1900.] ESSAYS. 47 



by the planter's foot, and left to grow without further care. 

 Naturally the greatest number of trees are planted in treeless 

 States, but the tree spirit is as strong among our well wooded 

 hills, and as deep a love may be aroused by the planting of a 

 single tree. 



Already forty-two States observe Arbor Day, either as a legal 

 holiday, or as a day set apart by their governors. The States 

 not otiicially observing Arbor Day are Utah, Wyoming and Dela- 

 ware. Arbor Day has entered Canada and Mexico, and crossed 

 the seas to Great Britain and India. 



Do you realize that railroads, manufactories and forest tires 

 consume in the United States an average of 25,000 acres growth 

 every twenty-four hours? How many acres are planted every 

 twenty-four hours? How long will it be before the primeval 

 woodlands will be completely denuded? 



With this enormous consumption, the need of tree planting 

 becomes greater, and the importance of Arbor Day increases. 

 As more than twice as much wood is consumed as can be grown 

 on our forest area, Arbor Day cannot hope to repair the loss, 

 but will set in motion those ideas, that in time, will develop 

 systematic forest management, such as is enjoyed by European 

 nations, and forest guardians to enforce protective laws will 

 reduce our loss to a minimum. 



Next in importance to Arbor Day being made a national 

 holiday, comes its celebration in the schools, for as much as 

 we may hope to influence the present generation toward tree 

 preservation, it is among the children that the greatest work 

 must be done. Only by arousing a tree planting sentiment 

 among them, can we hope for forests in the future. Our States 

 do not own great forest areas as in Europe, even private estates 

 seldom pass from generation to generation in one family, so that 

 we must depend upon public sentiment for our tree preserva- 

 tion — upon individual effort — therefore we cannot place respon- 

 sibility upon the Government — it is the people to whom we 

 must look, and the people must be taught through the public 

 schools. 



Let the young be taught that they herald an era of forest 



