52 ARBOR DAY 



and watch from seed to shoot, from bud to limb, 

 and from flower to fruit, will be increasingly prized 

 with a sentiment of companionship and almost of 

 kinship as they grow into living memorials of happy 

 youthful days. Thus, the educating influences of 

 Arbor Day will manifest themselves more and 

 more as the years go by, especially to all who apply 

 Dr. Holmes 's advice, and "make trees monuments 

 of history and character," or appreciate his saying, 

 "I have written many verses, but the best poems I 

 have produced are the trees I have planted, " or the 

 striking words of Sir Walter Scott: " Planting and 

 pruning trees I could work at from morning till 

 night. There is a sort of self-congratulation, a 

 little tickling self-flattery in the idea that while you 

 are pleasing and amusing yourself, you are seriously 

 contributing to the future welfare of the country." 

 As a result of Arbor Day, talks on trees and tree- 

 planting are now common in our best schools. 

 Every pupil should be led to observe, recognize, and 

 admire our common trees, and thus come to realize 

 that they form the finest drapery that adorns this 

 earth in all lands. Such love of trees will tend 

 to make them practical arborists. Let the parent 

 as well as teacher, then, encourage every child girl 

 or boy to plant, or help in planting, if too young 

 to work alone, some flower, shrub, vine, or tree, to 

 be known by his or her name. Such offspring 

 they will watch with pride, as every month or year 



