Ariordays. 411 



of Agriculture of Nebraska in 1873, Arbor Day gradu- 

 ally became a day of observance in nearly every State. 

 While with the exception of the so-called treeless 

 States, perhaps not much planting of economic value is 

 done, the observance of the day ia schools as one set 

 apart for the discussion of the importance of trees, 

 forests and forestry has been productive of an increased 

 interest in the subject. Arbor days have perhaps also 

 had a retarding influence upon the practical forestry 

 movement, in leading people into the misconception 

 that forestry consists in tree planting, in diverting at- 

 tention from the economic question of the proper use of 

 existing forest areas, in bringing into the discussion 

 poetry and emotions, which have clouded the hard- 

 headed practical issues and delayed the earnest atten- 

 tion of practical business men. 



Private efforts in the East in the way of fostering 

 and carrying on economic timber planting should not 

 be forgotten, such as the offering of prizes by the Mas- 

 sachusetts Society for the Promotion of Agriculture (as 

 early as 1804 and again in 1876), and the planting 

 done by private land holders at Cape Cod, in Rhode 

 Island, Virginia, and elsewhere. These efforts, to be 

 sure, were only sporadic and unsystematic, and on no 

 scale commensurate with the destruction of virgin for- 

 est resources. 



A touching attempt of two noble Frenchmen to teach 

 their American hosts a better use of their magnificent 

 forest resource, although of little result, should never 

 fail of mention. Andre Michaux and his son, 

 Andre Francois, who, between 1785 and 1805, ex- 

 plored and studied the forest flora of the United 



