| Show I I TO HONOR HONO THE CONSTITUTION i I IIII PLANT TREES i u N I I By ELMO SCOTT WATSON EXT year wc we the people of the United States will celebrate cele cele- brats brate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the thew i w adoption of the Constitution under which we ne have been 1 governed as a nation for a century and a half and among other ways of observing that ann anniversary were we're going to say it with trees I 1 At least it is so planned by 0 the sesquicentennial commission commission commission com com- mission which has charge of the celebration In a recent report to congress the commission said A feature in the wide nation-wide celebration which will be a part of every sesquicentennial celebration celebration celebration cele cele- bration is the planting of trees The general plans for the tree- tree planting project in operation co-operation with the American Tree association association association tion appear elsewhere in this re re- re- re port It is customary for many women's organizations to plant memorial trees as a tribute to their founders or to distinguished personages of history During this celebration these organized groups will join in the tree planting planting planting plant plant- ing in in commemoration of the one onehundred onehundred onehundred hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the I St jp a 44 t CHARLES LAT LATHROP ROP PACK Each state and local community community community com com- will have its anniversary date when fitting ceremonies willbe will willbe willbe be planned Millions of trees willbe will willbe willbe be dedicated to the memory of the framers of the Constitution When U plans were being made for the celebration of the Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington bicentennial it was intended intended intended in in- tended to plant trees in honor of the event But so popular did this idea become throughout the country that Inthe in inthe inthe the year 1932 some trees were actually r planted in inthe inthe inthe the United States Therefore it itis itis itis is proposed to follow a similar program in celebrating the sesquicentennial sesquicentennial ses ses- qui centennial of the I tion As in the case of the Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington bicentennial the President President President dent of the United States will be asked to plant a tree in the grounds of the White House and andone andone andone one will also be set out in the Capitol grounds It will be highly fitting too that the chief justice be invited to plant a tree in the grounds surrounding the new Supreme Court building Thus inaugurating the movement movement movement move move- ment it is planned to reach every city town and school The activities of the commission will be greatly assisted by the operation co-operation of the American Tree association This excellent organization will also operate so-operate in preparing a booklet explaining explain explain- ing the planting of trees and providing a program for the ded ded- The uThe millions of Constitution Trees' Trees thus set out during the celebration will prove a beautiful beautiful ful lasting and appropriate tribute tribute tribute trib trib- ute to the Constitution of the United States The American Tree association association association tion has already issued issued- the booklet booklet booklet book book- let mentioned in the foregoing report its it's called the Constitution Constitution Constitution tion Sesquicentennial Tree Planting Planting Planting Plant Plant- ing Book and recently several million copies were sent to club and organization leaders and andI I school teachers throughout the country At the same time Charles Lathrop Pack president of the association issued this statement Li Like e a Great Oak The Constitution stands like a great oak It has hns weathered many storms It deserves a place next to the family Bible in every home What could be more fitting fitting fitting fit fit- ting than for the American people people people peo peo- to begin now to make their plans for marking the sesquicentennial sesquicentennial sesquicentennial tennial September 17 1937 1037 by planting trees We Ve are ready to distribute to school teachers or organization leaders or anyone else this Constitution tion Sesquicentennial Sesquicentennial Sesquicentennial tennial Tree Planting Book In it is the Constitution and all amendments with every important important important tant date as well as George Washington's letter of transmittal transmit- transmit tal to the congress With this are given details on how to select plant and care for trees and a suggested sted program for the dedication As the statement of the United States Constitution Comm Commission Com- Com m mission i s s i ion o n points out nearly thirty five million trees were planted to mark the bicentennial of the birth of George Washing Washing- ton Now we have another reason reason reason rea rea- son for planting Then we honored the Father of Our Country Country Country Coun Coun- try and now we mark the crowning crowning crowning crown crown- ing achievement of his great career the binding of the nation together under a Constitution Historians all agree he made the Constitution possible In uIn our planting plans we not only have the call of the commission commission commission commis commis- sion to heed but we have the cooperation cooperation cooperation co co- co- co operation of thousands of organ organ- At this years year's meeting of the General Federation of Women's Clubs Mrs H. H G G. G Bogert Bogert Bogert Bo- Bo gert of Colorado national conservation conservation conser conser- chairman started a tree planting campaign reaching into every club In the Daughters of the American Revolution Mrs Avery Turner of Texas national chairman of conservation and thrift has called upon all chapter chapter chapter chap chap- ter chairmen to push the pro pro- gram Every year class in colleges and high schools as well as private institutions is being asked to plant a tree as class activity In the citizenship committees of various organizations organizations organizations tree planting will be a major activity One of the tree planting books has been sent to every campIn camp In uIn these days when we hear so much about dust storms floods and soil erosion causing hundreds of millions of dollars damages the American people must become tree minded and realize the value of forests in flood prevention The forests and their products support every in in- Commerce is impossible without these forest products So let us plant not alone to mark this important date in our history history history his his- tory maybe the most important date but also to call the attention attention attention atten atten- tion of new thousands to the value of trees Ratification Day Mr Pack also has sent to the governors of the original states ratifying the Constitution the suggestion that Ratification Days in each state be marked I t I Ij II I j r t s SN t J r a tES tr r rr r j N LAST OF THE TIlE 13 HORSE CHESTNUT TREES PLANTED BY WASHINGTON AT tamer career came to an end in Aug- Aug gust 1923 when the whole trunk cracked and fell while workmen were pulling a dead branch from it It was estimated that the tree was then more than years old Numerous Grandchildren But even though this historic tree is dead it lives on in its children and grandchildren which are to be found in various parts of the United States On May 1 1876 a centennial tree which had been produced from the seed of the Washington elm was presented to the city of Cambridge by John Owen Two grandchild seedlings from the Cambridge elm under wl which ch Washington took command command command com com- mand of the Continental army are are growing near his tomb at Mount Vernon there is one in inthe inthe inthe the yard of the governors governor's mansion mansion mansion man man- sion in Annapolis Md one in front of the Memorial church at Valley Forge and another at Washington college at Chestertown Chestertown Chestertown Chester- Chester town Md which was named for Washington and wl which ch he once visited to receive an honorary degree Another is thriving on the grounds of the D D. D A. A R. R Memorial Continental hall in Washington D D. D C. C and still I r d l I JilL r rI r J d r r r ws t s I lI l- l I J i j 4 mu m w. w r V 1 p- p p I J r I c GEORGE WASHINGTON The adoption of the Constitution was the crowning achievement of or his great career career I by organizing wide state-wide plans for tree planting in anticipation of the big program in 1937 Among the thousands of trees which will be planted next year as a part of the Constitution Constitution Constitution Con Con- celebration undoubtedly undoubtedly undoubtedly edly there will be many elms This will be especially appropriate appropriate appropriate in so far as this celebration celebration celebration cele cele- bration also honors the memory memory memory mem mem- ory of George Washington since an elm tree marked an important milestone in his life It was under a tree of this species in fu Cambridge Mass that he took tool command of the Continental army on July 3 1775 and started on the career which led to the establishment establishment establishment establish establish- ment of a new nation and his election as its first President under the Constitution For nearly a century and a n half this elm was a landmark and patriotic shrine carefully guarded and with every effort made to save it from the ravages of time Its long and honored another in the yard of the headquarters headquarters headquarters head head- quarters of the Sons of the American American Amer Amer- ican Revolution in the same city And clear across the country ori on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle there is another of these grandchild seedlings brought there by an of the university Besides the two Cambridge elms the state of Massachusetts is rich in tree memorials to the Father of His Country Just outside the town of Palmer on the Spring Boston-Spring field highway stands another famous old tree known as the Mother Washington elm It is claimed by some historians and the American Forestry association t tion on that when Washington was wason wason wason on his way to Cambridge he stopped beneath this particular elm em to rest Ian 1 Many Washington u Trees Elm trees however are aare re not the only ones which we associate I with the name of Washington Deerfield ld Mass leas Iras l s a button button- t I wood tree where Washington watered horses A horse chestnut chestnut chestnut chest chest- nut tree planted by Washington still stands in the yard of Kenmore Kenmore Kenmore Ken- Ken more the Fredericksburg Va home of Betty Washington Lewis his sister It is the last of 13 such trees which he planted there to represent the Thirteen Colonies and to shade the walk between the cottage of his mother Mary Ball Washington and Kenmore Eight years ago a Washington Washing II ton Friendship Grove of 13 horse chestnut trees was planted in the National Capital They sprang from the seeds of a tree which for more than years stood in Bath Pa as an emblem of friendship between Washington l and Gen Robert Brown The latter latter latter lat lat- lat lat- ter was a frequent visitor to I Mount Vernon and at the end of one such visit in 1781 1731 Washington Washing Washing- ton with his own hands dug from l his s garden two young horse chestnut trees which he presented presented presented pre pre- to his friend Brown carried carried carried car car- I ried the young saplings across the mountains to his home where he planted them on the lawn Only one of the trees however survived but it grew to a height of 70 feet and had an an- an foot 85 spread of its branches Tree of Two Nations On the grounds of the Ca Capitol 1 I n in Washington is an elm under which the first President is said to have sat while watching the progress in the building of that edifice On the grounds of the White House stands a tree which is also associated with the name of Washington and which links the past and the present in an unusual manner This tree is the of an acorn brought from Russia and because of this and its unique lineage it is known as the Russo- Russo American Oak The tree from which the acorn was obtained stands in Lenin Lenin- grad It grew from an acorn produced by a tree at the tomb of Washington at Mt I Ver Ver- non The Mt Vernon acorn was sent to the czar of Russia by Senator Senator Senator Sen Sen- ator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts Massachusetts Massa Massa- and planted in the grounds of the imperial palace by the czar as a symbol of Russo- Russo American friendship In 1898 the tree which had grown from Senator Senator Senator Sen Sen- ator Sumner's acorn was located by Ethan Allen Hitchcock then American Ambassador to to St. St Petersburg Gathering and planting planting plant plant- ing some of the acorns from this tree the ambassador sent a sapling sapling sap sap- ling of the new generation to President Roosevelt for planting in the White House I grounds The I planting took place on April 6 1904 exactly thirteen years before before be be- I fore the day on which the United States joined hands with Russia and other European countries in the greatest conflict the world has ever known known known-a a conflict which II led to the destruction of the old Russia and the assassination o of f the royal family The young tree was planted by President Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt himself In several parts of the country are trees famous for their association association asso asso- with Washington's friend Marquis de Lafayette One Lafayette La La- fayette tree on the battlefield of Brandywine derives its prestige from the fact that when the celebrated celebrated cele- cele French general was wounded at Brandywine his injuries injuries in in- juries were given first aid under this tree At Annapolis is a tree under which a reception to Lafayette Lafayette La La- fayette was held with a distinguished distinguished distin distin- company in attendance In the form of trees planted by his on own m hand General Lafayette left many mementoes of his travels travels trav trav- els in America One of these i is s now standing at Concord New Ham Hampshire Another is at at 1 Yorktown Yorktown York York- to town Va near a h house in which are still to be imbedded mh J in m seen cann cannon n balls the timbers the sir sir-e of Yorktown during fi l' l r r x r r nion i-nion |
