Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-15
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

of planting trees upon the lots Of the
homes of the city In Sigourney, Iowa,
Legion post of only 100 members
bought q 30-acre field in which to de-
velop a city park. adorned with trees.
in memory of their deceased 'buddies."
What more fitting? Not STORED urn
or animated bust" so well betokens
living memory. Cedars and other ever
green's may be planted on Armistice
day, in all localities where they grow.
There are 1000 American Legion posts
in the United States. and of these, &C
cording to the records of the American
Tree Association. fully $500 posts have
taken an active part, or leading initiative
in tree-planting.
X * X
Women's clubs throughout the coun-
try have long made ree-planting fea-
ture of their work. so do the Boy Scouts
half million of the most energetic
and patriotic boys in the country. Some
railroad companies have planted shade
trees along many miles of their rights
of way. In Michigan and some parts
of PennSylvania-probab other States
as well-apple trees, instead of shade
trees, have been planted along high
WAYS for MANY miles. From Detroit
to the Indiana line there is magnificent
highway so lined on both sides with
apple trees, not only planted by the
State. but annually sprayed and cared
for by county foresters under State
direction.
When some one asked who was to
get. the apples. State official conf1ded
the secret that it hoped that they would
all be confiscated by automobile tourists
from outside of Michigan, who would
thus discover and tell the home folks
how excellent are Michigan apples. Why
not apple trees as well as shade trees
they supply both shade and fruit. In
this age of millions of Americans taking
long tours every season, in automobiles,
the beauty and attractiveness of public
highways become of greatly enhanced
interest. We are becoming an outdoor
people. and will think more and more
of what is to be seen as we ride the
miles. The glory of outdoors is in trees.
X *
Not only may trees be used to COM
memorate heroes and great events: they
may become ones own memorial. more
lasting and more beneficent than
marble shafts.
Years ago Mr.. j. Sterling Nor
ton went West to live in Nebraska.
There he looked upon the treeless
prairies, and, knowing that the broad
ranges of grass had once supported for
eSts, he began to plant trees. 1t became
his hobby, long before he became United
States Secretary of Agriculture. In
1872 he established Arbor day for the
encouragement of tree planting. His
own forestry developed and the trees be-
came great as well as numerous. To-
day at the entrance to that prairie
Oro Ne q fob lnf 10
DRY of its planter. bearing the injunc-
ton, IF you would see my monument,
look about YOU
There is no one who has done more
for American forestry than mas the
president of the American Forestry As
ISOLATION, Charles Lathrop Pack 1t is
not generally known that Mr. Pack not
only founded the association, but that
he alone supports 1t financially: 1t has
no income except from him-not even
dues. Yet it maintains Offices occupy
ing an entire building on Sixteenth
street. and is astonishingly active in
tree propaganda not only in America,
but over battle-scarred Europe. to which,
at Mr.. Packs expense, millions of tree
seeds were sent Immediately after the
World War-especially to France These
seeds have been propagated in French
nurseries and are now ready to be
planted. 1t supplies free to schools
and individuals primers" on forestry
printed by the million-and other pub
locations on trees, of very great inter-
est and value.
What memorial to Charles Lathrop
Pack! In Colonial days, a man with
a hobby for apple trees tramped across
Ohio. scattering apple seeds as he
journeyed. Those seeds grew into wild
apple trees In forest and field, and the
Buckeye people remember to this dav
their debt to 'Appleseed Johnny" Will
not future generations of the French
ever associate their forests with the
Yankee. Mr.. Pack. and his millions of
seeds? In 10 of the leading American
forestry schools. there is Pack
Foundation giving annual prizes for
forestry efficiency Surely the day will
come when the Morton sentiment in
bronze must be repeated for this later
champion of trees.
There is much to be said on behalf
of reforestation from a standpoint =
economic. but today the theme Is not
lumber. but memorial forestry. or road
side trees. They give rest and peace
to man and beast
Give fools their gold and knaves their
power:
Let fortunes bubbles rise and fall:
Who Sows a field, or trains flower,
Or plants tree, is more than all.
scopyriEht AasA BIZ Paul v. coliins.l