Show 7 e z n U mh A N IZ X W 45 I 1 el 0 X f F W NA 6 V k xe am V abw T t by ELMO SCOTT WATSON to HOUGH the date for or the observance of arbor day varies in different states of the union most of thu tho celebrations ere are held during the months of april and may it Is therefore appropriate to recall at this time the man to whom we are indebted for this holiday holie aud hla his service to the tl e nation in taking this stop step to conserve one of the great natural resources of this country tiie the father of arbor day was J T sterling morton who at a meeting of the state board of agriculture in nebraska on january 4 1872 introduced Introduce a a resolution sett setting lug aside april 10 for tree planting nebraska had always been known as a treeless state but in that year scar as a result of mortons Mo Mor rions tons suggestion more than a million trees were planted alte custom wa seon f tinned during yeaN years land in 1875 kansas and tennessee followed the example of nebraska by setting aside one day in the year as arbor or tree planting day irk in ISTO 1870 minnesota harmed by the destruction of her white pine jine forests began to observe arbor day north dakota began in 1882 and in missouri the idea was taken up in 1880 ohio first celebrated arbor day on april 27 1882 at cincinnati asa as a result of a visit to that city chiy of baron richard yon steuben the royal chief forester of the then german empire of that occasion an ohio historian writes von steuben St cuben a descendant of the famous general Goner alVon von steuben who had aided general so BO conspicuously in the revolutionary war had come to america in 1881 with other von to unite in the centennial nial celebration of the surrender aj at yorktown baron von Ste ubena work in for tn in germany had gained gaan d him a worldwide reputation and when he h visited cincinnati it was but natural that advocates of forest conservation in the middle west should seek him out for advice plant trees he told them vor for every tree you cut down plant another or two if possible A committee was appointed to create public interest Int trist jn in the subject of tree planting and its ita work culminated in a L three days meeting in ausla hall ball beginning april 25 1882 the schools were wera dismissed im on the last two days to enable the pupils and teach era to take part in a celebration 0 cf f tree plan planting in the public parks paries the gover governor of ohio bad designated april 27 as arbor day extensive preparations had been made for its observance in eden patk park cincinnati was in holiday attire the soldiery and organized companies lot of citizens formed an immense procession and marched to tho the park thousands of school children were already massed there when the march ore ers arrived at the firing drine of a signal gun eun writes henry howe the historian presidents grove pioneers grove drove 93 battle attle grove groe citizens memorial grove and authors grove were planted and dedicated with lovvig hands bands and appropriate ceremonies addresses Ad dressea were made by ex cx gov bernor noyes doctor loring cassius M U clay of kentucky durbin durban ward and others no eight more beautiful no ceremonies more touching had bad ever been witnessed in cincinnati an important lesson in n forestry had indeed been brought homo home to tho the hearts of the to people in 1883 the ohio state forestry association ocl atlon was organized the same year ear the ohio legislature by joint resolution faed the fourth in april as arbor day howe declares ahat that the groves crovea planted la in cincinnati werft were the first memorial grov groves es ever planted in america the first publio public planting of trees in honor ot of tho memory of authors statesmen soldiers eold lera pioneers and other distinguished citizens iio he might also have added that this was tho the beginning of tho the part played by school children la in the arbor da day celebration which has become such a marked feature of tho the celebrations gince that time another result of this cincinnati celebration was that it led directly to the formation ortho ofa the american forestry association of which george E laring of salem MOBS mass was first president and with which incidentally morton morton was closely associated for many years bearg in IM the american forestry congress as the american fores forestry try association was then known met in st paul mann B G northrop of connecticut introduced a resolution recommending recommend lne the observance of arbor day in all the schools of the country af co IM mattec was a ap P 1 pointed to press the waiter with mr northrop as chairman in 1884 lie he secured tho the adoption of A the following ye resolution solution at the annual meeting of tho the national Edu education callon association Ife resolved solved that in view of oe the valuable results ot of arbor day in the tha six sar tates states where such a day ads been observed arved alike upon the school and the home this association recommends tats general beneral observance of arbor day for schools in all our states elates since then the observance of arbor day has spread beyond the united states in 1887 the first friday in may was set aside in the iho province of ontario for tree planting spain adopted the plan officially in 1890 hawaii tools took it up in 1005 1903 and it Is 13 now observed in all the dependencies of tho tha united states and in great britain canada australia the english west indies south africa Afric ti new zealand norway russia japan and china in IM 1885 the nebraska legislature wishing to further honor the man who had originated the idea of arbor day passed an act changing th the date of its observance to april 22 mor tons birthday and making it a legal holiday in that state morton was born bom at adams jefferson county N Y la in 1832 ile he rec received Ived his car early y education at the methodist episco episcopal pal academy at albion mich to which state his parents wad had moved in 1850 he was a student at the university ox of M michigan he graduated from union collage in 1854 and nd the following year settled in treeless nebraska first at bellevue and later at nebraska city where he be founded find and edited the nebraska Xe braska city news the first newspaper to be established in that state in 1850 and 1857 he was elected to the territorial legislature and in was appointed secretary of the territory by president jarnes james buchanan upon the resignation of gov NV A Il richardson ichardson a few months later lie he bem became 0 acting governor end local representative of the administration in the bitter struggle in the territory in 1860 he was the democratic candidate tor for governor governor but was defeated from that time until 1881 when he was again a candidate for governor he took no active part in politics in 1893 he be entered the cabinet of president grover cleveland as secretary of agriculture remaining in ot of alc until 1697 1607 by 1895 the nebraska legislature was waa able to proclaim to Ne braskas ieter states that henceforth she ama to bo known as the tree planter because this commonwealth which had once been so BO markedly desil destitute tute of this form of verdure now nov had morek more than lian acres planted in trees the celebration bt a arbor day in 1022 had bad special significance since it was the fiftieth anniversary of the th 0 founding of arbor day and at that time charles lathrop pala president of the american tree association announced his farseeing far seeing plais for or celebrating the centennial of abor day in 1072 1972 ills idea la Is summed up in wese words plant a centennial tree and register it t with the amerl american tree association so that you your r name will be on the honor roll of tree tre e planter 9 haid and good citizens fifty years from now since then the association so has urged this idea upon americans so that thousands of it trees i jyrl wt replanted be planted ted and marked by 1072 1972 find and the f celebration ratio n of alif ato year may bo be made laade the greatest ever heldi headla in oils country the dates sted on which arbor kats fay lg observed inthe in the va various alous states am ii in the f possess possessions lons d are alabama rebr february uary 22 arizona in five northern counties friday following the farst day of 0 aorel elsewhere friday following the first day of february arkansas first birst saturday in march call california forn la march 7 colorado third friday in april T the he governor I 1 issues s sues a proclamation each year car connecticut in early may by proclamation la mation of the governor delaware in april by proclamation of the governor florida first farst friday in february georgia first friday in december hawaii first friday in november idaho various dates in april so elected by county superintendents illinois proclamation of tho the governor indiana third friday in april each year lowa iowa Procla proclamation matlon of the governor kansas option of the governor kentucky in the tall fall by proclamation tj on ot of the governor no definite date louisiana second friday tn in january by resolution of state board c ct education du cation waine maine option of the governor maryland second friday in april apall now new jersey by law second friday in april new mexico second friday in march proclamation of the governor new york friday following brat of may north carol carolina in friday efter after november 1 north dakota option of the gover nor ohio proclamation of the governor governo r about the middle of april oklahoma friday following the th second monday tn in march oregon second friday in april ile pennsylvania nn sylvan la proclamation of th governor i porto naco last friday in novem ber hoode island second friday in may south carolina third friday in november south dakota no law but generally observed in april tenn tennessee e eap appointed coln ted by county counti superintendents in november texas Fetu iry 22 utah april 16 by statute vermont option of the governor usually first friday in may virginia proclamation of the gc at s arnor in the spring west virginia la uso usually ally observed on tho the second friday in april wisconsin proclamation or of the governor usually the first friday in may ilay wash washington in gion procla proclamation mation of th v governor usually the first arst friday in may wyoming proclamation Proc lamat ton of the governor usually the first friday in ii may |