-I
Conservative *
low a knowledge of their life , habits
and value. The child who has thrown
his handful of earth about the roots of a
tree , will ever after watch its growth ,
and through the love of one will coine
interest in the woodlands.
Tree planting is educational in the
largest sense , the handling and planting
encourage observation , and cultivate
a love of all natural objects , and above
all teach unselfishness in seeking to
enrich the future.
Speaking of investing a tree with in
terest recalls a sugar maple from whose
rugged trunk the
A Marked Trco. . . . , , , a ,
life blood flowed
freely in the spring time. It grew on a
mountain roadside , and was a noble
specimen with wide spreading branches.
Upon it was a board bearing this verse :
"Most sacred tree that over grow ,
True typo of Him whom sinners slow ,
From thy pierced siilo thou dost bcdow
With sweetness , those who pierced thee
through.
Now a now name give I to thce ,
Bo called henceforth the 'Christus tree. ' "
Just below it , over a spring , was this
inscription :
"Oh traveler stay thy weary feet ,
Take from this fountain pure and sweet
A cup of water in his name.
It flows for rich and poor the same.
Then go thy way , remembering still
The wayside spring beneath the hill. "
Old and young in the neighborhood
had learned the verses , and it occurred
to me that appropriate inscriptions hung
on favorite trees in the school yard , or
upon especially noble trees in our parks
would idealize and eanctify them.
What are the possibilities for Women's
Clubs ? Arbor Day history is yet to be
, . , , , written. What
.r .
Work for Clubs.
greater service can
Women's Olubs do than to first inform
themselves on the subject of forestry
and seek to impress the present genera
tiou with the imperative need of tree
planting and tree preservation ? II
would be a most worthy ambition to in
fuse into our school system , reaching as
it does the heart and life of every child
the purpose and the will to exert every
effort to change this destructive process
to one of increase , in every state and
territory , and teach those habits ol
thought and feeling in regard to the
benefits and uses of tree planting , to de
ter them from the destruction of our
lawns and parks.
We can encourage the organization oi
forestry associations in every city , town
and school district
Organize. .
As part of our ed
ucatioual program we can plan attract
ive Arbor Day exercises , and interesi
the teachers in our vicinity to use
them. Suggestions for such exercises
with appropriate poems and songs , can
be found libraries under the title oi
Arbor Day , and Hon. B. G. Northrup ol
Connecticut , Hon. B. L. Butcher of Wes
Virginia , and Dr. Peasloe of Connect !
out are authorities on planting in schoo
yards. The State Superintendent of
Wisconsin issues n. . yearly Arbor Day
)0ok of fifty pages , full of original sug
gestions appropriate for Arbor Day cole
rations. In what more practical way
can our Forestry Associations and Horticultural
ticultural Societies encourage the love
of tree culture than by inspiring Arbor
Day celebrations in our schools ?
Ou Arbor Day the children may apply
; he knowledge gained from nature
study , out-of-door schools , field work ,
whatever name you choose to give that
broadening educational impulse that
brings the child in touch with the
out door world , rather than with books.
It is permeating our schools today.
Let us hope that in the near future field
work will be incorporated in our public
school system. Every graduating class
should hear a few practical lectures on
forestry. Use less'and waste less , should
be taught in the primary schools , for as
the Germans say , "What you would
have appear in the national life , you
must introduce in the public schools. "
Let the boys be called the Forestry Cad
ets , and the magic of the name will
work wonders , as it has in the children's
street cleaning brigades. Lessons in the
care of camp fires will decrease the horrors
rors of forest fires. Plant trees in. our
door yards , and our streets will soon be
bordered. Lead a few horses away from
trees being gnawed to their death , and
wire guards will follow.
I believe the easiest way to solve great
problems is to begin with individual ef-
T , , , , . . fort. Try , howev-
Individuality. . ,
er simply , to right
the wrong , and growth will follow. If
such men as Hon.B. G. Northrup can
change the aspect of some parts of Con
necticut by his well planned efforts ,
how much more can we , 160,000 club
women , do in our respective states ?
Twenty-five per cent , of our states
would be covered by forests. Let us
learn how much of our state is covered.
If our Washington Elm during
every fair day in the growing season
gives out 7 % tons of moisture to the air ,
let us not bo discouraged ; if we cannot
plant a forest , plant one tree.
France has planted , and is planting ,
all of her 19,000 miles of public roads
with way side trees
The French. _ . , _ ,
Our city of Rooh
ester has just freed its trees from tent
caterpillars by aid of the children the
sum spent was small , the public senti
ment aroused great ; have wo no cater
pillars in our own town ?
It is a marvel that in any city where a
Forestry Association , Horticultural So
ciety or service club thrives that their
first work is not to rescue the trees from
destruction and death. The cost is so
small , the return in health and comfort
and beauty beyond compare. Why do
we , who love nature , spend our time
and strength on work that can wait
while our trees , which money cannoi
buy and only generations of time can
replace , slowly succumb to the ravages
of horses and electric wires ?
The appalling statistics of tree destruc
tion make the planting of a few trees ,
the teaching of a few children , seem in
significant.
To those who do not realize that from
Arbor Day celebrations Village Improve
ment Societies have arisen , as did Arbor
Day itself from the efforts of one man ,
to the club women of the city to whom
practical tree planting seems a difficult
undertaking , I would like to tell the
story of a postal card , hoping it may
from its small beginning to its happy
ending , serve as encouragement.
In one of our large cities a woman's club
was formed in the spirit of helpfulness
. , . . work. The
r .
A Woman's Club.
question arose as
to what practical work should be done ,
and the members wore asked to write on
a postal the subject which they would
like to have the club study. Among the
many suggestions was one "Tho preserv
ation of our city trees. " That with
others was selected for the winter's work
and a tree committee formed. The
story of that tree committee would be a
fit subject for a book. Full of hope and
enthusiasm they studied the condition of
the street trees , found them in such a
state of decline and decay , so horse
gnawed and wire burned , with no pub
lic funds reserved for their protection
that the city stood next to the foot of
the official list for wayside trees. Here
indeed was discouraging work for an
untried club.
They planned to ask the city for an
appropriation ; they began by writing
for the papers to
Glorious Success. , , .
arouse public sen
timent , and to make people notice the
trees. They talked long and earnestly
with the city forester to find a lack of
funds the chief cause of neglect. At
last armed with facts and figures , know
ing full well the necessity of reclaiming
the trees if the city was ever to enjoy
shade , health and beauty , they sought
the Mayor. No one but that struggling
committee knows how many times they
found the doors closed by press of busi
ness , how many times appointments left
unfilled by unforseen absence. Of the
Mayor's approval they were assured.
Many times by arguments and entreat
ies they seemed to have convinced the
Board and Council , only to be told , that
while the subject was praiseworthy , the
city debt was too great to allow making
new appropriations. This committee
unused to political methods and work
in public affairs , learned through bitter
experience how difficult was the road to
success when one had for their object
the public welfare only. In that period
of discouragement they began individ
ual work on a small scale. The City
Forester gave them young trees , and the
club induced property owners to pay for
