37 



Recitation (a) " Woodman, Spare That Tree.' 1 



(b) " Three Trees." 

 Dialogue (a) " Which Shall It Be?" 



(6) " Why We Keep Arbor Day." 

 Song "Arbor Day." 

 Reading (a) "A Wonderful Tree." 



(b) "From the Forest." 

 Roll Call Each pupil to rise at call of his name and give a quotation 



suited to Arbor Day. 



Recitation and Pantomime "Three Little Trees." 

 Recitation " Historic Trees." By nine pupils. 

 Song "Arbor Day March." 

 Address by a speaker chosen for the occasion. (Patron, trustee, clerk 



of school board, minister, county superintendent, or other 



speaker.) 



Song " Springtime." 

 Closing Remarks by the Teacher. 

 Song "America." Audience and school standing. 



(NOTE. Several selections are given for each recitation, reading and dialogue ; choose 

 the one best adapted to your pupils and if necessary rearrange the order in which the 

 different numbers come. A short GOOD program is much more effective than a poor 

 long one. A thing not done well is better not done at all.) 



ISTORY OF ARBOR DAY 



Once a year, on Arbor Day, we talk and sing about 

 the trees ; but do we all the year keep the spirit of 

 reverence of these comrades of the forest, guarding 

 the life we can not give again ? In some European 

 countries the man who cuts down a tree must plant 

 ten trees : and wisely enough, because in the chances 

 of the woods, many trees die for one that prospers. 

 Would it not be well for us Americans to offer hostage 

 to the future by thus seeding the ground we desolate? And would it not 

 also be well for us to act as guardians to the fine old trees already 

 growing green and goodly about us to see that they are pruned and 

 patched, if necessary ? for the tree doctor can now fill a hole in a tree 

 to check decay, as the dentist fills a hole in a tooth. Improvement 

 Clubs and Good Government Clubs could lessen the wanton destruction 

 of noble trees by judicious expostulation with the axman, or by cross- 

 ing his palm with a few persuasive dollars dollars that would count 

 as an alms to posterity. 



We are told that the custom of tree planting is an old one among the 

 Germans, who in the rural districts practice a commendable habit of 



