1336 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



planting on a big scale, Alfred MacDonald reports, and 

 the Evening Post, of Worcester, Massachusetts, has taken 

 up the campaign there for a memorial grove. Prof. F. A. 

 Boggess, of the University Hall School, of Boulder, Colo- 

 rado, reports a very interesting program in connection 

 with the dedication of a memorial tree in honor of four 

 former students who gave their lives to their country. 

 An avenue of flags leading to the tree was a unique fea- 

 ture of the program in which the pupils took part. 

 Schools and colleges are taking up memorial tree plant- 

 ing extensively not only in honor of students and gradu- 

 ates but to mark their own graduation. Thus it will be 

 seen these classes will have trees of their own to come 

 back to at the reunions held ten and twenty years later. 

 Lester Park, the most beautiful and best known park 

 in Ogden, Utah, was, in April, the scene of a very un- 

 usual ceremony in the annals of the Forest Service. The 

 members of the office of the District Forester, located in 

 that city con- 

 gregated in the 

 park for the 

 purpose of ob- 

 serving Arbor 

 Day and to 

 pay respect to 

 the memory of 

 three co-work- 

 ers in Forestry 

 who sacrificed 

 their lives in 

 the world con- 

 flict. Forest of- 

 ficers are par- 

 ticularly inter- 

 ested in the 

 planting of and 

 caring for liv- 

 ing trees, and 

 a fitting meth- 

 od of honoring 

 them was believed to be in planting trees, since two of 

 the men had especially fitted themselves for this particu- 

 lar line of work and the other was an active member 

 of the Forest Service at the time of his death. These 

 three men were Captain Homer S. Youngs, Lieutenant 

 Hubert C. Williams and Forest Ranger Rudolf E. Mel- 

 lenthin. The first two died in France and the last was 

 killed while arresting a draft evader. 



District Forester L. F. Kneipp, who made the principal 

 address, said in part: 



"There are few things that man can do to show his 

 faith, his gratitude and his ideals which are more simple 

 than the planting of a tree — and yet, there are few things 

 that are more effective. A tree is a living memorial, often 

 more enduring than marble or bronze. A tree is a thing 

 of beauty and of inspiration ; a living token of the wonder 

 and glory of nature; a symbol of service. 



"For the life of a tree is a life of service. It gives a 

 touch of beauty to a barren waste ; it enriches the ground 

 upon which it stands and protects it from the destructive 

 elements ; it affords the birds of the air a nesting place and 



MEMORIAL TREES PLANTED FOR FORESTRY BOYS 



kneipp, Assistant District Foresters Fenn, Morse, Metcalf and Woods and other 

 members of the United States Forest Service observing Arbor Day and commemorating fallen heroes by 



K, 



District Forester 



members of the United States Forest Servici 



planting black walnut trees in Lester Park, Ogden, Utah. 



shelter from the storms; it tempers the keen edge of the 

 blizzard and the blasting touch of the drouth ; its buds and 

 its leaves are marvels of decorative beauty, and its fruits a 

 source of sustenance and life. Even the end of life is not 

 the end of a tree's service ; to the contrary, the end of life 

 opens new fields of service and utility which add immeasur- 

 ably to our civilization and our culture and our happiness. 

 "Because this is true, it follows naturally that one who 

 loves trees must love beauty and unselfishness ; must cherish 

 high ideals and lofty traditions. The mere planting of a 

 tree is an example of unselfish service, for few men can 

 live to enjoy the full fruit of their labor and none can help 

 but share the reward with their fellowmen. 



"It is not surprising that when the call came to save the 

 world from the threat of barbarism the men who loved 

 trees, who worked among trees, were quick to respond. It 

 is not surprising that men like Youngs and Williams and 

 Mellenthin gladly sacrificed themselves that their ideals 

 might endure, ideals that to them meant more than life itself. 

 '"Nothing that we can do to honor their memory; to 

 display our gratitude and appreciation, could be more fitting 



than that which 

 we are doing to- 

 day. May we 

 not hope that 

 these trees we 

 are planting here 

 will stand for 

 generations, liv- 

 ing m e m o r ials. 

 not only to these 

 men who made 

 the supreme sac- 

 rifice, but also to 

 the ideals which 

 they cherished 

 and for which 

 they gave their 

 lives?" 



At the con- 

 clusion of Mr. 

 Kneipp's ad- 

 dress, a black 

 walnut tree 

 was- planted in 

 memory of 

 each of the three men and a short history of the life of 

 each was given by a member of the Service. 



The people of the country are all interested in trees as 

 never before. Through tree planting they will see the 

 value of groves, through groves they will see the value of 

 forests, through forests they will quickly see the value of 

 a national forest policy. The ground work for big things 

 is being put in place by the Association. Every member 

 can have an important part in this work by co-operating. 

 Tell your friends of the work of your association. Keep 

 your editors informed. Take the lead in tree planting 

 in your own community. The American Forestry Asso- 

 ciation has ready an ideal program for a tree planting 

 day and wherever you see such activities planned, inform 

 those in charge that your association will be glad to help 

 in every possible way. Each member will get out of the 

 association just what she or he puts in it. The oppor- 

 tunity for returns in satisfaction, in the promotion of the 

 community spirit which bloomed during the war, and in 

 the betterment of your country, were never greater than 

 in co-operation at this time in the work the American 

 Forestry Association has before it. Let there be many 

 trees as a memorial to your endeavors. 



