FOREST FIRES IX XORTH CAROLIXA. 47 



of 1913. It, however, failed of passage, owing to tlie rush of bills at the 

 end of the session. A similar bill was introduced into the Legislature 

 of 1915, and, backed by the good people of Charlotte (who had previously 

 held a most successful Arbor Day celebration in that city), by the North 

 Carolina Forestry Association, the State Geological and Economic Sur- 

 vey, and others interested in Forestry, it became a law without any 

 serious opposition. 



AN ACT TO APPOINT AN ARBOR DAY FOR NORTH CAROLINA.* 



The General Assemhiy of Xorth Carolina do enact: 



Section 1. That the Friday following the first day of November in each 

 year shall be known as Arbor Day, to be appropriately observed by the public 

 schools of the State. 



Sec. 2. That the Governor is herewith authorized to make proclamation 

 setting forth the provisions of this act and recommending that Arbor Day be 

 appropriately observed by the school children of the State, in order that they 

 may be brought up to appreciate the true value of trees and forests to their 

 State. 



Sec. 3. That it shall be the duty of the State Superintendent of Public In- 

 struction to take the matter of the observance of Arbor Day by the public 

 schools of the State under his general supervision, to issue each year a pro- 

 gram for its observance, to cover such part of. the day as he may prescribe, and 

 to transmit suitable instructions to the county school authorities under his 

 chai-ge for an appropriate observance of Arbor Day. 



Sec. 4. That this act shall be in force from and after its ratification. 



Ratified this the 25th day of February, A. D. 1915. 



At first thought, it would seem that Arbor Day should be celebrated in 

 the spring. The planting of trees and shrubs and the general call of the 

 out-of-doors appeals to children much more strongly in the spring than 

 in the fall. Many kinds of trees do better planted just before the sap 

 starts in the spring than if planted in the autumn. It is for these and 

 other reasons that most States keep Arbor Day in the spring, endeavoring 

 to select a date upon which planting would be most likely to be success- 

 ful. In many of the Southern States, however, the public schools are 

 not in session in the spring; so that it is impossible to have the day 

 generally observed by the schools at that time of the year. It is for this 

 reason that several States observe Arbor Day in the fall. Two or three 

 have two Arbor Days a year, one in the spring and one in the autumn. 

 Kentucky, which originally appointed a spring day, has found it neces- 

 sary to change to ^STovember. 



For this same reason it was thought advisable, after consultation with 

 the K'orth Carolina school authorities, to fix a day when practically 

 all schools in the State are in session. It is hoped that this will insure 



►Chapter .51, PubUc Laws 19i; 



