Show ARBOR DAY seventy five years ago this april americas first arbor day was celebrated in nebraska in the words of its founder julius sterling morton who later became secretary of agriculture it was the only national memorial which looked to the future rather than the past it still is it wa natural perhaps that this ceremony based upon the planting of trees should originate in nebraska which at that time was regarded as being on the edge of the great american desert lacking trees nebraskans Nebra appreciated them more than those to whom forests were commonplace they made a great start in nebraska three quarters of a century ago one million trees were planted there on that first arbor day mr morton himself could scarcely have forseen the day when tree growing would become a national cause not alone on the treeless plains but nearly everywhere forest industries have learned that trees are arc a crop and more and more we are treating our woodlands not as something to be cut down but as true croplands crop lands from which successive harvests of trees can be taken in 1872 forest protection was conspicuous by its absence today private industry state and federal governments spend more than a year to protect forests and watershed lands from fire expanding forest industries today provide markets which make tree growing profitable today farmers and other small woodlot owners who collectively own nearly 60 per cent of all our commercial forest lands are learning that forest management really pays the pioneers of arbor day built upon a strong foundation when they selected the future rather than the past as their cornerstone the significance of arbor day is greater or on its diamond jubilee than it was when it started I 1 |