus upon research we find noble work IS oe- ing done in our own country, as "e'i as in foreign countries.
 HOW inspiring to know tha Paris owns 100,0o trees, and anhuaiiy eA' bends $6o.oOo on them rms e''s maintains hospital fer the care or .,ck trees. and those which line theif avenues show no signs of decay anu m vacancies. and no sapiings pian ed where a larger tree has been.
 Aside from the aesthetie iea'u'e7 of these facts, another argument III favor. of tree planting, is the con alteration of their sanitary va'ue, r,.o fa,;ape inhalss carbonic acid anu