ITS EDUCATING INFLUENCE 51 

 ARBOR DAY. ITS EDUCATING INFLUENCE 



BY B. G. NORTHRUP 



THE observance of Arbor Day has already led 

 to the planting of myriads of trees in this country. 

 Important as is this result, the educating Influence 

 of this work is of still higher value. lOne of these 

 educating forces begins when children are thus led 

 to plant not only trees,,but tree-seeds, acorns, nuts, 

 grape-stones or pits, ana then to observe the wonder- 

 ful miracles which the tree-life they have started is 

 working out before them. J What interest and profit, 

 what growth of mind and heart they will gain as 

 they watch the mysterious forces of these living 

 germs, their marvelous assimilating power, carrying 

 on a curious chemistry in their underground labo- 

 ratory, linked with the mysterious apparatus of 

 the leaves above, transforming coarse earth and 

 even offensive filth into living forms of surpassing 

 beauty and fragrance. ( It is something for a child 

 who has dropped such a germ into the earth, to feel 

 that he has made a lasting contribution to the 

 natural beauty around him, for there is nothing more 

 ennobling than the consciousness of doing some- 

 thing for future generations, which may prove 

 a growing benefaction in coming years, a better 

 monument than any in bronze or marble J The 

 trees which children plant around the homestead 



