ARBOR DAY— THE AMERICAN 

 SPRING FESTIVAL 



BY 



Wm. Canfield Lee, Washington, D. C. 



'X'HE time of year is now at hand set out a grove and made it a public 

 when Arbor Day is observed in institution, which has since become fa- 

 many States. The date varies ac- mous for its beauty and vahie. In 

 cording to the cHmatic location of the 1872 Mr. Morton induced the State 

 State. In the South, Arbor Day us- Board of Agriculture to adopt a reso- 

 ually occurs in the fall ; Texas and lution recommending the observance 

 Alabama, however, keep it in Febru- of a tree-planting day. April loth was 

 ary, on Washington's Birthday; and selected, and on that first Arbor Day, 

 thence it ranges northward at vary- in the one State of Nebraska, a mil- 

 ing dates, until in Maine and Montana lion trees were planted; some reports 

 it is in ]\Iay. In Georgia, the first say several millions. Nebraska has 

 Friday in December is fixed as the since been called the Tree Planter's 

 day, but the custom is to observe that State. At the present time the date 

 part of the year as the tree-planting taken for Arbor Day in Nebraska is 

 season, rather than to confine efforts April 22d, which is Mr. Morton's 

 to a single day. birthda}-. 



In some States the day is appoint- Other States followed the good ex- 



ed by the Governor; in others by ample set, and a large amount of tree 



school authorities. In some it is re- planting has been done. Minnesota 



quired by law, and in others it is in 1876, is said to have planted one 



merely a custom. In Idaho the cli- and a half million trees, and the Prov- 



matic conditions in dift'erent parts of ince of Ontario 40,000 in 1885. The 



the State are so variable that the law move has spread to foreign countries, 



requires the superintendent of schools and a recent issue of this magazine 



in each county to appoint a suitable noted the establishment of Arbor Day 



day. in the fall in Ireland. It has also es- 



In Pennsylvania there are three tablished itself in Great Britain, 



days ; two days appointed by the Gov- France, Norway. Russia, Spain, and 



ernor in the earlier and latter part of Japan. 



April, from which schools can choose At the first meeting of the American 



one most suitable to the locality ; and Forestry Association, then called the 



another m the fall appointed by the American Forestry Congress, in Cin- 



School Department. cinnati, in 1882, tree planting was 



According to one account, the Ar- brought to the public attention to such 

 bor Day idea originated with the sec- an extent that there were public cere- 

 retary of the Connecticut Board of monials; the school children and citi- 

 Education, Mr. B. G. Northrop, in zens planted a large number of trees; 

 1865. The man who made it a public and the reports of this occasion help- 

 observance, however, was J. Sterling ed to spread the knowledge of Arbor 

 Morton, Secretary of Agriculture un- Day throughout the country, 

 der President Cleveland. Mr. Mor- In most States the day is primarily 

 ton was reared in Michigan amidst used to teach children the beauty and 

 woods. When he went to the treeless usefulness of trees. Planting is made 

 country of Nebraska as a young man. on school grounds and elsewhere by 

 and took up a claim in 1854, he was so the school children; and in cities', 

 impressed by the need of trees that he where actual planting is not practic- 



