Evening star., 1932-10-30

according to the charter, Ito promote and
inculcate in more people the desire to read
good literature; to make home libraries more
easily available; to urge the reading of good
literature by public announcements, newspapers,
radio; to provide for lectures exhibits, public
meetings, conferences" all to seek Ito promote
the general culture of the Nation" The first
dozen books now in circulation under this plan
range from Alice in Wonderland to the New
Testament Treasure Island" and Green
Mansions here. "Pere Goriot" and The
Merchant Of Venice with Buffers The Way
OF All Flesh" Emerson's essays and HardyS
Under the Greenwood Tree" Tom Sawyer
comes running, and The Hunting of the
Shark" stands side by side with THE Adven-
lures of Sherlock Ho,mas" Palgraves Colder
Treasury of Verse" rounds the list.
A book event of Washington, indeed, or SO
it seemed to me looked and almost tasted
the completely delectable first Offering OF
this single hearted group of we-wshers to
the public in general by way of this literature.
so high but so companionable withal, SO beau
tifully set up in a single company and easily
within the reach of even a hard-times purse.
Congratulations, with a distinct touch of local
pride.
Lathrop Pack. Washington, D. c.: Amer
ican Tree Association.
A PRIMER Designed, therefore, for first
u graders in the subject. The subject is
trees, forests General information in this re-
spect is, however, so rare that many a grand
father pursuing it. will be found in the begin
ners' class.
Sound, in q psychologist sense is the authors
purpose Of an early start in this line Of
schooling. Right in his theory that tree knowl-
edge tree culture should begin in the school
house. Facts vital to the safety and permanent
well-being of communities, of peoples, must find
early rootage, when minds open, plastic,
eager to welcome, warm to entertain IN friend
ship and support. Forests are among the most
vital of these facts. To love tree Is natural.
Its beauty its covering shade, its nesting place
Of birds, its whispering tones. these call to the
imaginative minds of children seed to be
nurtured steadily till it grows to the enthusi-
astic and intelligent efforts of the country itself
in defense of the forests in their renewal and
full perpetuation.
Four million copies of the Primer" have been
printed and distributed to teachers throughout
the country. Only Is lessons to learn, and
these hardly come within the meaning of les
sons" Rather, as many voyages of discovery
among trees, many games to play finding out
their innumerable uses in objects at hand.
Toys houses furniture, railroad ties, telegraph
poles, an almost endless whatnot Of And
each line of means replacement in ample
store. Among the Lessons are those dealing
with the fact that the tree have enemies. beside
mans wasteful use of them. Fires, insects,
sickness of various sorts. All these to be found
out All these to be headed off and defeated,
by the school children themselves. And there
is the great lesson Of land without trees and,
finally, without people. These facts come out
in The Primer lesson by lesson, in a SIM
plicity of manner. in an earnestneSs of spirit,
that are securing warm and widespread well
come for the little book Indeed, it appears
to be creating a huge cooperative association,
all the school children of the country bound
together in innumerable tree paintings on many
memorial occasions, and often no occasion
at all save the joyous one of giving tree the
chance to live vigorously and happily.
Up in Ulster County N Y. there is boys
school The head of that school is tree man,
as well many other sorts of the right kind of
man. No tree on the estate, fallen by age or
other disaster leaves an unoccupied and vacant
place. Promptly another tree from some over
crowded clump is carefully and expertly set to
carry in place Of the old one. The boys of
that school planted memorial tree road to the
house of John Burroughs, not SO far away.
Conservation of trees of wood, of every item in
the health and Wel-beng of the forests is part
Of both the teaching and practice in that
school. Every year boys go out from it on the
way to being men and entering some business
or profession. Not many of them will deal di-
rectly with the great subject of the country's
forests, but not one of them will be Indifferent
to the demand for great wooded areas since at
school the daily practice was to associate with
trees, to love the woods and to know them, and
to realize thoroughly the business of the people
as forest champions.
1t is very beautiful enterprise and a vital
one as well, that undertaken by the American
Tree Association in practical a manner in
SO high spirit of love for country. And
anybody is lucky to go to school to The
Forestry Primer" whose author is the public
spirited enthusiast Charles Lathrop Pack,
president of the America Tree Association of
Washington, D. C.
LETTERS OF CHARLES DICKENS: To the
Raroness RIIrdett -Co,ltts Edited nv Charles