Forest Fires and their Prevention. 



37 



planted on the school grounds in the morning and in the afternoon 

 drills, songs, and recitations, illustrating the child's relation to the trees 

 and flowers around him, were very well given by the children in the 

 large school auditorium. 



Such a celebration might be held annually by every school in the 

 state with great profit to the children, and with increasing interest on 

 the part of the parents. There is a growing tendency among the men 

 to leave the education of the children more and more to the women, and 

 the next generation will have special cause to bless their mothers for 

 opening their eyes to the beauty and usefulness of the trees if the 

 women, who, through their clubs are doing such good work for civic im- 

 provement and the betterment of education, would take up this matter 

 all over the State and work for a general Arbor Day observance. 



In most States some special day is selected as Arbor Day by the Gov- 

 ernor or Superintendent of Education, or some other authority, and all 

 schools are expected to observe that particular day. In North Carolina, 

 where the school year varies so in the different counties, and where the 

 time for planting trees varies with the different regions of the State, it 

 would probably be better for each County Superintendent, or even each 

 School Principal, to set the day which would be most convenient to him 

 and most appropriate to the season and locality. Where only a summer 

 and fall school session is given, October in the mountains, I^ovember in the 

 Piedmont section, and December in the eastern part of the State would 

 be suitable times, while where a nine or ten months school is the rule, 

 March or x\pril would be more suitable, as children, and older folks too, 

 for that matter, naturally turn to the woods and fields in the spring- 

 time. Some Friday would usually be selected as interfering less with 

 the routine of school work, though such interference really often turns 

 out to be rather a help than hindrance to the work. 



FORESTRY IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



There are two ways in which Forestry can be taught in the Public 

 Schools without adding another course to the already crowded curricu- 

 lum : first, by means of an auxiliary reader ; and second, by correlating 

 the various phases of Forestry with those courses taught in the school 

 which are naturally connected with it. 



1. The present system in l^orth Carolina requires the use of "basal" 

 readers in the various grades. These are supplemented by auxiliary 

 readers on a great variety of subjects, such as: geography, household 

 economics, etc. The use of these is optional, the County Superintend- 

 ent or the Principal deciding on the subject which will be most helpful 



