28 ARBOR DAY 



A UNIQUE CELEBRATION 



From Journal oj Education 



THE most unique celebration of Arbor Day, 

 probably, is that which occurs at Eynsford, England, 

 where some remarkable commemorative tree-plant- 

 ing has taken place. The observance began in 1897, 

 during Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee, when 

 shade trees were planted in acrostic form, and an 

 orchard of apple trees was set out. During the 

 South African war the shade trees commemorated 

 the defense of Kimberly, Ladysmith, and Mafeking. 

 In 1902, four years after Queen Victoria's death, 

 trees were planted along the main road as a memo- 

 rial in acrostic form, expressing Lord Tennyson's 

 line: 



She wrought her people lasting good. 



Since then a quarter of a mile of trees have been 

 planted whose initial letters spell out two lines from 

 Robert Browning's "Rabbi Ben Ezra": 



The best is yet to be: 



The last of life for which the first was made. 



In this way the people are drawn to learn 

 the names of many different varieties of trees, 

 so as to identify them at sight and read the 

 couplets from the fifty-two initial letters, for 

 themselves. 



