52 ARBOR DAY. 



of schools has proved a most effective way of calling pub- 

 lic attention to the subject of forestry." It seems to be an 

 initial move in the introduction of some of the elementary 

 lessons in horticulture now common to the public schools 

 of Austria and Prussia. 



This spring, Superintendent Sabin has chosen Gen. 

 Grant's birthday April 27 for the observance of Arbor 

 Day in Iowa, and has sent out to the schools of the state 

 an interesting circular letter with appropriate greeting, sen- 

 timents, and suggestions in regard to programme. The 

 motto of the Arbor Day annual should be the subject for 

 thought and discussion in every school of the land: "The 

 tree of the field is man's life." If the students, parents, 

 and managers in every school in the state can be interested 

 in the observances and sentiments of Arbor Day, we can 

 hopefully look forward to the time when the school grounds 

 of our country will have attached gardens as in Germany, 

 and the students given elementary lessons on the planting, 

 mission, and uses of trees and flowers. Speaking of this 

 feature of the public schools of Europe, the writer gave 

 the following incident in the summer of 1882: 



" While walking from the little village of Proskau, in 

 Silesia, to the grounds of the horticultural school, some- 

 thing over a mile distant, with my friend Gibb, scanning 

 the trees and shrubs on each side of the arboretum road, 

 active stepping young and middle aged men continually 



