17 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
Arbor Day in tbe Diiiferent States. 
Recognizing the increasing importance of Arbor Day, and 
in response to a general demand, the American Civic Asso- 
ciation has prepared a “Suggested Arbor Day Program,” 
published in Bulletin i6 of that organization. The program 
is the work of Mr. Warren H. Manning, of Boston, vice- 
president of the association’s “Outdoor Art” department, and 
contains, besides a program for the observance of the day, 
a list of famous trees in the country, and a list of dates for 
the celebration of Arbor Day in the different states. . 
The table of dates not yet observed this year, prepared by 
the Bureau of Forestry, and revised by information concern- 
ing this year’s dates that we have received is as follows : 
Arizona, Friday following first day of April and Friday 
following first day of February; Arkansas, December 15; 
California, observed by separate counties, but not generally; 
Colorado, third Friday in April ; Connecticut, appointed by 
governor, this year April 28; Delaware, appointed by gov- 
ernor, this year March 30; District of Columbia, not ob- 
served; Florida, first Friday in February; Georgia, first Fri- 
day in December ; Idaho, last Monday in April ; Illinois, date 
fixed by governor and superintendent of public instruction ; 
Indiana, last Friday in October; Iowa, date fixed by 
proclamation of Congress, this year April 27; Kansas, date 
fixed by proclamation of Congress; Maine, date fixed by 
proclamation of governor, usually early in May; Maryland, 
in April, date fixed by proclamation of governor ; Massa- 
chusetts, last Saturday in April; Michigan, last Friday in 
April; Minnesota, date fixed by proclamation of governor, 
this year April 20; Mississippi, December 10; Missouri, Fri- 
day after first Tuesday in April; Montana, second Tuesday 
in May; Nebraska, April 22; Nevada, date fixed by proclama- 
tion of governor, usually in April ; New Hampshire, date not 
fixed, usually in May; Ne\^ jersey, usually third Friday in 
April, appointed by governor; New Mexico, second Friday 
in March; New York, Friday following first day of May; 
North Carolina, October 12, usually observed; North Da- 
kota, first Friday in May; Ohio, second or third Friday in 
April, this year April 20; Oklahoma, second Friday in April; 
Oregon, appointment by governor, this year April 13; Penn- 
sylvania, appointment by superintendent of instruction, one 
day in spring and one in fall ; Rhode Island, second Friday in 
May; South Carolina, third Friday in November; South Da- 
kota, date fixed by governor; Tennessee, date fixed annually 
in November; Texas, February 22; Utah, April 15; Ver- 
mont, latter part of April or first of May; Washington, ir- 
regularly observed, date set by governor, different dates east 
and west of the Cascades; West Virginia, third Friday in 
April and third Friday in November; Wisconsin, date fixed 
by governor, this year May 4; Wyoming, date fixed by gov- 
ernor, this year April 27. 
Notes of Trees and Tree Planting'. 
In the message which Governor Higgins recently sent to 
the New York legislature he recommended that shade trees 
be planted along the improved highways, and that the ex- 
pense thereof be included in the contract for the improve- 
ment of the road. The governor spent a part of his summer 
in Europe, and undoubtedly in France was impressed with 
the careful construction and maintenance of the highways 
and the frugality of the French people in that they planted 
shade trees along the road, not for the one purpose only of 
beauty to the traveling stranger, but for the purpose of hold- 
ing moisture in order to keep the stone roads from ravelling, 
as they do when they are dry and the little stones roll apart 
from one another. This ravelling is prevented if the road is 
sprinkled, but the thrifty Frenchman has learned that it is 
cheaper to plant trees and hold the moisture in the air 
around the road in a natural method, rather than to pay 
taxes to have a man run a sprinkling cart. The thrifty 
Frenchman has also learned that on his 25,000 miles of main 
road, which are built and maintained by the nation, he is in 
reality maintaining a forest from which he is able to cut a 
certain number of trees each year, which he sells, and thus 
obtains a revenue toward road maintenance. In place of the 
trees that he cuts he puts out new ones, and there is a con- 
stant succession of new trees being planted and old trees 
being cut. The serious question in this state of the loss of 
timber from our watersheds makes it highly advisable that 
wherever practicable trees should be planted along all stone 
roads to protect them from ravelling. Trees are not planted 
along gravel roads, as it would make them too muddy, but 
when planted along stone roads they are very valuable toward 
maintaining them economically. 
* * * 
In the effort to assist toward uniformity of usage in scien- 
tific names of forest trees, and also to lessen the chaos in 
the use of common names, the Forest Service has already 
published “A Check List of the Forest Trees of the United 
States. This serves as a guide when a tree has been identi- 
fied by the botanist. But the first requisite is that the identi- 
fication should be correct. For this reason the Forest Service 
now offers its technical knowledge to city authorities. There 
are two ways in which assistance may be given. Where the 
work is on a large scale, a representative of the Service will 
visit the town or city and identify the tree by examination on 
the spot. In most cases, however, identification by corre- 
spondence will prove entirely adequate. 
For such identification a full set of specimens, illustrating 
mature foliage and, if possible, specimens of the flowers and 
of the fruit should be sent. Fruit specimens are very essen- 
tial, but flowers may be omitted if they cannot be readily 
secured. Two or three specimens of branches in leaf, 10 to 
12 inches long, taken from the different parts of the crown, 
so as to exhibit all of the leaf forms common to the species, 
will answer for the foliage. 
Suggestions as to labels and their use are also made by 
the Service when requested. 
^ ^ 
A philanthropic citizen of St. Louis has offered, through 
the Civic Improvement League, prizes to the amount of 
$500 to the pupils in the public schools who will secure the 
largest number of orders for shade trees, to be planted in 
the city according to plans and specifications prepared by a 
committee. The child who wins first prize secures $200, and 
there are other prizes of one hundred, seventy-five, fifty and 
several ten dollar prizes. This scheme has resulted in a 
tremendous amount of activity among the school children. 
* * 
Sid J. Hare, landscape architect, of Kansas City, Mo., re- 
cently delivered a lecture before the improvement association 
of Joplin, Mo., giving some pertinent advice about the care 
and planting of trees, beautifying of streets, the improvement 
of school and home grounds, and other lines of improve- 
ment work. 
* * * 
The Alameda Improvement Club, of Alameda, Cal., will 
plant several miles of sycamore trees alternated with dra- 
caenas along the sidewalks. 
