ARBOR DAY. 149 



that on this day they give such instruction as will bring 

 to the mind of every pupil the value and beauty of 

 forestry, and to devote a portion of the day to practical 

 experience in planting trees in school yards and other 

 places. 



There is an Arabian proverb that, with the plant- 

 ing of a tree, a blessing comes to him who drops the seed. 

 This is a sentiment that should find expression in the life 

 and acts of every citizen of our state. We are to-day 

 enjoying the grateful shade, the scenes of beauty, and the 

 fragrant fruitage of those trees whose planting was the 

 thoughtful care of those who first came to this western 

 land. In this arid country, where the fields bloom only 

 by the aid of artificial irrigation, it is not alone the 

 sentiment of beauty, but of utility and profit, that should 

 inspire a general observance of Arbor Day. 



Climate, health, comfort, the products of our soil 

 everything that makes Colorado attractive and desirable 

 depend, to a certain extent, upon the influence of forest 

 culture. Let every child, every citizen, plant each year a 

 tree, and a few years would change the aspect of our 

 country ; there would remain for those who come after us 

 not only living and beautiful memorials of our labor, but 

 they would cover with verdure the domain where desola- 

 tion now reigns, and convert the barren plains into fruit- 

 ful fields. 



