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Arbor  Day  Manual 


FOR 


Montana  Schools 


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Just  why  trees,  flowers  and 
\    shrubs  will  not  grow  on  school 

grounds  is  truly  something  of 
|  an  agricultural  mystery.  When 
1     land  that  raises  eighty  bushels 

of  corn  to  the  acre  on  one  side 

of  the  fence  refuses  to  nourish 
i     a  bed  of  tulips  or  a  few  shrubs 

on  the  other  side,  we  must,  of 
1    force,  conclude  that  something 

else,  or  the  lack  of  something 
I  else,  enters  into  the  balance 
|     against  the  school  yard. 

—MABEL  CARNEY. 


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ISSUED  BY 

State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 

HELENA,  MONTANA 


INDEPENDENT  PUBLISHING   CO. 
HELENA.    MONTANA 


PROPERTY  OF  SCHOOL  DISTRICT 


NO. 


,  MONTANA 


FOREWORD 

One  of  the  most  important  special  days  of  the  school 
year  is  Arbor  Day,  a  day  which  teachers  often  find  it  diffi- 
cult to  have  their  schools  fittingly  observe.  This  manual  is 
issued  by  the  State  Department  of  Public  Instruction  for  the 
purpose  of  emphasizing  the  great  importance  which  should 
be  attached  to  the  proper  observance  of  the  day  and  of  call- 
ing attention  to  appropriate  materials  for  such  observances. 
Children  in  treeless  parts  of  Montana  should  be  enthused 
with  a  desire  to  plant  trees  and  shrubs  while  those  in  wooded 
portions  of  the  state  should  be  inspired  with  an  appreciation 
of  trees  which  will  insure  their  proper  care  and  protection. 

This  manual  should  be  carefully  preserved  as  a  part  of 
the  school  library  as  only  one  copy  for  each  school  can  be 
supplied.  The  amount  of  material  contained  in  this  manual 
should  make  it  valuable  for  use  for  several  years. 

MAY  TRUMPER, 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 


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ARBOR  DAY  LAW 


1.  Date  of. — The  second  Tuesday  of  May  in  each  year 
shall  be  known  throughout  the  State  of  Montana  as  Arbor 
Day. 

2.  Arbor  Day  Exercises. — In  order  that  the  children  in 
our  public  schools  shall  assist  in  the  work  of  adorning  the 
school  grounds  with  trees,  and  to  stimulate  the  minds  of  the 
children  toward  the  benefit  of  preservation  and  perpetuation 
of  our  forests  and  the  growing  timber  it  shall  be  the  duty 
of  the  authorities  in  every  public  school  district  in  the  state 
to  assemble  the  children  in  their  charge  on  the  above  day  in 
the  school  building  or  elsewhere,  as  they  may  deem  proper, 
and  to  provide  for  and  conduct  under  the  general  supervision 
of  the  city  superintendent,  county  superintendent,  teachers 
and  trustees  or  other  school  authorities  having  the  general 
charge  and  oversight  of  the  public  schools  in  each  city  or 
district,  to  have  and  hold  such  exercises  as  shall  tend  to  en- 
courage the  planting,  preservation  and  protection  of  trees  and 
shrubs,  and  an  acquaintance  with  the  best  methods  to  be 
adopted  to  accomplish  such  results. 

3.  Courses  of  Exercises. — The  superintendent  of  public 
instruction  shall  have  the  power  to  prescribe  from  year  to 
year  a  course  of  exercises  and  instruction  in  the  subject  here- 
inbefore mentioned,  which  shall  be  adopted  and  observed  by 
the  said  public  school  authorities  on  Arbor  Day. 


C  ARBOR    DAY     MANUAL 

HOW  TO  OBSERVE  ARBOR  DAY  IN  A  VILLAGE  OR 

RURAL  SCHOOL 

In  so  far  as  is  possible  the  day  should  be  used  to  learn 
about  trees.  Plans  should  be  made  to  have  every  lesson  con- 
tribute something  to  the  topic  for  the  day.  Such  plans  should 
interrupt  the  regular  school  work  as  little  as  possible.  Tree 
quotations  may  be  given  in  the  morning  exercises,  and  one 
or  two  songs  sung.  The  reading  lessons  may  be  about  trees. 
A  number  of  tree  poems  and  stories  are  found  in  the  basal 
readers.    Among  them  are  the  following: 

Why    the    Evergreen    Trees    Keep    Their    Leaves. — Riverside    Second 
Reader,  p.   89. 

The  Fir  Tree. — Riverside  Third  Reader,   p.   68- 

Swinging  on  a  Birch  Tree. — Riverside  Fourth  Reader,  p.   172. 
Also,  in  Easy  Road  to  Reading,  Second  Reader,  p.  77. 

Under  the  Greenwood  Tree. — Natural  Method  Fourth  Reader,  p.  307 

The  Little  Pine  Tree. — Natural  Method  First  Reader,  p.   65. 

Why  Do  We  Plant. — Henry  Abbey. 

Easy  Road  to  Reading  Fourth  Reader,  p.  70. 

The   Tree. — Bjornstjerne   Bjornson. 

Studies  in   Reading   Fourth   Reader,   p.   137. 

Woodman,   Spare  That  Tree. — George  P.  Morris. 
Elson  Grammar  School  Reader,  Book  I,  p.  30. 

Apple  Blossoms. — William  Wesley  Martin- 

Elson  Grammar  School  Reader,  Book  IT,  p.  100. 

The  Planting  of  the  Apple  Tree. — William  Cullen  Bryant. 
Elson  Grammar  School  Reader,  Book  II,  p.  296. 
Young  and  Field  Literary  Readers,  Book   Six,  p.  355. 

If  all  reading  lessons  on  trees  have  been  read  before 
Arbor  Day,  those  selections  may  be  referred  to  again  by 
quotations  or  story  telling  in  the  language  class.  Composi- 
tions may  be  written  or  prepared  for  the  special  program  of 
the  afternoon. 

The  work  in  arithmetic  might  center  around  tree  or  lum- 
ber problems.  On  whatever  topic  in  arithmetic  children  hap- 
pen to  be  working,  some  problems  regarding  trees  can  easily 
be  made.  On  Arbor  Day  trees  may  be  planted,  thereby  add- 
ing to  those  already  on  the  grounds.  The  number  of  trees 
needed  to  plant  about  the  home,  if  planted  at  regular  inter- 
vals, can  be  computed.  The  economic  and  commercial  value 
of  trees  should  be  brought  out.  The  worth  of  a  grove  of 
400  trees  can  be  estimated.     Thomas'  Rural  Arithmetic,  p. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  7 

68,  gives  a  number  of  good  problems  regarding  fruit  trees. 
Some  of  these  might  be  used  by  upper  grade  children,  adapt- 
ing them  to  local  conditions  or  making  others  similar  to 
them. 

Other  subjects  can  be  made  to  contribute  their  share  to 
tree  study.  In  geography  some  problems  on  forests  might 
be  taken  up,  such  as,  "What  are  the  most  important  uses 
man  has  made  of  forest  trees?"  Out  of  the  lesson  should 
grow  the  need  for  conserving  our  forests  and  of  preventing 
forest  fires.  Historic  trees  might  be  the  topic  for  the  his- 
tory lesson  and  beautifying  the  streets  and  roadside  with 
shade  trees  might  be  the  topic  for  the  civics  lesson.  A  whole 
day  of  regular  school  work  may  thus  be  made  to  contribute 
to  the  study  of  trees  and  Arbor  Day  made  meaningful  to  the 
children. 

During  the  afternoon,  however,  it  would  be  well  to  use 
an  hour  or  more  for  special  Arbor  Day  exercises  followed  by 
tree  planting  wherever  that  can  be  done.  Unless  the  neces- 
sary care  and  attention  can  be  given  the  young  trees  during 
the  summer,  it  is  not  practical  to  plant  trees.  It  is  well 
known  that  in  some  parts  of  Montana  it  requires  careful  at- 
tention for  several  years  to  insure  their  growth.  But  the 
day  should  be  observed,  even  tho  it  is  not  found  feasible  to 
plant  trees.  There  can  still  be  this  concentration  on  tree 
study  with  appropriate  exercises  during  a  part  of  the  after- 
noon. 


CELEBRATION  OF  ARBOR  DAY 

Arbor  Day  was  originally  intended  to  benefit  the  tree- 
less states  of  the  West  by  stimulating  the  desire  to  plant 
trees  for  fuel,  timber,  shade,  protection  to  buildings,  orchards 
and  crops,  and  for  beauty.  From  there  it  spread  to  almost 
every  state  in  the  Union.  The  idea  back  of  it  is  mostly  an 
altruistic  one,  for  the  man  who  plants  a  tree  cannot  begin 
to  keep  the  benefits  derived  from  the  growth  of  the  tree  to 
himself.  Others  will  get  the  benefit  of  its  shade,  protection, 
perhaps  its  fruit,  and  its  beauty.  Furthermore,  it  was  to 
interest  the  child  in  the  study  of  trees  as  he  watched  the 
development  of  those  planted  by  him.  It  opened  a  field  for 
research  and  observation  to  him  in  which  he  could  not  help 
being  interested.     With  the  study  of  the  tree  and  the  care 


S  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

for  it  would  come  a  love  for  it,  and  from  this  sprang  the 
thot  of  making  the  day  one  entirely  devoted  to  the  whole 
field  of  nature,  and  not  to  trees  alone.  Again  with  the  study 
of  nature  the  natural  resources  of  a  country  will  be  consid- 
ered— their  extent,  value  and  use.  Anything  which  tends  to 
increase  the  benefits  derived  from  these,  or  which  contributes 
to  the  welfare  of  the  people,  is  a  patriotic  work.  So,  finally, 
we  have  as  the  idea  of  Arbor  Day,  patriotism,  because  of  the 
study  and  love  of  nature  as  manifested  in  our  beautiful  coun- 
try. 

The  advantages  of  Arbor  Day  then  might  be  summed  up 
thus :  It  changes  the  idea  of  young  people  of  caring  only  for 
the  present  to  that  of  providing  for  the  future;  it  creates  a 
love  for  the  beautiful,  and  with  this  teaches  certain  lessons 
of  carefulness  and  cleanliness;  it  increases  the  love  for  one's 
home  and  neighborhood  because  of  the  effort  to  make  it 
beautiful  and  desirable  to  live  in;  it  teaches  love  of  country 
and  service  to  one's  country;  it  takes  one  from  "nature  to 
nature's  God";  and  all  these  things  tend  to  produce  good 
citizenship.    Is  it  worth  while? — Penn.  School  Journal. 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  TALKS  OR  COMPOSITIONS 

Our  Most  Useful  Trees. 

Camping  in  the  Big  Timber. 

Trees  as  Wind  Breaks. 

How  to  Prevent  Forest  Fires. 

What  We  Owe  to  the  Trees. 

The  Relation  of  Forests  to  Stream  Flow. 

Why  We  Need  Our  Mountains. 

Uses  of  Shrubbery  and  Vines. 

What  a  Timber  Famine  Would  Mean. 

What  Trees  Teach  Us. 

Some  Famous  Trees. 

Why  We  Keep  Arbor  Day. 

How  to  Make  Arbor  Day  More  Useful. 

A  Lumber  Camp. 

What  Has  Been  Done  to  Protect  Our  State  Forests? 

The  Trees  Most  Common  in  Our  Country. 

Food  Which  Trees  Provide. 

Our  Native  Fruit  Trees  and  Shrubs. 

The  Kinds  of  Trees  to  Plant. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  S* 

The  Best  Way  to  Plant  a  Tree. 

Proper  Care  of  Young  Trees. 

Reasons  for  My  Choice  of  Trees. 

How  the  Trees  Eat  and  Drink. 

What  Birds  Do  for  Trees. 

How  Arbor  Day  Originated. 

Our  Most  Beautiful  Trees. 

Why  the  Meadow  Lark  Should  be  Protected. 

What  Our  Game  Laws  Do  for  Some  Birds. 

Imaginary  Dialogue  Between  Two  Newly  Planted  Trees 
on  the  School  Ground. 

Play  Representing  Imaginary  Conversation  Between  Sev- 
eral Animals  or  Birds  Which  Love  the  Woods. 

Autobiography  of  a   Charred  Pine  Tree   Left   Standing 
Alone  After  a  Forest  Fire. 


SUGGESTIVE  QUESTIONS. 

Why  is  Arbor  Day  celebrated  in  the  spring? 

Why  is  not  the  same  day  observed  thruout  the  states? 

What  trees  live  longest? 

What  trees  withstand  wind  storms  best? 

What  trees  are  drought  resisting? 

What  trees  are  most  easily  grown  in  the  locality? 

What  trees  are  most  rapidly  grown? 

What  trees  grow  best  in  swampy  places? 

How  can  you  tell  the  age  of  trees? 

What  and  where  is  the  sap  wood? 

Name  some  trees  useful  for  their  sap. 

What  tree  produces  tar,  pitch  and  turpentine? 

What  wood  is  used  for  making  lead  pencils,  and  chests? 

The  bark  of  what  tree  is  used  for  medicine?    Spice? 

What  woods  are  most  popular  for  furniture? 

What  trees  do  the  Indians  use  in  making  canoes? 

What  trees  give  pulp  for  paper  making? 

Name  six  trees  commonly  found  in  Montana. 

Debate:     Resolved,  that  trees  should  be  planted  on  our 
school  grounds. 


10  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

WHY  PLANT  TREES? 

They  add  value  to  the  property. 

They  protect  the  pavement  from  the  hot  sun. 

They  cool  the  air  in  summer  and  radiate  warmth  in 
winter. 

They  furnish  homes  for  thousands  of  birds  that  help 
man  in  his  fight  against  injurious  insects. 

They  furnish  homes  for  many  animals  that  are  useful 
to  man  for  food  and  clothing. 

They  help  man  in  his  fight  for  better  sanitation. 

They  help  to  keep  the  air  pure  for  man  and  the  lower 
animals. 

They  supply  a  large  part  of  all  the  fuel  in  the  world. 

They  give  us  wood,  and  wood  furnishes  us  with  build- 
ing material,  furniture,  implements,  utensils,  tools  and  other 
useful  things  in  great  variety. 

They  furnish  one  of  the  most  striking  and  permanent 
forms  of  beauty. 

They  improve  the  climate  and  conserve  soil  and  water. 

They  furnish  a  great  variety  of  miscellaneous,  useful 
products. 


DRAPER'S   "TEN  COMMANDMENTS"   ON   TREE 

PLANTING 

1.  Do  not  allow  roots  to  be  exposed  to  the  sun,  drying 
winds,  or  frost. 

2.  Prune,  with  a   sharp  clean  cut,  any  broken   or  in- 
jured roots. 

3.  Have  the  holes  large  enough  to  admit  all  the  roots 
without  cramping. 

4.  Plant   in   fine   loam,   enriched   with   thoroly   decom- 
posed manure. 

5.  Do  not  allow  any  green  unfermented  manure  to  come 
in  contact  with  roots. 

6.  Spread  out  the  roots  in  their  natural  position  and 
work  fine  loam  among  them,  making  it  firm  and  compact. 

7.  Do  not  plant  too  deep.     Let  upper  roots  be  set  an 
inch  lower  than  before. 

8.  Remove  all  broken  branches,  and  cut  back  at  least 
one-half  of  the  previous  year's  growth  of  wood. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  11 

9.  If  the  season  lacks  the  usual  rainfall,  water  thoroly 
twice  a  week. 

10.  After-culture:  Keep  soil  in  a  good  degree  of  fer- 
tility. Mulching  the  trees  in  autumn  with  manure  is  bene- 
ficial. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  ARBOR  DAY 
Frank  A.  Hill 

The  spirit  of  Arbor  Day  is  that  of  a  deep  love  for  trees 
— a  love  that  includes  their  beauty  on  the  one  hand  and  their 
service  on  the  other.  This  love  has  a  thousand  aspects  and 
a  thousand  degrees,  for  the  beauty  and  the  service  that  call 
it  forth  are  as  varied  as  the  trees  that  grow  and  the  needs 
of  the  earth  and  man  to  which  they  so  admirably  minister. 
There  is  the  beauty  of  the  stately  pine,  the  rugged  oak,  the 
graceful  elm.  There  is  the  service  of  the  fragrant  eucalyptus 
that  brings  health  to  the  deadly  Campagna,  of  the  versatile 
palm  that  makes  habitable  the  waste  places  of  the  tropical 
belt,  of  the  humid  forest  that  holds  back  the  waters  of  the 
rainy  season  to  bless  the  dry  that  follows  after.  The  prob- 
lems of  the  trees  are  also  without  number.  There  is  the 
problem  of  the  East — to  save  its  forests  where  now  they 
abound.  There  is  the  problem  of  the  West — to  make  forests 
abound  where  now  they  are  unknown.  A  forest  murderously 
ruined  by  the  lumberman's  axe  is  like  a  field  of  battle  when 
the  fighting  is  over — a  sight  to  make  humanity  weep.  Not 
so  the  forest  that  springs  into  life  from  the  treeless  plain. 
And  so  the  mission  of  Arbor  Day  varies  as  the  trees  them- 
selves. One  blessed  thing,  however,  is  common  to  all  the 
Arbor  Days  of  the  land  we  love,  and  that  is  the  spirit  to 
make  the  most  of  God's  useful  and  beautiful  trees. 


THE  NATURE  LOVER'S  CREED 

I  believe  in  Nature,  and  in  God's  out-of-doors. 

I  believe  in  pure  air,  fresh  water  and  abundant  sunlight. 

I  believe  in  the  mountains,  and  as  I  lift  up  mine  eyes 
to  behold  them,  I  receive  help  and  strength. 

I  believe  in  the  forests,  where  the  aged  may  renew  their 
youth,  and  the  young  gather  stores  of  wisdom  which  shall 
abide  with  them  forever. 


12 


ARBOR     DAY     MANUAL 


I  believe  in  the  highland  springs  and  lakes,  and  would 
have  noble  trees  stand  guard  around  them;  upon  the  moun- 
tain sides  I  would  spread  a  thick  carpet  of  leaves  and  moss 
thru  which  the  water  might  find  its  way  into  the  valleys 
and  onward  to  the  ocean. 

I  believe  in  protecting  the  birds  and  the  animals  that 
live  amidst  the  trees,  and  the  ferns  and  mosses  and  blossom- 
ing plants. 

I  believe  in  all  the  beautiful  things  of  nature,  and  would 
preserve,  protect  and  cherish  them. 

"Come,  let's  to  the  fields,  the  meads,  and  the  mountains, 
The  forests  invite  us,  the  streams  and  the  fountains." 

— Mrs.  P.  S.  Peterson. 

Taken   from   Arbor   and   Bird   Day    Manual,    Charleston,    W.   Va. 


Government   Two-Teacher    School    Building   at    Fort   Shaw. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  13 

ARBOR  DAY 

Story  of  How  It  Came  to  Be. 

Give  fools  their  gold  and  knaves  their  power; 

Let  fortune's  bubbles  rise  and  fall: 
Who  sows  a  field,  or  trains  a  flower, 

Or  plants  a  tree,  is  more  than  all. 

— Whittier. 

How  Arbor  Day  came  to  be  is  a  story  well  worth  retell- 
ing. The  originator  of  Arbor  Day  was  J.  Sterling  Morton, 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Nebraska,  who  afterward 
achieved  prominence  as  a  member  of  President  Cleveland's 
cabinet. 

On  arriving  in  the  plains  country  west  of  the  Missouri, 
in  1855,  Mr.  Morton  was  struck  by  the  forbidding  aspect  of 
the  lonely  waste  then  known  as  the  "Great  American  Des- 
ert." Except  a  fringe  of  straggly  cottonwoods  and  willows 
along  the  rivers,  no  trees  were  to  be  seen.  The  arid  plains 
were  supposed  to  be  barren.  Annual  prairie  fires  destroyed 
t?ie  buffalo  grass  and  other  scanty  herbage.  It  took  a  good 
deal  of  faith  to  believe  that  anything  could  be  made  to  grow 
in  that  desolate  region,  yet  the  young  man  broke  up  the 
stubborn  glebe  and  harvested  a  crop.  He  loved  trees,  and 
he  sent  to  friends  in  the  East  for  seeds  and  slips.  These 
were  forwarded  to  him,  and  in  time  trees  were  growing 
about  him.  He  set  out  groves,  and  ere  long  he  made  an  im- 
pression on  his  neighbors;  for  some  of  them  followed  his 
good  examole.  Gradually  others  in  the  state  came  to  appre- 
ciate the  blessing  of  groves,  which  curbed  the  prairie  fires 
and  broke  the  force  of  the  wintry  blasts.  The  trees  were 
needed,  too,  for  fuel  and  lumber. 

Morton's  enthusiasm  for  trees  was  infectious.  Time 
passed,  and  the  once  dreary  landscape  was  dotted  with  homes. 
The  habit  of  planting  groves  and  orchards  was  encouraged 
by  public  men  and  by  the  press.  Morton  imported  rare  va- 
rieties for  ornament  as  well  as  for  use.  He  sought  not  only 
to  teach  his  neighbors  the  value  of  trees — he  interested  mem- 
bers of  the  legislature  in  the  subject. 

Then  came  the  inspiration  for  Arbor  Day.  The  idea  was 
favored  by  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  a  bill  was  drafted, 
and  it  was  passed,  setting  aside  one  day  for  tree  planting 


14 


ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 


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11 

A    rural    school    building    in    Flathead    county    showing    the    beauty    of    wooded 

surroundings 

in  Nebraska,  not  only  by  school  children,  but  by  adults.  The 
first  Arbor  Day  was  April  10,  1872,  just  forty-eight  years 
ago.  A  prize  of  one  hundred  dollars  was  offered  by  the  State 
Board  of  Agriculture  to  the  person  who  would  set  out  the 
greatest  number  of  trees  on  that  day.  Newspapers  and 
teachers  joined  in  the  agitation;  as  a  result,  more  than  a 
million  trees  were  planted  in  Nebraska  that  day.  The  prac- 
tice was  kept  up,  and  other  commonwealths  of  the  Union  con- 
cluded that  Arbor  Day  was  a  good  thing.  Thus  the  planting 
of  trees  became  widespread.  During  the  past  four  decades 
many  billions  of  trees  have  been  planted  in  the  earth.  The 
success  of  the  movement  far  exceeded  anything  that  J.  S. 
Morton  ever  dreamed  of. 

The  old  saying  that  he  is  a  benefactor  who  causes  two 
blades  of  grass  to  spring  up  where  only  one  grew  before  is 
eminently  true  of  the  man  who  plants  trees.  Timber  is  one 
of  the  most  valuable  things  in  the  world.  Much  of  our  wealth 
comes  from  our  forests.  Trees  are  useful  for  fruit,  nuts, 
shelter,  shade,  fuel,  ornament,  and  for  the  thousand  and  one 
purposes  to  which  wood  is  put  in  modern  life.  An  immense 
quantity  of  wood  is  required  every  day  to  supply  paper  for 
printing  presses.  The  daily  consumption  of  matches  is  sim- 
ply enormous.     It  is  said  that  the  civilized  nations  of  the 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS 


15 


-"""U    1 


A    modern    rural    school 


house    in     Beaverhead    county    which    needs    trees    to 
make    it    more    attractive 


world  strike  three  million  matches  every  minute  of  the  twen- 
ty-four hours.  The  daily  consumption  of  matches  in  the 
United  States  exceeds  twenty-five  per  capita;  that  is  more 
than  two  billions  of  matches  are  ignited  every  day.  The 
making  of  matches  is  only  one  of  the  many  industries  af- 
fected by  the  threatened  shortage  in  the  wood  supply.  The 
most  suitable  match  timbers  are  pine,  aspen,  linden,  willow, 
birch,  poplar,  and  white  cedar.  It  is  desirable  to  plant  these 
trees  in  increasing  numbers  every  year. 

There  are  other  sides  to  the  problem.  The  trees  afford 
resting  places  and  nesting  places  for  our  friends,  the  birds. 
They  conserve  moisture  which  feeds  the  streams  that  water 
the  fields  and  gardens  of  our  lands. 

It  is  well  that  citizens  and  school  children  should  realize 
the  pressing  necessity  of  restoring  the  forests.  For  our  na- 
tional greatness,  we  must  conserve  our  natural  resources.  It 
is,  therefore,  a  patriotic  duty  for  boys  and  girls  to  engage  in 
tree  planting  on  Arbor  Day;  thus  they  provide  for  the  wants 
of  those  who  will  come  after  them,  and  they  gain  a  more 
accurate  knowledge  of  a  wonderful  world. 

— Colorado  Arbor  Day  Bulletin,  1913. 


i6  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

ARBOR  DAY  LETTER 

(Written  by  President  Roosevelt  to  the  School  Children  of 

the  United  States,) 

Arbor  Day  (which  means  simply  "Tree  Day")  is  now 
observed  in  every  state  in  our  Union,  and  mainly  in  the 
schools.  At  various  times,  from  January  to  December,  but 
chiefly  in  the  month  of  April,  you  give  a  day  or  part  of  a 
day  to  special  exercises  and  perhaps  to  actual  tree  planting, 
in  recognition  of  the  importance  of  trees  to  us  as  a  nation, 
and  of  what  they  yield  in  adornment,  comfort,  and  useful 
products  to  the  communities  in  which  you  live. 

It  is  well  you  should  celebrate  your  Arbor  Day  thotfully, 
for  within  your  lifetime  the  nation's  need  of  trees  will  be- 
come serious.  We  of  an  older  generation  can  get  along  with 
what  we  have,  tho  with  growing  hardship,  but  in  your  full 
manhood  and  womanhood  you  will  want  what  nature  once 
so  bountifully  supplied,  and  man  so  thotlessly  destroyed;  and 
because  of  that  want  you  will  reproach  us,  not  for  what  we 
have  used,  but  for  what  we  have  wasted. 

For  the  nation,  as  for  the  man  or  woman  or  boy  or  girl, 
the  road  to  success  is  the  right  use  of  what  we  have  and  the 
improvement  of  present  opportunity.  If  you  neglect  to  pre- 
pare yourselves  now  for  the  duties  and  responsibilities  which 
will  fall  upon  you  later,  if  you  do  not  learn  the  things  which 
you  will  need  to  know  when  your  school  days  are  over,  you 
will  suffer  the  consequences.  So,  any  nation  which,  in  its 
youth,  lives  only  for  the  day,  reaps  without  sowing,  and  con- 
sumes without  husbanding,  must  expect  the  penalty  of  the 
prodigal,  whose  labor  could  with  difficulty  find  him  the  bare 
means  of  life. 

A  people  without  children  would  face  a  hopeless  future; 

a  country  without  trees  is  almost  as  hopeless;  forests  which 

are  so  used  that  they  can  not  renew  themselves  will  soon 

vanish,  and  with  them  all  their  benefits.     A  true  forest  is 

not  merely  a  storehouse  full  of  wood,  but,  as  it  were,  a  fac- 
tory of  wood,  and  at  the  same  time  a  reservoir  of  water. 
When  you  help  to  preserve  our  forests  or  plant  new  ones, 
you  are  acting  the  part  of  good  citizens.  The  value  of  for- 
estry deserves,  therefore,  to  be  taught  in  the  schools,  which 
aim  to  make  good  citizens  of  you.  If  your  Arbor  Day  exer- 
cises help  you  to  realize  what  benefits  each  one  of  you  re- 
ceives from  the  forests,  and  how,  by  your  assistance,  these 
benefits  may  continue,  they  will  serve  a  good  end. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS 


17 


(Loaned   by   Department   of   Agriculture   and    Publicity) 
Nature    Reigns    Supreme 


THE  AMERICAN  FORESTS 
John  Muir 

The  forests  of  America,  however  slighted  by  man,  must 
have  been  a  great  delight  to  God;  for  they  were  the  best  He 
ever  planted.  The  whole  continent  was  a  garden,  and  from 
the  beginning  it  seemed  to  be  favored  above  all  the  other 
wild  parks  and  gardens  of  the  globe.  To  prepare  the  ground, 
it  was  rolled  and  sifted  in  seas  with  infinite  loving  delibera- 
tion and  forethot,  lifted  into  the  light,  submerged  and 
warmed  over  and  over  again,  pressed  and  crumpled  into  folds 
and  ridges,  mountains,  and  hills,  subsoiled  with  heavy  vol- 
canic fires,  plowed  and  ground  and  sculptured  into  scenery 
and  soil  with  glaciers  and  rivers — every  feature  growing  and 
changing  from  beauty  to  beauty,  higher  and  higher.  And 
in  the  fullness  of  time  it  was  planted  in  groves,  and  belts, 


18  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

and  broad,  exuberant,  mantling  forest,  with  the  largest,  most 
varied,  most  fruitful  and  most  beautiful  trees  in  the  world. 
Bright  seas  made  its  border  with  wave  embroidery  and  ice- 
bergs ;  gray  deserts  were  outspread  in  the  middle  of  it,  mossy 
tundras  on  the  north,  savannas  on  the  south  and  blooming 
prairies  and  plains;  while  lakes  and  rivers  shone  thru  all  the 
vast  forests  and  openings,  and  happy  birds  and  beasts  gave 
delightful  animation.  Everywhere,  everywhere  over  all  the 
blessed  continent,  there  were  beauty  and  melody  and  kindly, 
wholesome,  foodful  abundance. 

These  forests  were  composed  of  about  five  hundred  spe- 
cies of  trees,  all  of  them  in  some  way  useful  to  man,  ranging 
in  size  from  twenty-five  feet  in  height  and  less  than  one  foot 
in  diameter  at  the  ground,  to  four  hundred  feet  in  height 
and  more  than  twenty  feet  in  diameter — lordly  monarchs 
proclaiming  the  gospel  of  beauty  like  apostles.  For  many  a 
century  after  the  ice  plows  were  melted,  nature  fed  them 
and  dressed  them  every  day,  working  like  a  man,  a  loving, 
devoted,  painstaking  gardener;  fingering  every  leaf  and 
flower  and  mossy  furrowed  bole;  bending,  trimming,  model- 
ing, balancing ;  painting  them  with  the  loveliest  colors :  bring- 
ing over  them  now  clouds  with  cooling  shadows  and  showers, 
now  sunshine;  fanning  them  with  gentle  winds  and  rustling 
their  leaves;  exercising  them  in  every  fiber  with  storms,  and 
pruning  them;  loading  them  with  flowers  and  fruit,  loading 
them  with  snow,  and  ever  making  them  more  beautiful  as 
the  years  rolled  by. 

— Published  by  Houghton,  Mifflin  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 


OUR  FRIENDS  THE  TREES 
Emilie  Yunker 

How  wonderful  are  the  trees!  They  give  us  nuts  and 
fruits  to  eat.  Where  would  the  squirrels  be  if  there  were  no 
nuts?  What  would  the  dear  little  birds  do?  I  am  afraid 
they  would  have  no  homes  and  no  food,  and  they  couldn't 
live.  A  dreary  world  this  would  be  without  our  friends,  the 
trees.     I  would  not  like  to  live  in  it. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  19 

The  water,  instead  of  soaking  into  the  ground,  would  go 
rushing  down  the  hills,  tearing  away  the  good  soil,  causing 
terrible  floods.  Then,  in  summer  it  would  be  so  hot  and  dry 
that  we  couldn't  stand  it.    The  plants  would  burn  up. 

The  world  is  using  up  its  trees.    Let  us  plant  more.    We 
need  them  for  furniture,  for  medicine,  for  firewood,  for  tan- 
ning leather,  for  building  houses  and  ships,  and  for  their 
beauty  and  shade. 
— Published  by  Kentucky  State  Department  of  Education. 


SIZE  AND  AGE  OF  TREES 

Long  before  man  dwelt  upon  the  earth,  the  trees  were 
here.  Their  boughs  "piled  with  foliage  the  great  hills,  and 
reared  a  paradise  upon  a  lonely  plain."  Not  alone  does  geol- 
ogy's fascinating  story  disclose  this  fact,  but  the  trees  them- 
selves so  declare.  The  oldest  living  thing  in  the  world  is  a 
tree.  Tho  they  were  ages  old  when  He  came  to  the  earth, 
the  very  olive  trees  under  which  Jesus  taught  in  Palestine 
are  still  living.  There  is  an  oak  tree  in  Dorsetshire,  England, 
which  is  said  to  be  between  1,800  and  2,000  years  old.  The 
great  oak  tree  at  Saints,  France,  is  known  to  be  nearly  2,000 
years  old.  It  was  quite  a  tree,  therefore,  when  Caesar  in- 
vaded Britain.  There  are  a  number  of  other  living  trees  in 
Europe  which  are  known  to  be  from  1,200  to  2,000  years  old 
— their  beginnings  dating  away  back  to  Charlemagne's  time 
and  before. 

An  Oriental  plane  tree,  standing  near  Constantinople, 
150  feet  in  circumference,  is  probably  as  old  as  any  living 
tree.  Its  refreshing  shade  was  enjoyed  by  earth's  people  in 
the  days  when  Pliny  the  Elder  wrote  so  entertainingly  about 
the  plane  trees  of  his  interurban  retreat.  In  the  Mexican 
state  of  Oaxaco  stands  a  vigorous  cypress,  112  feet  in  girth, 
which  scientists  confidently  declare  is  at  least  5,000  years 
old,  yet  it  shows  no  signs  of  decay  or  age. 

Perhaps  the  most  beautiful  groves  in  the  world  are  the 
sequoia  groves  of  California.  The  trees  are  both  wonderful 
and  stupendous.  They  are  the  true  giants  of  the  world. 
These  big  trees  thrive  only  in  certain  sheltered  places  which 
are  constantly  watered  by  snow-fed  streams,  at  an  altitude 
of  5,000  to  8,000  feet. 


20 


ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 


(Loaned   by  Department   of  Agriculture   and   Publicity) 
Hunting    Lodge    in    Forest 

There  is  little  doubt  that  these  trees  were  growing  be- 
fore the  time  of  Adam  and  Eve.  A  small  tree  of  this  grove 
was  recently  felled  and  its  rings  counted  by  three  scientific 
men,  and  each  reported  that  it  was  not  less  than  4,000  years 
old.  Some  of  these  trees  are  lying  on  the  earth  and  have 
lain  there  for  ages.  This  is  amply  proven  by  the  fact  that 
in  the  ditches  formed  by  their  falling,  trees  have  appeared 
and  grown  to  enormous  sizes,  thus  proving  that  a  sequoia 
may  lie  in  the  damp  earth  for  ages  without  decaying.  But 
it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  in  some  of  the  groves  immense 
trees  decayed,  which  also  proves  that  they  have  lain  pros- 
trate for  incalculable  ages. 

The  tallest  tree  now  standing  in  the  Calaveras  grove  is 
325  feet  in  height.  In  the  valley  of  the  Watts  river  in  Vic- 
toria many  fallen  trees  that  lie  on  the  ground  exceed  350 
feet  in  length.  One  monster  giant  has  fallen  so  as  to  form 
a  bridge  over  a  stream.  It  was  broken  in  falling,  but  the 
portion  which  remained  intact  measured  435  feet  in  length, 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  21 

and  since  its  girth  at  the  point  of  fracture  is  nine  feet,  its 
discoverer  estimates  that  the  perfect  tree  must  have  meas- 
ured fully  500  feet  in  height.  Its  circumference,  five  feet 
above  the  roots,  is  54  feet. 

— Arbor  Day  in  Indiana,  1918. 


LIST  OF  NOTED  TREES 

The  Elm  tree  at  Philadelphia  under  which  William  Penn 
made  his  famous  treaty  with  nineteen  tribes  of  barbarians. 

The  Charter  Oak  at  Hartford  which  preserved  the  writ- 
ten guarantee  of  the  liberties  of  the  Colony  of  Connecticut. 

The  wide-spreading  Oak  tree  at  Flushing,  Long  Island, 
under  which  George  Fox,  the  founder  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  preached. 

The  lofty  Cypress  tree  in  the  Dismal  Swamp  under  which 
Washington  reposed  one  night  in  his  young  manhood. 

The  high  French  Apple  tree  near  Fort  Wayne,  Ind., 
where  Little  Turtle,  the  great  Miami  chief,  gathered  his  war- 
riors. 

The  Elm  tree  at  Cambridge,  in  the  shade  of  which  Wash- 
ington first  took  command  of  the  Continental  army,  on  a 
hot  summer's  day. 

The  Tulip  tree  on  King's  Mountain  battlefield  in  South 
Carolina,  on  which  ten  bloodthirsty  Tories  were  hanged  at 
one  time. 

The  tall  Pine  tree  at  Ft.  Edward,  N.  Y.,  under  which  the 
beautiful  Jane  McCrea  was  slain. 

The  magnificent  Black  Walnut  tree  near  Haverstraw  on 
the  Hudson  at  which  General  Wayne  mustered  his  forces  at 
midnight,  preparatory  to  his  gallant  and  successful  attack  on 
Stony  Point. 

The  grand  Magnolia  tree  near  Charleston,  S.  C,  under 
which  General  Lincoln  held  a  council  of  war  previous  to  sur- 
rendering the  city. 

The  great  Pecan  tree  at  Villere's  plantation,  below  New 
Orleans,  under  which  a  portion  of  the  remains  of  General 
Packenham  was  buried. 

The  Pear  trees  planted,  respectively,  by  Governor  Endi- 
cott  of  Massachusetts  and  Governor  Stuyvesant  of  New  York, 
more  than  two  hundred  years  ago. 


22  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

The  Freedman's  Oak,  or  Emancipation  Oak,  Hampton 
Institute,  Hampton,  Virginia,  under  which  the  slaves  of  this 
region  first  heard  read  President  Lincoln's  Emancipation 
Proclamation. 

The  Eliot  Oak  of  Newton,  Mass.,  under  which  the  apos- 
tle, John  Eliot,  taught  the  Indians  Christianity. 

The  old  Liberty  Elm  of  Boston  planted  and  dedicated  by 
a  schoolmaster  to  the  independence  of  the  colonies,  and  the 
rallying  point  for  patriots  before,  during  and  after  the  Revo- 
lutionary war. 

The  Burgoyne  Elm  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  planted  the  day 
Burgoyne  was  brot  there  a  prisoner. 

The  Ash  and  Tulip  trees  planted  at  Mt.  Vernon  by  Wash- 
ington. 

The  Elm  tree  planted  by  General  Grant  on  the  capitol 
grounds  at  Washington. 

Sequoia — Palo  Alto,  California. 

The  Cary  tree  planted  by  Alice  and  Phoebe  Cary  in  1832, 
a  large  and  beautiful  Sycamore  seen  from  the  Hamilton  turn- 
pike, between  College  Hill  and  Mt.  Pleasant,  Hamilton  Coun- 
ty, Ohio. 

— American  Civic  Association  of  Philadelphia. 


THE  FOUR  APPLE  TREES 

Many  years  ago,  there  was  a  man  who  wanted  to  have 
a  beautiful  orchard.  So  he  sent  for  some  young  trees,  know- 
ing that  he  should  not  have  to  wait  so  long  for  his  orchard 
if  he  planted  trees  which  had  already  had  a  good  start  in 
growing. 

Unfortunately,  however,  the  trees  arrived  just  at  a  time 
when  the  man  was  obliged  to  leave  home  for  several  days. 
He  was  afraid  the  trees  would  not  live  unless  they  were 
planted  very  soon,  and  he  could  not  stay  to  attend  to  them. 
Just  then  a  man  came  along  who  wanted  work. 

"Do  you  know  how  to  set  out  trees?"  asked  the  owner. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  the  other  man. 

"Then  you  may  stay  and  set  out  these  young  apple  trees. 
I  am  going  to  have  an  orchard,  and  I  have  marked  the  places 
for  the  trees,  with  stones." 

By  and  by  the  owner  of  the  trees  came  back  and  went 
to  look  at  his  orchard.    He  had  been  gone  four  days. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  23 

"How  is  this?"  said  he,  "only  four  trees  set  out?" 

"That  is  all  I  had  time  for,"  said  the  other  man.  "I  dug 
great  holes,  so  that  the  roots  might  be  spread  out  in  the  far- 
thest tip;  I  hauled  rich  earth  from  the  woods,  so  that  the 
trees  might  have  the  best  of  food;  I  set  the  trees  straight 
and  filled  the  holes  with  care.  This  took  all  the  time,  but 
these  four  trees  are  well  planted." 

"That  is  too  slow  work  for  me,"  said  the  owner.  "I  can 
plant  the  whole  orchard  in  one  day." 

So  he  went  to  work  and  planted  the  other  trees  in  his 
own  way.  He  did  not  dig  the  holes  large  enough  or  deep 
enough,  and  so  many  of  the  little  rootmouths  were  broken 
off  when  he  set  the  trees  into  the  holes.  He  did  not  take 
pains  to  get  soft,  rich  earth  to  fill  the  holes,  and  so  the  trees 
could  not  have  as  good  food  as  they  needed. 

The  poor  little  trees  lived  for  a  while,  but  they  were 
never  very  strong,  never  bore  very  good  apples,  and  at  last 
were  cut  down.  All  that  was  left  of  the  orchard  were  the 
four  trees  which  had  been  planted  with  such  faithfulness  and 
care. 

Those  four  trees  are  now  older  than  an  old  man,  and 
have  been  bearing  delicious  great  apples  for  many,  many 
years. 

— Edward  Everett  Hale. 


STORY  OF  "APPLESEED  JOHN" 

In  the  year  1806,  a  man  living  in  Jefferson  county,  hap- 
pened to  look  out  upon  the  Ohio  river  one  day  when  he  saw 
floating  down  with  the  tide  a  strange  looking  craft.  It  con- 
sisted of  two  ordinary  canoes  lashed  together.  The  crew  was 
one  very  oddly  dressed  man  and  the  cargo  comprised  racks 
of  appleseeds.  This  singular  man  was  John  Chapman,  better 
known  as  "Johnny  Appleseed,"  from  his  penchant  for  gather- 
ing appleseeds  at  the  cider  presses  in  western  Pennsylvania, 
bringing  them  to  Ohio,  planting  them  at  suitable  places,  so 
when  the  pioneer  came  he  would  find  an  abundance  of  young 
apple  trees  ready  for  planting. 

This  was  the  mission  of  "Johnny  Appleseed"  who  con- 
scientiously believed  it  had  been  heaven  sent.  He  was  deeply 
religious  and  his  faith  taught  him  he  could  live  as  complete 


24 


ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 


(Loaned   by   Department   of   Agriculture   and    Publicity) 
Boxing    the   Apple    Crop 


a  life  in  thus  serving  his  fellowmen,  as  in  perhaps  some 
higher  (?)  sphere  of  usefulness.  Certainly  the  result  of  his 
labors  proved  a  great  blessing  to  the  Ohio  pioneer. 

Very  little  is  known  of  Johnny  Appleseed  before  he  came 
to  Ohio.  He  was  born  in  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  in  the 
opening  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  1775.  As  a  boy  he  loved 
to  roam  the  woods,  searching  for  plants  and  flowers.  He  was 
a  lover  of  nature  in  all  its  forms.  He  studied  the  birds  as 
well  as  the  flowers.  He  loved  the  song  of  the  brook  as  he 
did  that  of  the  birds.  At  night  he  would  lie  on  his  back  and 
gaze  into  the  sky  and  whether  he  studied  flowers  or  stars, 
brooks  or  birds,  he  saw  God's  hand-writing  in  them  all. 

What  educational  advantages  our  tree  planter  enjoyed 
we  do  not  know,  either.  But  it  is  certain  he  possessed  a  fair 
knowledge  of  the  rudiments  of  learning.  He  was  a  great 
reader  for  one  of  his  time  and  his  mode  of  life  and,  moreover, 
he  was  a  clear  thinker. 

There  are  some  who  would  call  "Johnny  Appleseed" 
"queer";  others  "freakish";  again,  "eccentric."  The  pecu- 
liar, odd  personage  may  be  described  by  all  these  terms.    But 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  25 

the  ruling  passion  of  his  life  was  to  plant  appleseeds,  because 
he  loved  to  see  trees  grow  and  because  he  loved  his  fellow  men. 
The  world  has  often  been  made  better  because  there  was  a 
man  who  possessed  but  one  idea,  and  he  worked  it  for  all  it 
was  worth. 

"Johnny's"  methods  were  to  keep  up  with  the  van  of 
pioneerdom  and  move  along  with  it  to  the  westward.  So  we 
find  him  in  the  early  years  of  the  century  in  western  Penn- 
sylvania, then  Ohio,  and  after  forty-five  years  of  service  to 
mankind,  he  dies  and  is  buried  near  Ft.  Wayne,  Indiana. 

His  nurseries  were  usually  located  in  the  moist  land 
along  some  stream.  Here  he  would  plant  the  seeds,  surround 
the  patch  with  a  brush  fence,  and  off  to  plant  another  one 
elsewhere.  Returning  at  intervals  to  prune  and  care  for 
them,  he  would  soon  have  thrifty  trees  growing  all  over  the 
country. 

He  did  not  plant  these  trees  for  money,  but  the  pioneer 
got  them  oftentimes  for  old  clothes, -although  his  usual  price 
for  each  tree  was  "a  fip-penny-bit." 

The  first  nursery  Johnny  planted  in  Ohio  was  on  George's 
Run  in  Jefferson  county.  Others  he  planted  along  the  river 
front,  when  he  moved  into  the  interior  of  the  state.  For 
years  he  lived  in  a  little  rude  hut  in  Richland  county  near 
the  present  town  of  Perrysville,  from  where  he  operated  his 
nurseries  in  the  counties  of  Richland,  Ashland,  Wayne,  Knox 
and  Tuscarawas. 

On  his  journeys  across  the  country  he  usually  camped  in 
the  woods,  altho  the  pioneer  latch-string  was  always  hang- 
ing out  for  "Appleseed  Johnny."  He  carried  his  cooking 
utensils  with  him.  His  mush  pan  served  him  for  a  hat. 
When  he  would  accept  the  hospitality  of  a  friend,  he  pre- 
ferred making  his  bed  on  the  floor.  He  wore  few  clothes  and 
went  barefooted  the  most  of  his  time,  even  when  the  weather 
was  quite  cold.  For  a  coat  a  coffee  sack  with  holes  cut  for 
neck  and  arms  was  ample. 

There  were  plenty  of  Indians  in  those  days  and  they 
were  troublesome,  too,  since  several  massacres  occurred  in 
that  region.  But  they  never  did  any  harm  to  our  hero.  No 
doubt  they  thot  he  was  quite  a  "Medicine  Man."  Once, 
during  the  war  of  1812,  when  the  red  men  were  at  their  dep- 
redations and  all  the  people  were  flocking  to  the  Mansfield 
blockhouse  for  protection,  it  was  necessary  to  get  a  message 


26  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

to  Mt.  Vernon,  asking  for  the  assistance  of  the  militia.  It 
was  thirty  miles  away  and  the  trip  had  to  be  made  in  the 
night.  Johnny  volunteered  his  services.  Barefooted  and 
bareheaded  he  made  his  way  along  the  forest  trails,  where 
wild  animals  and  probably  wild  Indians  were  lurking.  The 
next  morning  he  had  returned  and  with  him  was  the  needed 
help. 

He  loved  everything  that  lived.  He  harmed  no  animal 
and  if  he  found  any  that  were  wounded  or  mistreated  he 
would  care  for  them  as  best  he  could.  Once  when  a  snake 
had  bitten  him,  he  instinctively  killed  it.  He  never  quite 
forgave  himself  for  this  "ungodly  passion." 

He,  as  has  already  been  stated,  was  deeply  religious.  He 
was  a  disciple  of  Emanuel  Swedenborg,  and  he  always  carried 
some  religious  books  about  with  him,  in  the  bosom  of  his 
shirt.  These  books  he  would  give  away.  Often  he  would 
divide  a  book  in  several  pieces,  so  it  would  go  farther.  When 
he  visited  the  pioneers,  he  would  always  hold  worship  and 
discuss  religious  subjects  with  them. 

But  Johnny  was  getting  old.  The  first  trees  he  planted 
had  for  years  been  bearing  fruit.  Still  he  kept  planting  and 
caring  for  new  nurseries.  Once  in  Ft.  Wayne  he  heard  that 
some  cattle  had  broken  into  one  of  them  and  wej*e  destroying 
his  trees.  The  distance  was  twenty  miles.  He  started  at 
once  to  protect  his  property.  It  was  in  the  early  spring  of 
1845.  The  weather  was  raw  and  the  trip  was  too  much  for 
him.  He  sought  shelter  at  a  pioneer  home,  partook  of  a 
bowl  of  bread  and  milk  for  his  supper,  and  before  retiring 
for  the  night  as  usual  held  worship. 

The  family  never  forgot  that  evening.  How  the  simple- 
minded  old  man  read  from  the  Book,  "Blessed  are  the  pure 
in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God."  Then  he  prayed  and  as  he 
spoke  with  God,  he  grew  eloquent.  His  words  made  a  deep 
impression  on  all  who  heard  him. 

In  the  morning  he  was  found  to  have  a  high  fever. 
Pneumonia  had  developed  during  the  night.  A  physician  was 
called,  but  the  age  of  the  man  and  the  exposure  to  which  he 
had  subjected  himself  for  so  many  years  were  against  him. 
With  the  sunshine  of  joy  and  satisfaction  upon  his  counte- 
nance as  tho  his  dying  eyes  were  already  looking  into  the 
new  Jerusalem,  "God's  finger  touched  him  and  he  slept." 
— Taken  from  Arbor  and  Bird  Day  Bulletin,  S.  D.,  1914. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  27 

HOW  PUSSY  WILLOWS  CAME 

There  once  lived  a  beautiful  wood-nymph  whose  name 
was  My  da.  Wherever  she  went  My  da  wore  a  beautiful  furry 
gray  cloak.  One  day  she  was  walking  by  the  river  where 
many  willow  trees  grew.  Suddenly  a  savage  wolf  came 
bounding  thru  the  wood.  Poor  Myda  was  very  frightened. 
Where  could  she  hide?  Quick  as  a  flash  she  crouched  be- 
neath the  willows  and  the  willow  branches  bent  down  around 
her  with  their  thick  leaves.  The  fierce  wolf  did  not  see  her, 
but  went  loping  past  her  far,  far  away  into  the  forest.  "Dear 
willow  trees,  you  have  saved  my  life,"  said  Myda.  "I  will 
give  you  my  beautiful  cloak,  because  you  were  so  kind  to  me." 

In  the  spring  time  when  the  cold,  blustering  March  days 
came,  the  willow  tree  made  little  gray  fur  hoods  out  of 
My  da's  cloak  for  all  her  bud-babies.  Then  all  the  children 
in  the  land  called  them  "pussy  willows,,,  because  they  looked 
like  wee,  gray  pussies. 

— Normal  Instructor  and  Primary  Plans. 


THE  LITTLE  PINE 

Away  up  on  the  high  cliff,  in  a  ledge  of  rock,  the  little 
pine  pushed  its  soft,  green  head  thru  a  crack  and  looked 
around. 

The  mountain  breeze  ruffled  its  little  topknot  in  a  play- 
ful caress,  and  the  mountain  sun  kissed  it  lovingly. 

But  "Oh,  dear!"  mourned  the  little  tree.  "How  can  I 
ever  grow  here?  If  I  could  only  be  across  the  canon  on  that 
slope  with  all  those  spruce!  How  grand  they  look!  So 
straight  and  tall! 

"How  happy  they  must  be,  with  the  birds  nesting  in 
their  branches — woodpeckers,  blue  jays,  and  crossbills — and 
chipmunks  whisking  and  chattering  among  them!" 

The  little  pine  stopped.  From  away  down  below  came 
a  faint  murmuring. 

"Oh!"  it  cried,  stretching  itself  and  trying  to  peer  over 
the  ledge.  "It's  a  river!  I  can  hear  it  leaping  and  tumbling 
over  the  rocks,  gurgling  and  splashing  with  joy! 

"How  lovely  to  be  near  it!  I  would  have  moss  growing 
around  my  roots  and  columbines  nodding  and  laughing  in 
gay  groups  near  me,  and  violets  nestling  at  my  feet.  Oh, 
dear!  the  spruce  always  have  the  best  places!" 


28 


ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 


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(Loaned   by   Department   of  Agriculture   and   Publicity) 
Yellow    Pine    near    Libby 


'Til  just  not  try  to  grow  up  here  by  myself  at  all,"  it 
sulked. 

But  the  sky  was  so  blue,  the  sun  shone  so  warm,  the 
winds  blowing  down  the  canon  were  so  life-giving,  and  the 
little  tree  kept  stretching  itself  so  eagerly  to  see  all  the  won- 
ders above  and  below,  that  it  grew  in  spite  of  itself — until 
one  day,  plunk !  came  its  head  against  a  rock  above.  For  it 
was  growing  away  back  in  a  recess  of  the  ledge. 

"Now  I  shall  have  to  give  up  and  die!"  groaned  the  de- 
spondent little  thing. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  29 

But  the  breeze  came  whispering  into  the  recess  with  a 
message  from  the  Mother  Pine  which  grew  on  top  of  the 
cliff — near  its  edge,  just  above  the  little  pine. 

"Don't  give  up!"  admonished  the  Mother  Pine.  "Send 
your  roots  down  deep  into  the  crack.  Be  sure  they  are  good 
and  strong.  Bend  over  and  push  your  head  out  clear  of  the 
ledge.  Then  you  can  grow  straight  up.  You're  only  twenty 
feet  below  the  top  of  the  cliff.  Soon  you'll  be  tall  enough 
to  see  over." 

"But  I  shall  be  crooked!"  wailed  the  little  pine,  "and 
what  good  is  a  crooked  tree?" 

"Every  tree,  even  a  crooked  one,"  came  back  the  wise 
voice  of  the  Mother  Pine,  "has  its  own  place  in  the  world 
and  its  own  work." 

So  the  little  pine  sent  its  roots  down  deep  and  strong 
into  the  crack;  pushed  its  head  out  over  the  ledge,  and  then 
straightened  itself,  ready  to  grow  to  the  top  of  the  cliff. 

What  a  view  it  had  now!  It  could  see  away  up  and 
down  the  canon !  '  There  was  a  road  winding  along  the  river, 
and  the  -spruces  were  grander  even  than  it  had  thot. 

Every  day  the  envious  little  pine  gossiped  about  them 
to  the  lizard  who  sunned  himself  on  the  ledge  beside  it.  The 
little  gray  reptile  always  hissed  a  softly  disdainful  "pooh" 
to  it  all,  blinking  his  wise  little  eyes,  and  darting  out  his 
tongue,  like  a  little  red  streak  of  lightning,  after  unwary 
insects. 

The  unhappy  tree  used  to  bewail  its  fate,  too,  to  its  only 
other  friend,  the  great  bald  eagle  who  rested  a  few  moments 
each  day  on  his  long  flights  up  the  canon.  Whatever  the 
great  bird  of  prey  might  say  during  the  conversation,  at  its 
close  it  always  circled  once  or  twice  above  the  little  pine; 
then,  rising  with  a  fierce  scream  of  exultation,  sailed  ma- 
jestically away.  For  the  "king  of  birds"  envied  no  spruce 
trees  tamely  rooted  by  a  river's  bank,  no  matter  how  tall 
and  grand. 

One  summer,  after  the  pine  had  become  quite  a  sturdy 
little  tree,  with  deep-growing  roots,  and  its  crooked  trunk 
had  grown  strong — one  day,  as  it  waved  its  branches  out 
over  the  ledge,  it  noticed  a  boy  walking  along  the  road  be- 
low. The  lonesome  little  tree,  always  curious  about  the  few 
people  who  chanced  along  the  canon  road,  was  immediately 
interested,  especially  as  the  boy  carried  a  hammer,  stopping 


30  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

every  now  and  then  to  chip  off  pieces  of  rock  from  the  huge 
boulders  along  the  way.  Or  he  seemed  to  be  picking  colum- 
bines and  violets  across  the  stream,  pressing  them  in  a  large 
portfolio  he  carried  strapped  to  his  back.  Sometimes  the 
pine  could  see  him  climb  a  tall  spruce,  and  it  knew  he  was 
peering  into  some  nest  hidden  under  the  flat  green  branches; 
but  the  tree  from  his  high  lookout  could  see  that  the  boy 
never  disturbed  the  delicate  oval  treasures  within  the  nest. 
So  it  loved  the  boy,  and  watched  him  eagerly  as  he  came  one 
bright  summer  day  after  another  for  his  rock  and  flower 
specimens. 

One  day,  near  the  end  of  the  summer,  the  delightful  lit- 
tle tree  heard  the  boy  hammering  on  the  top  of  the  cliff 
above,  near  the  Mother  Pine,  and  it  stretched  itself  eagerly 
to  see. 

What  happened  next  was  frightful!  There  was  a  sound 
of  breaking,  stone  and  sliding  gravel.  A  high  rock  crashed 
thru  the  branches  of  the  straining  tree.  There  was  a  cry, 
and  a  boy's  body  hurtled  thru  the  air. 

The  little  pine  braced  itself,  and  leaned  out  as  far  as  it 
could  reach  over  the  ledge,  and  caught  the  boy's  jacket  on  a 
short,  jagged  branch,  while  the  boy  himself  clung  for  his  life 
to  the  crooked  trunk. 

For  a  few  terrible  seconds  he  hung  there !  Then,  wrench- 
ing his  jacket  loose,  he  climbed  slowly  down  to  the  ledge, 
leaning  back  sick  and  dizzy. 

By  and  by  the  color  came  back  to  his  face.  Two  boyish 
arms  flung  around  the  twisted,  gnarled  trunk,  while  a  boy's 
voice  whispered  tremulously:  "Oh,  you  little  pine!  I  shall 
never  forget  you !" 

And  the  happy  little  tree  waved  its  branches  proudly 
over  the  ledge,  as  a  boyish  figure  climbed  back  over  the  cliff. 

The  next  day,  after  his  usual  visit  to  his  crooked  friend 
on  the  ledge,  the  gray  lizard  slid  away,  wondering  why  the 
little  pine  no  longer  seemed  to  envy  the  grand  spruce  across 
the  canon. 

The  great  bald  eagle,  too,  poising  on  the  ledge  for  a  few 
moments'  rest,  as  he  rose  circling  and  screaming  to  continue 
his  lofty  flight,  was  pondering  why  his  dejected  little  friend 
had  become  so  gay  and  grieved  no  more  over  his  twisted 
trunk. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  31 

You  see,  no  one  but  the  Mother  Pine,  standing  above 
ready  to  shake  down  seed-bearing  cones  for  baby  trees,  knew 
the  great  joy  that  had  come  to  her  child — knew  that  the  lit- 
tle pine  had  found  its  mission  and  was  happy  in  its  place  on 
the  ledge  away  up  on  the  cliff. 

And  only  the  Mother  Pine  knew  that,  with  every  breeze 
which  rustled  the  branches  of  the  little  tree  and  fluttered  a 
fragment  of  gray  jacket  caught  on  a  jagged  branch,  the  little 
pine  heard  a  boyish  voice  calling  down  from  the  top  of  the 
cliff:  "Good  bye,  little  tree!    I  shall  never  forget  you!" 

— Annie  Ragland  Randell. 


When  we  plant  a  tree,  we  are  doing  what  we  can  to  make 
our  planet  a  more  wholesome  and  happier  dwelling  place  for 
those  who  come  after  us,  if  not  for  ourselves. — Holmes. 


The  great  demand  is  that  the  school  of  the  time  shall 
blend  nature  in  books  with  nature  as  it  is  in  life. — A.  E. 
Winship. 


A  people  without  children  would  face  a  hopeless  future; 
a  country  without  trees  is  almost  as  hopeless. — Roosevelt. 


In  so  far  as  I  know,  only  two  things  retain  their  youth, 
a  tree  and  truth. — Holmes. 


How  good  to  lie  a  little  while 
And  look  up  thru  the  tree! 
The  sky  is  like  a  kind  big  smile 
Bent  sweetly  over  me. 

— Abbie  Farwell  Brown. 


He  that  planteth  a  tree  is  a  servant  of  God; 
He  provides  a  kindness  for  many  generations, 
And  faces  that  he  has  not  seen  shall  bless  him. 

— Van  Dyke. 


Summer  or  winter,  day  or  night, 
The  woods  are  ever  a  new  delight. 

— Stoddard. 


32 


ARBOR     DAY     MANUAL 


WHY  THE   EVERGREEN   TREES   NEVER   LOSE   THEIR 

LEAVES 

Winter  was  coming,  and  the  birds  had  flown  far  to  the 
south,  where  the  air  was  warm  and  they  could  find  berries 
to  eat.  One  little  bird  had  broken  its  wing  and  could  not  fly 
with  the  others.  It  was  alone  in  the  cold  world  of  frost  and 
snow.  The  forest  looked  warm  and  it  made  its  way  to  the 
trees  as  well  as  it  could  to  ask  for  help. 


(I..oanecl   by  Department    of  Agriculture  ;in<l    Publicity) 
Thru    the    Woods 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  33 

First  it  came  to  a  birch  tree.  "Beautiful  birch  tree,"  it 
said,  "my  wing  is  broken,  and  my  friends  have  flown  away. 
May  I  live  among  your  branches  till  they  come  back  to  me?" 

"No,  indeed,"  answered  the  birch  tree,  drawing  her  fair 
green  leaves  away.  "We  of  the  great  forest  have  our  own 
birds  to  help.     I  can  do  nothing  for  you." 

"The  birch  is  not  very  strong,"  said  the  little  bird  to 
itself,  "and  it  might  be  that  she  could  not  hold  me  easily. 
I  will  ask  the  oak."  So  the  bird  said,  "Great  oak  tree,  you 
are  so  strong,  will  you  not  let  me  live  on  your  boughs  till 
my  friends  come  back  in  the  springtime?" 

"In  the  springtime!"  cried  the  oak.  "That  is  a  long  way 
off.  How  do  I  know  what  you  might  do  in  all  that  time? 
Birds  are  always  looking  for  something  to  eat,  and  you  might 
even  eat  up  some  of  my  acorns." 

"It  may  be  that  the  willow  will  be  kind  to  me,"  thot 
the  bird,  and  it  said,  "Gentle  willow,  my  wing  is  broken  and 
I  could  not  fly  to  the  south  with  the  other  birds.  May  I  live 
on  your  branches  till  the  springtime?" 

The  willow  did  not  look  gentle  then,  for  she  drew  her- 
self up  proudly  and  said,  "Indeed,  I  do  not  know  you,  and 
we  willows  never  talk  to  people  whom  we  do  not  know.  Very 
likely  there  are  trees  somewhere  that  will  take  in  strange 
birds.     Leave  me  at  once." 

The  poor  little  bird  did  not  know  what  to  do.  Its  wing 
was  not  yet  strong,  but  it  began  to  fly  away  as  well  as  it 
could.  Before  it  had  gone  far,  a  voice  was  heard.  "Little 
bird,"  it  said,  "where  are  you  going?" 

"Indeed,  I  do  not  know,"  answered  the  bird  sadly.  "I 
am  very  cold." 

"Come  right  here,  then,"  said  the  friendly  spruce  tree, 
for  it  was  her  voice  that  had  called.  "You  shall  live  on  my 
warmest  branch  all  winter  if  you  choose." 

"Will  you  really  let  me?"  asked  the  little  bird  eagerly. 

"Indeed,  I  will,"  answered  the  kind  hearted  spruce  tree. 
"If  your  friends  have  flown  away,  it  is  time  for  the  trees  to 
help  you.  Here  is  the  branch  where  my  leaves  are  thickest 
and  softest." 

"My  branches  are  not  very  thick,"  said  the  friendly  pine 
tree,  "but  I  am  big  and  strong,  and  I  can  keep  the  north  wind 
from  you  and  the  spruce." 


34  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

"I  can  help,  too,"  said  the  little  juniper  tree.  "I  can 
give  you  berries  all  winter  long,  and  every  bird  knows  that 
juniper  berries  are  good." 

So  the  spruce  gave  the  lonely  little  bird  a  home,  the 
pine  kept  the  cold  north  wind  away  from  it,  and  the  juniper 
gave  it  berries  to  eat. 

The  other  trees  looked  on  and  talked  together  wisely. 

"I  would  not  have  strange  birds  on  my  boughs,"  said 
the  birch. 

"I  shall  not  give  my  acorns  away  for  any  one,"  said  the 
oak. 

"I  never  have  anything  to  do  with  strangers,"  said  the 
willow,  and  the  three  trees  drew  their  leaves  closely  about 
them. 

In  the  morning  all  those  shining  green  leaves  lay  on  the 
ground,  for  a  cold  north  wind  had  come  in  the  night,  and 
every  leaf  that  it  touched  fell  from  the  tree. 

"May  I  touch  every  leaf  in  the  forest?"  asked  the  wind 
in  its  frolic. 

"No,"  said  the  frost  king.  "The  trees  that  have  been 
kind  to  the  little  bird  with  the  broken  wing  may  keep  their 
leaves !" 

This  is  why  the  leaves  of  the  spruce,  the  pine  and  the 
juniper  are  always  green. — From  the  Book  of  Nature  Myths. 


THE  PRIMEVAL  FOREST 

This  is  the  forest  primeval.     The  murmuring  pines  and  the 
hemlocks, 

Bearded  with  moss,  and  in  garments  green  indistinct  in  the 
twilight, 

Stand  like  Druids  of  eld,  with  voices  sad  and  prophetic. 

Stand   like   harpers   hoar,   with   beards   that   rest   on   their 
bosoms. 

Loud  from  its  rocky  caverns,   the  deep-voiced   neighboring 
ocean 

Speaks,  and  in  accents  disconsolate  answers  the  wail  of  the 
forest, 

This  is  the  forest  primeval;  but  where  are  the  hearts  that 
beneath  ft 

Leaped  like  the  roe,  when  he  hears  in  the  woodland  the  voice 
of  the  huntsman? 

— Longfellow. 


u 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  35 

WHO  LOVES  THE  TREES  BEST? 

Who  loves  the  trees  best? 

"I,"  said  the  spring. 
"Their  leaves  so  beautiful 

To  them  I  bring." 

Who  loves  the  trees  best? 
"I,"  summer  said, 
I  give  them  blossoms, 
White,  yellow,  red." 

Who  loves  the  trees  best? 

"I,"  said  the  fall, 
"I  give  luscious  fruits, 

Bright  tints  to  all!" 

Who  loves  the  trees  best? 

"I  love  them  best," 
Harsh  winter  answered, 

"Give  them  rest!" 

— The  Independent. 


PLANTING  A  TREE 

What  do  we  plant,  when  we  plant  the  tree? 
We  plant  the  ship  which  will  cross  the  sea; 
We  plant  the  mast  to  carry  the  sails; 
We  plant  the  planks  to  withstand  the  gales^ 
The  keel,  the  keelson,  and  beam  and  knee; 
We  plant  the  ship  when  we  plant  the  tree. 

What  do  we  plant,  when  we  plant  the  tree? 
We  plant  the  houses  for  you  and  me; 
We  plant  the  rafters,  the  shingles,  the  floors ; 
We  plant  the  studding,  the  lath,  the  doors; 
The  beams  and  siding,  all  parts  that  be; 
We  plant  the  house  when  we  plant  the  tree. 

What  do  we  plant,  when  we  plant  the  tree? 
A  thousand  things  that  we  daily  see; 
We  plant  the  spire  that  out-towers  the  crag; 
We  plant  the  staff  for  our  country's  flag; 
We  plant  the  shade,  from  the  hot  sun  free; 
We  plant  all  these  when  we  plant  the  tree. 

— Eugene  Parsons. 


36 


ARBOR     DAY     MANUAL 


(Loaned   by   Department   of   Agriculture   and   Publicity) 
A  school  building  in   Billings  around  which  shade  trees  were  planted  years  ago 


TREES 

However  little  I  may  be 
At  least  I,  too,  can  plant  a  tree, 
And  some  day  it  will  grow  up  so  high 
That  it  can  whisper  to  the  sky. 
And  spread  its  leafy  branches  wide 
To  make  a  shade  on  every  side. 
Then  on  a  sultry  summer  day, 
The  people  resting  there  will  say — 
"Oh,  good,  and  wise,  and  great  was  he 
Who  thot  to  plant  this  blessed  tree!" 


To  avert  treelessness ;  to  improve  the  climatic  condi- 
tions ;  for  the  sanitation  and  embellishment  of  home  en- 
vironments; for  the  love  of  the  beautiful  and  useful  com- 
bined in  the  music  and  majesty  of  a  tree  as  fancy  and  truth 
unite  in  an  epic  poem,  Arbor  Day  was  created.  It  has  grown 
with  the  vigor  and  beneficence  of  a  grand  truth,  or  a  great 
tree. — J.  Sterling  Morton. 


MONTANA     SCHOOLS 


37 


(Loaned  by  Department  of  Agriculture  and  Publicity) 
This   fine    new    building    at    Lewistown    will    be    much    more    attractive    as    soon 

as    trees    grow    u.o    on    the    grounds 


ANTICIPATION 

I  am  going  to  plant  a  hickory  tree, 

And  then  when  I  am  a  man, 
My  boys  and  girls  may  come  and  eat 

Just  all  the  nuts  they  can! 

And  I  shall  say,  "My  children  dear, 

This  tree  that  you  enjoy   * 
I  set  for  you  one  Arbor  Day, 

When  I  was  but  a  boy." 

And  they  will  answer,  "Oh,  how  kind 

To  plant  for  us  this  tree!" 
And  then  they'll  crack  the  fattest  nuts, 

And  give  them  all  to  me! 

— Youth's  Companion. 


The  tree  planter  and  teacher  united  in  one  shall  be  de- 
clared the  best  benefactor  of  modern  times — the  chief  pro- 
vider of  posterity. — J.  Sterling  Morton. 


'aH  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

AN  APPLE  ORCHARD  IN  THE  SPRING. 

Have  you  seen  an  apple  orchard  in  the  spring? 

In  the  spring? 
An  English  apple  orchard  in  the  spring? 
When  the  spreading  trees  are  hoary 
With  their  wealth  of  promised  glory, 
And  the  mavis  sings  its  story 

In  the  spring? 

Have  you  plucked  the  apple  blossoms  in  the  spring? 

In  the  spring? 
And  caught  their  subtle  odors  in  the  spring? 
Pink  buds  bursting  at  the  light, 
Crumpled  petals  baby-white, 
Just  to  touch  them  a  delight — 

In  the  spring? 

Have  you  walked  beneath  the  blossoms  in  the  spring? 

In  the  spring? 
Beneath  the  apple  blossoms  in  the  spring? 
When  the  pink  cascades  are  falling, 
And  the  silver  brooklets  brawling, 
And  the  cuckoo  bird  soft  calling, 

In  the  spring? 

If  you  have  not,  then  you  know  not,  in  the  spring, 

In  the  spring? 
Half  the  color,  beauty,  wonder  of  the  spring. 
No  such  sight  can  I  remember 
Half  so  precious,  half  so  tender, 
As  the  apple  blossoms  render 

In  the  spring? 

— William  Martin. 


PINE  NEEDLES 

If  Mother  Nature  patches 

The  leaves  of  trees  and  vines, 
I'm  sure  she  does  her  darning 

With  the  needles  of  the  pines. 

They  are  so  long  and  slender; 

And  sometimes  in  full  view, 
They  have  their  thread  of  cobwebs, 

And  thimbles  made  of  dew. 

— William  H.  Hayne. 


"He  who  plants  trees  loves  others  besides  himself." 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS 


THE  TREE'S  DREAM 


Little  green  tree,  so  slim  and  small, 

Standing  under  the  school  house  wall, 

Planted  there  upon  Arbor  Day, 

Tell  me,  what  are  you  doing,  say? 

So  quiet  you  stand,  and  so  still  you  keep, 

I  really  believe  you  have  gone  to  sleep. 


"Oh!  I'm  dreaming  now,"  said  the  little  tree, 

"Of  pleasant  days  that  are  to  be, 

Of  the  robins  and  bluebirds  that  every  spring 

Will  come  and  sit  in  my  boughs  and  sing. 

Oh!  Plenty  of  company  I  shall  see 

In  my  gay  green  tent,"  said  the  little  tree. 

"Im  dreaming  of  all  the  little  girls, 
In  gingham  aprons  and  yellow  curls, 
That  under  the  shade  of  my  leafy  boughs 
Will  make  for  themselves  a  wee  playhouse, 
With  nice  bur-baskets,  the  dear  little  souls, 
And  pepper-pod  teapots,  and  sugar  bowls. 

"I'm  dreaming  of  all  the  barefoot  boys 

That  will  fill  my  branches  with  merry  noise, 

And  climb  my  limbs  like  an  easy  stair, 

And  shake  down  my  nuts  till  the  boughs  are  bare. 

Oh!  A  jolly  good  comrade  I  shall  be 

When  I  grow  up!"  said  the  little  tree. 

— Elizabeth  H.  Thomas. 


THE  TREE'S  FRIEND 

"Oh,  the  tree  loves  me,"  said  the  tiny  flower, 

"For  he  shades  me  all  the  day, 
From  the  sun's  fierce  heat  or  the  pelting  rain 

And  content  at  his  feet  I  stay." 


Oh,  the  tree  loves  me,"  sang  the  happy  bird, 
My  nest  on  his  mighty  arm 
Is  fastened  safe,  and  my  babies  rock 
In  their  cradles  safe  from  harm." 


tt 


Oh,  the  tree  loves  me,"  said  the  little  child, 
For  he  gives  me  blossoms  sweet, 
Then  the  sun  shines  warm  on  his  laden  boughs, 
Till  the  ripe  fruit  drops  at  my  feet." 

— Gaynor's  "Songs  of  the  Child  World." 


40  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

THE  APPLE  TREE 

When  an  apple  tree  is  ready  for  the  world  to  come  and  eat, 
There  isn't  any  structure  in  the  land  that's  "got  it  beat." 
There's   nothing  man  has  builded   with  the   beauty  or  the   charm 
That  can  touch  the  simple  grandeur  of  the  monarch   of  the  farm 
There's  never  any  picture  from  a  human   being's  brush 
That  has  ever  caught  the  redness  of  a  single  apple's  blush. 

When  an  apple  tree's  in  blossom  it  is  glorious  to  see, 
But  that's  just  a  hint  at  springtime,  of  the  better  things  to  be;. 
That  is  just  a  fairy  promise  from  the  Great  Magician's  wand 
Of  the  wonders  and  the  splendors  that  are  waiting  just  beyond 
The  distant  edge  of  summer;  just  a  forecast  of  the  treat 
When  the  apple  tree  is  ready  for  the  world  to  come  and  eat. 

Architects  of  splendid  vision  long  have  labored  on  the  earth, 

And  have   raised  their  dreams  in  marble   and   we've  marveled  at  their 

worth ; 
Long  the  spires  of  costly  churches  have  looked  upward  at  the  sky; 
Rich  in  promise  and  in  beauty  they  have  cheered  the  passerby. 
But  I'm  sure  there's  nothing  finer  for  the  eye  of  man  to  meet 
Than  an  apple  tree  that's  ready  for  the  world  to  come  and  eat. 

There's  the  promise  of  the  apples,  red  and  gleaming  in  the  sun, 

Like  the  medals  worn  by  mortals  as  rewards  for  labors  done; 

And  the  big  arms  stretched  wide  open,  with  a  welcome  warm  and  true 

In  a  way  that  sets  you  thinking  it's  intended  just  for  you. 

There  is  nothing  with  a  beauty  so  entrancing,  so  complete, 

As  an  apple  tree  that's  ready  for  the  world  to  come  and  eat. 

— Edgar  A.  Guest. 

(Published  by  Reilly  &  Britton  Co.) 


AN  ARBOR  DAY  TREE 

Dear  little  tree  that  we  plant  today, 
What  will  you  be  when  we're  old  and  gray? 
"The  savings  bank  of  the  squirrel  and  mouse, 
For  robin  and  wren  an  apartment  house, 
The  dressing  room  of  the  butterfly's  ball, 
The  locust's  and  katydid's  concert  hall, 
The  schoolboy's  ladder  in  pleasant  June, 
The  schoolgirl's  tent  in  the  July  noon, 
And  my  leaves  shall  whisper  them  merrily 
A  tale  of  the  children  who  planted  me." 

— Unknown. 


The  best  and  highest  thing  a  man  can  do  in  a  day  is  to 
sow  a  seed,  whether  it  be  in  the  shape  of  a  word,  an  act,  or 
an  acorn. — James  Boyle  O'Reilly. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  41 

LITTLE  EVERGREENS,  GROW! 

Hey!  little  evergreens, 

Sturdy  and  strong! 
Summer  and  autumn  time, 

Hasten  along. 
Harvest  the  sunbeams,  then 

Bind  them  in  sheaves, 
Range  them  and  change  them 

To  tufts  of  green  leaves. 
Delve  in  the  mellow  mold, 

Far,  far  below, 
And  so, 

Little  evergreens,  grow! 

Up,  up  so  airily 

To  the  blue  sky, 
Lift  up  your  leafy  tips 

Stately  and  high; 
Clasp  tight  your  tiny  cones, 

Tawny  and  brown; 
By  and  by,  buffeting, 

Rains  will  pelt  down, 
By  and  by,  bitterly, 

Chill  winds  will  blow. 
And  so, 

Little  evergreens,  grow! 
Grow,  grow! 

Grow,  little  evergreens,  grow! 

Gather  all  uttermost 

Beauty,  because — 
Hark,  till  I  tell  it  now — 

How  Santa  Claus, 
Out  of  the  northern  land, 

Over  the  seas, 
Soon  shall  come  seeking  you, 

Evergreen  trees! 
Seek  you  with  reindeer,  soon, 

Over  the  snow. 
And  so, 

Little  evergreens,  grow! 
Grow,  grow! 

Grow,  little  evergreens,  grow! 


42 


ARBOR     DAY     MANUAL 


What  if  the  maple  flare 

Flaunting  and  red, 
You  will  bear  waxen-white 

Tapers  instead. 
What  if  now,  otherwhere, 

Birds  are  beguiled, 
You  shall  yet  nestle 

The  little  Christ-child! 
Ah,  the  strange  splendor 

The  fir  tree  shall  know. 
And  so, 

Little  evergreens,  grow! 
Grow,  grow! 

Grow,  little  evergreens,  grow! 


PUSSY  WILLOW 


Pussy  willow  wakened 
From  her  winter  nap, 

For  the  lively  Spring  Breeze 
On  her  door  would  tap. 

"It  is  chilly  weather 
Tho  the  sun  feels  good; 

I  will  wrap  up  warmly; 
Wear  my  furry  hood." 

Mistress  Pussy  Willow 
Opened  wide  her  door; 

Never  had  the  sunshine 
Seemed  so  bright  before. 


a 


Never  had  the  brooklet 
Seemed  so  full  of  cheer; 
Good  morning,  Pussy  Willow, 
Welcome  to  you,  dear!" 

Never  guest  was  quainter — 
Pussy  came  to  town 

In  a  hood  of  silver  gray 
And  a  coat  of  brown. 

Happy  little  children 

Cried  with  laugh  and  shout, 
"Spring  is  coming,  coming, 

Pussy  Willow's  out!" 

— Kate  L.  Brown. 


One  impulse  from  a  vernal  wood 
May  teach  you  more  of  man, 

Of  moral  evil  and  of  good, 
Than  all  the  sages  can. 


-Wadsworth. 


'Tis  education  forms  the  common  mind; 
Just  as  the  twig  is  bent  the  tree's  inclined. 

— Alexander  Pope. 


A  man  who  plants  a  tree  and  cares  for  it,  has  added  at 
least  his  mite  to  God's  creation. — Lucy  Larcom. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  43 

A  WORLD-WIDE  ARBOR  DAY 

Any  number  of  boys  and  girls  to  represent  the  foreign 
countries  mentioned  in  play;  four  boys  or  girls  to  represent 
the  different  sections  of  our  own  country;  and  one  girl  for 
the  Arbor  Queen. 

COSTUMES. 

The  Arbor  Queen  should  wear  a  thin  white  dress  adorned 
with  flowers  and  leaves.  The  others  wear  characteristic  cos- 
tumes to  correspond  with  the  part  represented. 

SCENE. 
"Under  the  Greenwood  Tree" 

The  American  children  are  discovered  with  baskets  or 
bouquets  of  flowers. 

All— 

Once  more  we  meet  to  celebrate 

This  gladsome  Arbor  Day; 
From  North  and  South  and  East  and  West 

We  bring  our  flowers  gay. 

Northern  Child — 

I  come  from  the  rugged  Northern  land 

With  its  perfume  of  the  pine; 
At  our  cottage  doors-  the  lilacs  bloom 

And  the  morning  glories  twine. 

Southern  Child — 

I  come  from  the  sunny  Southern  land 

Where  the  warm  Gulf  breezes  blow, 
Where  the  cypress  vine  and  the  jessamine 

And  the  orange  blossoms  grow. 

Western  Child— 

I  bring  the  wild  rose  from  the  West 

That  blooms  so  fair  and  free, 
And  the  daisies  from  the  mauntain  side 

That  are  so  dear  to  me. 

Eastern  Child — 

From  the  East  I  bring  these  favorites — 

The  modest  violet  blue, 
The  arbutus  of  Pilgrim  fame, 

And  the  dainty  primrose,  too 


44  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

All- 
Together  we'll  twine  these  garlands  gay, 

With  sprigs  of  evergreen, 
And  we'll  make  a  crown  of  daintiest  hues, 

For  our  lovely  Arbor  Queen. 

(Music,  while  all  twine  flowers  with  evergreens  or  leaves 
to  form  a  crown  or  chaplet.  As  the  music  continues,  the 
Arbor  Queen  trips  upon  the  stage.  The  chaplet  is  placed 
upon  her  head  and  others  dance  about  her.  Suddenly  all 
stop  and  gaze  toward  R.  The  music  ceases  for  a  moment 
while  all  recite,  then  resumes  again  as  guests  enter.) 

All — (looking  toward  R.) — 

Oh,  here  are  the  guests  from  other  lands, 

With  garlands  sweet  and  fair; 
Our  heartiest  greetings  we'll  extend, 

Our  pleasures  with  them  share. 

(Enter  guests.  American  children  may  wave  handker- 
chiefs as  they  enter  and  sing  or  recite  the  following) : 

Oh,  welcome,  welcome,  welcome, 

Our  friends  from  far  away! 
Oh,  welcome,  welcome,  welcome, 

On  this  bright  Arbor  Day! 

(All  take  position  in  form  of  semi-circle  as  follows: 
Queen  at  center;  Southern  and  Eastern  children  at  R.,  and 
Northern  and  Western  children  at  L.  of  Queen.  Others  stand 
at  right  and  left  to  suit  convenience.) 

Guests — 

Good  morning,  little  Americans, 

And  pray  how  do  you  do? 
O'er  land  and  sea  we've  come  today 

With  floral  gifts  for  you. 

From  many  lands  and  many  climes, 

From  leagues  and  leagues  away, 
We've  come  to  help  you  celebrate 

This  world-wide  Arbor  Day. 

We've  brought  with  us  these  native  flowers — 

The  ones  we  love  the  best; 
The  sweetest  blooms  from  Eastern  lands, 

The  fairest  from  the  West. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  45 

Japan — 

From  far-away  Japan  I  bring 

The  cherry  blossoms  sweet, 
At  home  they're  blooming  everywhere — 

On  lawn  and  public  street. 

Hindoo — 

The  dainty  poppies  I  have  brought, 

From  the  plains  of  Hindustan; 
You  should  see  them  dance  and  sway  in  the  breeze 

Like  a  merry,  fairy  band. 

Egyptian — 

From  Egypt's  storied  Nile  I  bring 

These  lovely  lotus  blooms; 
They  speak  to  you  of  the  pyramids, 

And  the  Pharaohs'  ancient  tombs. 

Briton — 

And  I  have  brought  from  England's  shores, 

These  roses  red  for  you; 
They  stand  for  courage  and  for  strength, 

For  loyal  hearts  and  true. 


Scot— 


From  Scotland's  rugged  hills  I  bring 

This  homely  thistle-blow, 
For  once  it  saved  an  army  great — 

That's  why  we  love  it  so. 


Irish — 


I've  brought  from  dear  old  Ireland 
These  little  shamrocks  green, 

And  every  Irish  heart  is  glad 
When  this  little  plant  is  seen. 


Dutch— 


I  bring  you  these  tulips  dainty  and  rare, 
From  the  distant  Netherlands: 

The  gifts  of  peace  and  love  are  they 
From  friendly  hearts  and  hands. 


Swiss — 


From  far  up  on  the  Alpine  slopes 

In  Switzerland,  I  bring 
The  hardy  little  Edelweiss, 

Of  which  the  poets  sing. 


46  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

France — 

I  bring  the  lovely  fleur-de-lis 

From  sunny  fields  of  France; 
It  blooms  so  fair  in  park  and  field 

Where  children  love  to  dance. 

Mexican — 

I  bring  the  wonderful  cactus  bloom 

From  the  land  of  Mexico; 
It  thrives  on  the  sandy  desert  plains 

Where  no  other  plant  will  grow. 

All- 
Yes,  we  have  brought  our  native  flowers — 

The  ones  we  love  the  best — 
The  sweetest  blooms  from  Eastern  lands, 

The  fairest  from  the  West. 

(All  sing  to  tune  of  "We  Love  to  Make  Sweet  Music") 

We'll  sing  a  song  of  garlands — 

The  shamrock  and  the  rose. 
The  lotus  and  the  cherry, 

And  every  flower  that  grows; 
From  Egypt  and  from  England, 

From  France  and  far  Cathay, 
We've  come  to  make  us  merry, 

This  joyful  Arbor  Day. 

Oh,  sing  a  song  of  posies — 

The  poppy  and  the  peach, 
The  orange  and  the  lily, 

Oh,  sing  a  song  of  each. 
From  frigid  land  and  tropics, 

From  hill  and  dale  away, 
We've  come  to  make  us  merry, 

This  world-wide  Arbor  Day. 

(All  may  dance  about  the  Arbor  Queen  if  desired.) 

Curtain. 

The  tune,  "We  Love  to  Make  Sweet  Music,"  is  found  in 
the  "Merry  Melodies,"  price  15  cents.  Address  the  author 
or  publishers  of  School  Education.  Book  rights  reserved  by 
the  author. 

— Willis  N.  Bugbee,  from  School  Education. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS 


47 


(Loaned   by   Department   of   Agriculture   and    Publicity) 
Agricultural    Hall,    Bozeman 


WHY  WE  PLANT  THE  TREE 
First  Pupil — 

We  plant  the  tree  for  the  shade  it  gives; 

For  the  shade  of  a  leafy  tree 
On  a  summer's  day  when  the  hot  sun  shines 

Is  a  pleasure  for  all  to  see. 

Second  Pupil — 

We  plant  the  tree  for  the  wood  to  use 

In  winter  to  keep  us  warm, 
And  for  hall  and  church  and  store  and  house, 

To  have  shelter  from  the  storm. 

Third  Pupil— 

We  plant  the  tree  to  please  the  eye, 

For  who  does  not  like  to  see, 
Whether  on  hill  or  plain  or  dale, 

The  beauty  of  a  tree? 


48  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

Fourth  Pupil — 

We  plant  the  tree  for  the  dear  birds'  sake, 

For  they  can  take  their  rest, 
While  the  mate  sings  songs  of  love  and  cheer 

To  the  mother  on  her  nest. 

— Primary  Education. 


BLESSING  FOR  THE  TREE  PLANTER 

0  painter  of  the  fruits  and  flowers! 

We  thank  Thee  for  Thy  wise  design, 
Whereby  these  human  hands  of  ours 

In  nature's  garden  work  with  Thine. 

Give  fools  their  gold  and  knaves  their  power; 

Let  fortune's  bubbles  rise  and  fall; 
Who  sows  a  field  or  trains  a  flower 

Or  plants  a  tree  is  more  than  all. 

For  he  who  blesses  most  is  blest; 

And  God  and  man  shall  own  his  worth 
Who  toils  to  leave  as  his  bequest 

An  added  beauty  to  the  earth. 

And,  soon  or  late,  to  all  who  sow, 
The  time  of  harvest  shall  be  given; 

The  flower  shall  bloom,  the  fruit  shall  grow, 
If  not  on  earth,  at  last  in  heaven. 


THREE  LITTLE  TREES 

(Recitation  for  a  tiny  girl.  Three  other  children  stand 
near  representing  the  trees — laughing,  whispering,  telling 
secrets,  clapping  hands,  etc.,  in'  pretty  pantomime  to  the 
speaker's  words.) 

Away  out  in  the  orchard  in  sunshine  and  breeze, 

A-laughing  and  whispering,  grew  three  little  trees. 

And  one  was  a  plum  tree,  and  one  was  a  pear, 

And  one  was  a  rosy-cheeked  apple  tree  rare. 

A  dear  little  secret,  as  sweet  as  could  be, 

The  breeze  told  one  day  to  the  glad  apple  tree. 

She  rustled  her  little  green  leaves  all  about, 

And  smiled  at  the  plum,  and  the  secret  was  out. 

The  plum  told  in  whispers  the  pear  by  the  gate, 

And  she  told  it  to  me,  so  you  see,  it  came  straight. 

The  breeze  told  the  apple,  the  apple  the  plum, 

The  plum  told  the  pear,  "Robin  Readbreast  has  come!" 

And  out  in  the  orchard  they  danced  in  the  breeze, 

And  clapped  their  hands  softly,  these  three  little  trees. 

— Selected. 


MONTANA     SCHOOLS  49 

PUSSY  WILLOWS 

I  have  some  dainty  pussies  here 

All  dressed  in  soft  gray  fur, 
But  you  might  listen  all  day  long 

And  not  once  hear  them  purr. 

Nor  do  they  run  and  frisk  about 

These  pretty  living  things — 
But  closely  round  a  slender  twig 

Each  tiny  pussy  clings. 

All  thru  the  winter's  storms  and  cold, 

These  furry  babies  swung 
In  cradle  beds  of  shining  brown, 

On  willow  branches  hung. 

The  rough  winds  sang  their  lullaby 

And  rocked  them  to  and  fro, 
And  all  about  their  sleepy  heads 

Drifted  the  cold  white  snow. 

But  by  and  by  the  sunbeams  warm 

Peeped  into  each  small  bed, 
And  said,  "Come,  pussies,  waken  now, 

For  winter  days  are  fled." 

So  bravely  come  the  pussies  forth, 

Tho  shrill  the  cold  wind  blows, 
And  up  and  down  the  long,  brown  stems 

They  cling  in  shining  rows. 

But  when  the  days  grow  long  and  bright, 

And  breezes  not  so  cold, 
They'll  change  their  dress  of  silver  fur 

For  robes  of  green  and  gold. 

-Mary   E.    Plummer.      From    "Songs    of    the    Treetop    and 
Meadow,"  Published  by  Public  School  Publishing  Co. 


THE  HEART  OF  THE  TREE 

What  does  he  plant  who  plants  a  tree? 
He  plants  the  friend  of  sun  and  sky; 
He  plants  the  flag  of  breezes  free; 
The  shaft  of  beauty  towering  high; 
He  plants  a  home  to  heaven  anigh, 
For  song  and  mother-croon  of  bird 
In  hushed  and  happy  twilight  heard — 
The   treble  of  heaven's  harmony — 
These  things  he  plants  who  plants   a  tree. 


50  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

What  does  he  plant  who  plants  a  tree? 

He  plants  cool   shade  and  tender  rain, 
And  seed  and  bud  of  days  to  be, 

And  years  that  fade  and  flush  again; 
He   plants   the   glory   of   the    plain; 
He  plants  the  forest's  heritage; 
The  harvest  of  a  coming  age; 
The  joy  that  unborn  eyes  shall  see — 
These  things  he  plants  who  plants  a  tree. 

What  does  he   plant  who  plants  a  tree? 
He  plants,  in  sap  and  leaf  and  wood, 
In  love  of  home  and  loyalty 

And  far-cast  thought  of  civic  good — 
His   blessings   on  the   neighborhood, 
Who  in  the  hollow  of  His  hand 
Holds  all  the  growth  of  all  our  land — 
A  nation's  growth  from  sea  to  sea 
Stirs  in  his  heart  who  plants  a  tree. 

(Prom  Poems  of  H.  C.  Bunner) 

Copyright,  by  Charles  Scribner's   Sons. 


THREE  TREES 

(Arbor  Day  Recitation  for  Three  Pupils.) 

By  WILL  AIKEN. 

First  One  planted  a  tree  of  "Selfishness," 

Pup,l:  Away  from  the  sun's  warm  ray; 

He  spread  Conceit  about  the  roots 

And  watched  it  day  by  day — 
A  time  it  grew,  yet  flourished  not, 

The  food  of  life  denied; 
It  struggled  with  a  fool's   desire — 
Then   drooped   away   and   died. 

Second  One  planted  a  tree  of  "Sweet  Revenge," 

Pupil:  Nor  reckoned  he  the  end. 

It  swiftly  grew  and  spread  its  shade, 

But  only  to  offend. 
None   came  to   seek  its   shadows  grim 

Save  one,  with  Satan's  air; 
Its   noisome   shade   at  last  brought  death- 
To  him  who   planted  there. 

Third  One  planted  a  tree  of  "Happiness," 

Pupil:  And   for  its  growth   would   pray; 

He  scattered  Love  about  its  roots 

And  watched  it  day  by  day. 
It  slowly  strong  and  noble  grew, 

And  myriads  sought  its  shade; 
It  brought  sweet  peace  to  all  who  came- 
A  tree  that  God  had  made. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS 


51 


(Loaned    by    Department    of    Agriculture    and    Publicity) 
Ram's    Horn    Lake,    Upper    Gallatin 

HIAWATHA'S    CANOE 

"Give  me  of  your  bark,  0  Birch  Tree! 
Lay  aside  your  cloak,  0  Birch  Tree! 
Lay  aside  your  white  skin  wrapper, 
For  the  summer  time  is  coming 
And  the  sun  is  warm  in  Heaven, 
And  you  need  no  white  skin  wrapper/' 
And  the  tree  with  all  its  branches 
Rustled  in  the  breeze  of  morning, 
Saying  with  a  sigh  of  patience: 
"Take  my  cloak,  0  Hiawatha !" 


52  ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 

"Give  me  of  your  boughs,  0  Cedar! 

My  canoe  to  make  more  steady, 

Make  more  strong  and  firm  beneath  me." 

Thru  the  summit  of  the  Cedar 

Went  a  sound — a  cry  of  horror, 

But  it  whispered,  bending  downward, 

"Take  my  boughs,  0  Hiawatha." 

"Give  me  of  your  roots,  0  Tamarack! 
Of  your  fibrous  roots,  0  Larch  Tree! 
My  canoe  to  bind  together." 
And  the  Larch  with  all  its  fibres, 
Shivered  in  the  air  of  morning, 
Touched  his  forehead  with  his  tassels, 
Said  with  one  long  sigh  of  sorrow, 
"Take  them  all,  O  Hiawatha." 

"Give  me  of  your  balm,  0  Fir  Tree! 
Of  your  balm  and  of  your  resin, 
So  to  close  the  seams  together, 
That  the  water  may  not  enter 
And  the  river  may  not  enter." 
And  the  Fir  Tree,  tall  and  sombre, 
Answered  wailing,  answered  weeping, 
"Take  my  balm,  0  Hiawatha." 

Thus  the  birch  canoe  was  builded 
In  the  valley  by  the  river 
And  the  forest  life  was  in  it 
All  its  mystery  and  its  magic, 
All  the  lightness  of  the  birch  tree, 
All  the  toughness  of  the  Cedar, 
All  the  Larch's  supple  sinews; 
And  it  floated  on  the  river 
Like  a  yellow  leaf  in  autumn 
Like  a  yellow  water  lily. 


— Longfellow. 


THE  DINKEY  BIRD 

In  an  ocean  way  out  yonder 

(As  all  sapient  people  know), 
Is  the  land  of  Wonder-Wander, 

Whither  children  love  to  go; 
It's  the  playing,  romping,  swinging, 

That  gives  great  joy  to  me 
While  the  Dinkey-Bird  is  singing, 

In  the  amfalula  tree. 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS  53 

There  the  gum  drops  grow  like  cherries, 

And  taffy's  thick  as  peas — 
Caramels  you  pick  like  berries 

When  and  where  and  how  you  please; 
Big  red  sugar-plums  are  clinging 

To  the  cliffs  beside  the  sea 
Where  the  Dinkey-Bird  is  singing, 

In  the  amfalula  tree. 

So  when  children  shout  and  scamper 

And  make  merry  all  the  day, 
When  there's  naught  to  put  a  damper 

To  the  ardor  of  their  play: 
When  I  hear  their  laughter  ringing, 

Then  I'm  sure  as  sure  can  be 
That  the  Dinkey-Bird  is  singing 

In  the  amfalula  tree. 

For  the  Dinkey-Bird's  bravuras 

And  staccatos  are  so  sweet — 
His  roulades  appoggiaturas, 

And  robustos  so  complete, 
That  the  youth  of  every  nation — 

Be  they  near  or  far  away — 
Have  especial  delectation 

In  that  gladsome  roundelay. 

Their  eyes  grow  bright  and  brighter, 

Their  lungs  begin  to  crow, 
Their  hearts  get  light  and  lighter, 

And  their  cheeks  are  all  aglow: 
For  an  echo  cometh  bringing 

The  news  to  all  and  me, 
That  the  Dinkey-Bird  is  singing 

In  the  amfalula  tree. 

I'm  sure  you  like  to  go  there 

And  see  your  feathered  friends — 
And  so  many  goodies  grow  there 

You  would  like  to  comprehend! 
Speed,  little  dreams,  you're  winging 

To  that  land  across  the  sea 
Where  the  Dinkey-Bird  is  singing 

In  the  amfalula  tree. 

—Field. 

-From  "The  Poems  of  Eugene  Field,"  Published  by  Charles 
Scribner's  Sons. 


54 


ARBOR    DAY    MANUAL 


(Loaned    by    Department    of    Agriculture    and    Publicity) 
Powell    County    High    School,    Deer    Lodge 


PLANT  A  TREE 

He  who  plants  a  tree 

Plants  a  hope. 
Rootlets  up  thru  fibers  blindly  grope; 
Leaves  unfold  into  horizons  free. 

So  man's  life  must  climb 

From  the  clods  of  time 

Unto  heavens  sublime. 
Canst  thou  prophesy,  thou  little  tree, 
What  the  glory  of  thy  boughs  shall  be? 

He  who  plants  a  tree 

Plants  a  joy. 
Plants  a  comfort  that  will  never  cloy — 
Every  day  a  fresh  reality. 

Beautiful  and  strong, 

To  whose  shelter  throng 

Creatures  blithe  with  song. 
If  thou  couldst  but  know,  thou  happy  tree. 
Of  the  bliss  that  shall  inhabit  thee! 


MONTANA    SCHOOLS 


55 


He  who  plants  a  tree, 

He  plants  peace. 
Under  its  green  curtains  jargons  cease; 
Leaf  and  zephyr  murmur  soothingly; 

Shadows,  soft  with  sleep, 

Down  tired  eyelids  creep, 

Balm  of  slumber  deep. 
Never  hast  thou  dreamed,  thou  blessed  tree, 
Of  the  benediction  thou  shalt  be. 

He  who  plants  a  tree, 

He  plants  youth: 
Vigor  won  for  centuries,  in  sooth; 
Life  of  time,  that  hints  eternity! 

Boughs  their  strength  uprear, 

New  shoots  every  year 

On  old  growths  appear. 
Thou  shalt  teach  the  ages,  sturdy  tree, 
Youth  of  soul  is  immortality. 

— Lucy  Larcom. 


THE  FOREST  PLEADERS 


(Arbor  Day  Recitation  for  Six  Pupils.) 
By  E.  T.  Allen. 


First     Pupil 

(carrying 
evergreen 
branch) 


Second    Pupil: 

(carrying    pail 
of   water) 


Third    Pupil: 

(carrying    pet 
animal 


I  AM  THE  FOREST. 

I   clothe  this  western  land 

With  beauty,   and   on   every  hand 
You  turn  to  me  in  daily  need. 

Your  best  friend  I  have   always   stood; 

You  could  not  live  not  using  wood. 
For  your  protection  now  I  plead. 

Nor  do  I  bid  you  take  my  word; 

Let  these  my  witnesses  be   heard. 

I  AM  THE  STREAM. 

From  my  woodland  springs 

To  river  mouth  where  the  white  gull  wings 
Over  the  ships  from  the  ends  of  the  earth, 

I  flow  to  your  homes  and  mills  and  fields, 

And  carry  the  freight  that  the  harvest  yields, 
But    shady   forests   gave    me    birth. 

I  AM  THE  WILD  THINGS. 

I  speak  for  graceful  deer 

And  flashing  trout  in  brooks,  pools  clear, 
For  singing  birds  and  squirrels  pert, 

And  all  the  wearers  of  feather  and  fur. 

What   should   we   do  if  no   forest  were 
To  shelter  us  from  fear  and  hurt? 


56 


ARBOR     DAY     MANUAL 


Fourth    Pupil: 
(carrying    ax) 


Fifth     Pupil 

(carrying 
fishing    rod) 


Sixth    Pupil: 

(strikes    match 
and  holds  it 
burning) 


All: 

(FUTURE 
blows    match 
out,   watches   as 
he    drops    it,    then 
tramps  it  out) 


I  AM  INDUSTRY. 

To  me  the  forest  brings 

Reward  for  labor  and  all  things 
That  money  buys,  for  in  this  state 

Over  half  our  wage-earners'  pay 

Comes  from  lumbering  in  some  way. 
The  fate  of  forests  is  my  fate. 

I  AM  PLEASURE. 

Happy  vacation  days, 

Camping,   hunting,   and   all   the   ways 
Of  nature  in  her  gladdest  moods, 

The  forest  holds  for  girls  and  boys 

Who  love  outdoors  and  wholesome  joys. 
There  is  no  playground  like  the  woods. 

I  AM  THE  FUTURE. 

Shall   all   these  pass  away? 

Must  we  look  forward  to  a  day 
Of  fire-charred,  lifeless,   streamless   slopes 

Where  thoughtless  match  or  unwatched  brand 

From  Man's  ungrateful,  careless  hand 
Has  destroyed  his  own  children's  hopes? 

FIRE  IS  OUR  ENEMY. 

Won't  you  help  us  then? 
Learn  yourselves,  and  teach  all  men, 
This  the  lesson  all  must  learn: 

Put  out  the  campfire  and  the  match; 
Careful  with  slash  and  clearing-patch; 
Leave  no  fire  in  the  woods  to  burn.