170 The Field Naturalist's Qua^Herly Aug. 



can only do so by degrees and to a limited and tentative 

 extent. Every member of such an association could engage 

 to plant one tree or more every year in his own grounds 

 or garden, supposing he had any, and also to plant a tree 

 for every one he cut down. It is a law in Germany that 

 every tree cut down must be compensated for by one 

 planted. 



Two other points require decision. First, Which day 

 shall be chosen as the Arbor Day or Tree Day ? The 

 choice lies between All Saints' Day (ist November), which 

 may be too early, Christmas Day, February 14, birds' pair- 

 ing day, according to the popular folk-lore, or Lady-day, 

 the beginning of the ecclesiastical, as formerly of the civil, 

 year. It is, however, impossible to plant trees when the 

 ground is hard with frost or drought, and, on the whole, 

 Christmas Day would seem to be the most suitable day 

 for the purpose, as there is seldom any hard frost by then, 

 and the ground is otherwise moist. 



Secondly, What trees are to be planted ? This would 

 require much consideration. Knowledge of sylviculture 

 would have to be combined with knowledge of ornithology 

 before a satisfactory selection could be made. Certain 

 birds are attracted by certain trees — for instance, crossbills 

 by conifers. If a district is overrun by one particular sort 

 of tree, such as the ash-tree, a tree financially profitable, 

 but only suited for bird-life when hollow, then trees of a 

 different sort and more suitable for birds should be selected. 

 Here it may, in passing, be not amiss to raise a protest 

 against the utter want of originality displayed in planting 

 the London streets and embankments. Because plane 

 trees are able to shed their bark, and so throw off the 

 deleterious effects of smoke, therefore no other trees but 

 planes are planted. No experiments appear to be made 

 to find out what other trees would do in London. Willows, 

 aspens, and sycamores seem to thrive in spite of smoke. 

 Plantings, when necessary, might in future be made more 

 impressive if the authorities in London and other towns 

 carried them out on the day fixed for Arbor Da}^, so that 

 they might share in the observance of such an anniversary. 

 The difference lately made to bird-life in London by the 



