3Q>5 Wmmt Wlrglnla AFter and Bird Baw f908 Wmmt Wirqwia A^B#R MMB Mmm D^¥ '^fmu^l 1908 PptgraMi ii@l®-ii mM4 SMii#aii@MS w&m pRIDAYs ApEIL TlMTM ISSUED BY THE OiFARTMiHT @F SCHOOLS eHAHLESTGIi %--^ 'Ss^ TKOSs ©* MlLLERi STATE SUPgRHiTENPENTi ,/<-r Violets. D. Of D* ^ Woods in Spring — Dogwood in Blossom From Agriculture : Its Fundamental Principles. By Soule and Turpin, Permission B. F. Johnson Publishing Co., Richmond, Va. ARBOE AND BIED DAY ANN'OUNCEMENT. In most states of the Union an Arbor Day is provided for by law, but in West Virginia no measnre of tliis kind has ever been enacted by our Legislature. The observance of such an occasion, however, has not l.ieen overlooked by our people, and every year for over a quarter of a century, the schools of the State have been observing an Arbor Day appointed by the State Sn])erintendent of Schools. Not only has this work resulted in improving school grounds and school surround- ings in many places, l)ut its influence has reached the homes of our people and shows itself in imjjroved conditions there. More shade trees have been planted; shrubbery and flowers have been put out; the garden has been cleaned up and made more attractive; and the influence of such work inade to show itself in many ways on the farm, on the streets of our cities, and in public places. In accordance with this cnstom, the second Friday in April has liecn olisiTvod by onr schools for a number of years as Arbor Day, and ] trust that more will be accomplished this year than ever before. There should be general interest in this work all over the state on Friday, April the tenth. Let its influence be seen not only around our scliool buildings and onr country homes, but in towns and cities. as well. The streets in many of our cities, towns and villages can be greatly improved by tree-planting and proper arrangement of shrubbery. Xot only will the eft'ect of this work be felt ir^ an ethical sense, but it will also have a l)eariug on sanitary conditions because beauty and cleanliness are very intimately related. Furthermore, a general movement for civic betterment would manifest itself in be- half of good roads, the preservation of our forests, a purer water sup- ply and all that relates to our material, social and educational pro- gress. T suggest also that special ]irominence be given to the subject of bird study and that on this occasion Audubon Societies be organized in many of our schools. Our songsters are fast disappearing, and the youth of this state should be taught to love and protect the birds instead of destroying them. Trusting that Arbor Day nuiy 1)e observed all over the state this year, and that its beneficent influence will be felt not only now, but leave a rich heritage for the future. I am Yerv sincerclv. Stair Stipf. of Scliooh. C^ARLESTO^^ W. Ya.. March 10, 190S. IXTRODUCTIOX. If the observance of Arbor Da_y ends with the exercises in the school room, lioAvever pleasant and entertaining they may be. the real purpose of the day will not have been accomplished. There must be some practical work not only in and around the school building, but the influence must reach the home surroundings as well. In some schools in former years, every pupil has pledged himself to plant something at home, either a tree, shrub, flower or something in the- garden, and the interesting stories that could be told of some of this work done in this state years ago, would fill a book. The true spirit of Arbor and Bird Day is the influence on the life and character of the pupils as exemplified in practical work. A love for the beautiful as well as a desire for the more useful should be cultivated, and all that pertains to material prosperity should ho made prominent. It is not always the homes of the more wealthy, but the homes surrounded by indications, of taste, culture and refinement that mc thi' most at- tractive. These things being emphasized, the youth oL' our state will have better ideals and will be prepared to take higher standing as citizens of our commouwealth. Let us then make Arbor and Bird Day practical by doing some real ])lanting and by learning somctliing useful about trees, birds and the great animate world about us. A number of suggestions under "Notes and Suggestions" will be- found in the Aniuml. and the bcnulirul plates, both colored aiul half- tone, will tell their own story. These illustrations of wluil has been done in many places in the way of improving school grounds and bettering \hc conditions of home and village life, Avill. it is believed. prove helpful to many of the youth of this state, showing them what can be done where there is a desire for better things. Acknowledgment is hereby made to the Xational Audubon Societies of Xew York City, to Houghton, Miftlin & Co.. Boston, to (iinn & Co., 'New York, to V>. F. Johnson Pub. 'Co., Richmond, A'irginia. ta Sui)t. (). J. Kci'u. l>oekroi-(|, Illinois, to Prof. A. B. (Iraham of the Ohio State I 'iii\ci'sity, and to the Flower Mission. Clevelan/ I '.f The Red-Headed Woodpecker. Courtesy U. S. Department of Agriculture. 8 PEO'CLAMATIOX OF THE I'lJKSlDEXT TO THE SCHOOL CHILDIJEX OF THE UXITED STATES. 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 tbis 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 iis a nation, and of what they yicUl in adornment, comfort, and nseful pi'oduets to the communities in which you live. It is well that you should celebrate your Arbor Day thoughtfully, for Avithin you]- lirotinie the Nations need of tret's will become serious. "We of an older generation can get along with what we have, though with growing hardship ; but in your full manhood and womanhood you will want what nature once so bountifully supplied and man so thoughtlessly destroyed ; and because of tliat Avant you will reproach ns, not for what we have used, but for wliat we have wasted. For tbc nation as for the man or woman and the 1)ov or girl, the road to success is the right use of what we ha\e and the improve- ment of present opportunity. If you neglect to ])repare yourselves now for tbe duties and responsibilities wliich will fall upon you later, if you do not leai'u the things Avhich you will need to know Avhen your schools days are (jver, you will suffer the consequences. So any nation which in its youth lives only for the day, reaps with- out sowing, and consumes without husbanding nnist expect the jjen- jilty of the prodigal, whose labor could witli ditliculty find him the l)are means of life. A people without children would face a liopt'less future; a country Avithout trees is almost as hopeless; forests wliieli are so used that they can not renew themselves will soon xnnisli, and with them all their benefits. A true forest is not meivly a storehousi' I'ldl of AA^ood, but, as it Avere, a factory of wood, and at the same lime a reservoir of A\^at«r. When you help to ])reserve oui- forests or to ])lant neAV ones you are acting the part of good citizens. 'I'h.e value of forestrv de- serves, therefoi-e. to he laught in the schools, which aim to make good citizens of you. if your Ai-hor Day exei'cises help you to rea- lize what benefits each one of you receive fi'om the forests, and hoAv bv your assistance these henelits mav continue. Ihev will serve a Sfood end. Tiieodokm: IIoosevelt. The White Horsi:. April ir,, inn:. A feiciAK .Mai'I.i:. Thousands like this in West Virginia. Is there one in your Home Grounds or in your school yard? FloWEES Add to the iiOME-LIKEXESS OF THE SCHOOL-ROOM. 9 GOVERXOE DAWSOX'S LETTEE TO THE SCHOOLS. Charleston-, W. Va., March 12, 1908. To fJie School Children of West Yivglnia: Yonr good head-master, Mr. State Superintendent Thomas C. Mil- ler, has asked me to write a word about Ar))or Day, which is also Bird Da)' and Cleaning-up Day. •We ought to make war on dirt and filth, l^ecause wise men have found out that disease is caused by tiny animals, which we cannot see with the naked eye, and that these dreadful things breed and live in dirt and filth. Birds : What girl or boy who does not love birds ! Would it not be well for each of you to learn all you can about the birds of West Virginia : their names, their songs and calls, their colors, liow they Ijuild tlioir nests, where they go in the winter, and other things about them ? Arbor Day ineans the same as '"Tree Day." If it can be done, let everyone, or a number of you together, plant a tree, give it a name, Avrite down an account of the planting, which will tell the kind of tree planted, where planted, who they were that planted it, and the name you gave it. But the tree will need care after it is planted, at least while it is young; agree about caring for it. Ar1)0T Day is also a fit day to care for trees, to see that those planted liefore have needed attention. Trees are living things, though they cannot move about from place to place, as birds and dogs do ; but trees eat, breathe, liave blood, and they go to sleep and A\'ake up again. Trees are very useful. Find out in how many ways trees are useful. Why are crowds of trees A\'hich we call forests useful ; and how may we protect our forests from being destroyed? I am going to Washington to meet the President and the Governors of all the other States, and on the 13th, 14th and 15th days of May we will talk about the value of forests and how they can best be preserved. I shall be glad to have vou write me how you think it can best be done. Learn aliout the trees of West Virginia: their names and kinds, their uses, where they grow, why one kind of a tree grows in one place and another kind of a tree grows in another place, and so forth. Everything that is useful is good, and everything that is good is useful.. #H|)liinling. Rapidly growing trees, although giving shade soon- est, are mostly short-lived and hccomo the soonest nnsio-htlv. 29 2. Size. — Although as a rule small plants have a hetter promise of success, other considerations recommend the choice of larger sizes for roadside and ornamental planting. Trees of any size can be successfully transplanted, but in proportion to the size grows the difficulty, the amount of work, and the care necessary. As a rule the largest size should not exceed 2 to 3 inches in diameter at the base and 10 to 15 feet in height. Those one half that size will prob- ably make better growth, because less of their root-system will be curtailed in taking them up for transplanting. 3. Diagnosis of a tree suitable for transplanting : — a. An abund- ance of fibrous roots. b. A normal form and well proportioned development of shaft and crown. c. The position from which the tree came has some influence on its further development. Trees from the forest have generally a wide spreading root system, which is difficult to take up and tran- plant. Those which have grown in the shade of the forest as a rule do not start easily in the open sunlight; those from cool north sides are apt to sicken when placed on hot exposures, and vice versa. A healthy tree from poor soil transferred into better conditions will show itself grateful by vigorous development. — *Arhor Dag Planting in Eastern States. HOW TO PLAXT THEM. Few people know how to plant a tree. Transplanting is an arti- ficial process, requiring both knowledge and care. . If there is a skill- ed tree planter in the neighborhood, interest him in Arbor Day, take his advice about the better trees to plant first and their location, and get him to see that roots and branches are properly pruned, that the holes are of proper size and depth, that the soil is filled in around the roots as it should be, and that the tree is properly protected. If he will let the older pupils assist him in doing the actual work, and after- ward talk to them in a simple, direct way about the care of the trees, so much the better. Be sure to give him the o])portunity. — Alfred Bayliss, in Illinois Arbor Day Circular, 1899. SPECIAL RULES. The time for transplanting trees varies with the locality and the season. Trees should be moved before they have budded and blossom- ed, for after the leaves have opened they cannot obtain sufficient nourishment from the newly planted roots, and after sapping the life from the tree, wither and die. * Circular N"o. 5, Forestry Division, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 30 Copies of this circular in limited imiiihers may lie had by application to the Department of Agriculture, Washington. PLANTING SUGGESTIONS By Gifford Pinchot, U. S. Forester, Wasliington, D. C. The proper season for planting is not everywhere the same. Where spring is the best season — north of the thirty-seventh parallel general- \\ — the right time is when ti.e frost is out of the ground and before budding begins. The day to plant is almost as important as the season. Sunny, windy weather is to be avoided ; cool, damp days are the best. For this reason it is Avell to leave the date for Arbor Day unfixed. All exercises are better deferred until the planting is done. Trees can not be thrust into a rough soil at random and then be expected to flourish. They should be planted in well-worked soil, well enriched. If the trees can not be set out immediately after being secured, the first step is to prevent thiir roots drying out in the air. This may be done by standing the roots in a "puddle" of mud or ''heeling-in" the trees by burying the roots deep in fresh earth. m planting they should be placed from two to three inches deeper than they stood originally. Fine soil should always be pressed firm- ly — not made hard — about tlie roots, and two inches of soil at the top should be left very loose, to act as a mulch to retain the moisture. Small seedlings may be secured easily and cheaply. If these are set out in good numbers after the pattern of a commercial plantation they will become in due time a true forest on a small scale. No mat- ter how few the trees, they may be made to illustrate planting for come useful pitrpose. The scope of planting may sometimes be broadened by securing permission for the children to plant a small block of trees in some field unsuited for crops, and in tliis way the work can be done just as it would be done on a larger scale by the forester. Outside the scope of the actual ])lanting, it is well to b(\ir in mind that Arbor Day is not the only day in the year on which trees de- serve to be remembered and cared for. They need care throughout the season. Watching the plantation thrive under right treatment greatly adds to the educational value of the work, and io its suc- cess, Avhich should be its best lesson. It is all iin])ortant that the ])lanlatioii should serve as a model of what can be accoMiplished along these lines. Then. wh(>n the child- 31- ren are grown men and women, they will find great satisfaction in the M'ork of their school days. PLANT FEUIT TREES. In many European countries it has been the custom for centuries to plant a choice nut tree in commemoration of the birth of a child, and often this is repeated on each succeeding birthday. The results of such a practice are partly seen in the millions of bushels of these nuts produced in those countries for home use and export. This coun- try alone imports annually over twenty millions of pounds of these foreign growing nuts. With these facts staring us in the face, we may well ask, why should our roadsides be encumbered and shaded with trees yielding nothing in the way of food for either man or beast? when it would be just as feasible to plant choice nut trees, which would soon give their owners a crop that could be sold in the markets of any city or village, besides making the highways "pleasant ways" and especially for the small boy and his sister, who are always blessed with a good apj^etite, on their way home from school. It has been suggested, that at least one choice nut tree be planted on next Arbor day in the school grounds of every district in this state. At the same time it should be impressed upon the minds of the children, and every person present that these, if properly guarded and cared for, will i-emain living, and fruitful memorials of their kindness and forethought for many decades, and perhaps for many centuries. Fruit trees along the highways in Belgium made a return of two millions of dollars ($2,000,000) or the year 1898. We will try to make some small piece of ground beautiful, peace- ful and fruitful. We will have no untended or unthought-of crea- tures upon it. We will have flowers and vegetables in our gardens, plenty of corn and grass in our fields. We will have some music and poeti'y; the children shall learn to dance and sing it; perhaps some of the old people, in time, may also. We will have some art ; and little by little some higher art and imagination may manifest themselves among us — nay — even perhaps an unealculating and un- covetous wisdom, as of rude Magi, presenting gifts of gold and frank- incense. — Rusliin . FACTS ABOUT TREES FOR THE LITTLE ONES. (a recitation.) 1. Cutting down trees spoils the beauty of tbc landscape. I would not like to live where there were no trees. 82 2. There are few birds Avhere tht-re are no trees. They have no place to make their homes. ;3. Taking away the trees takes away the protection from our tender fruit trees. 4. Where there are no trees the snows melt and go off too rapidly; the moisture that should sink into the soil is carried away in the floods. 5. Because our forests are taken away we have severe droughts ever}^ year. G. One full grown elm tree gives out fifteen tons of moisture in twenty-four hours. A large sunflowei- plant gives off three pints of water in one day. 7. The trees give us lumber, fuel, wood, pulp for newspapers, cork, bark for tanning, wild fruits, nuts, resin, turpentine oils and vai-ious products for medicines. 8. We should have greater extremes of heat and cold if it were not for the trees and forests. i). The leaves of trees catch the rain and hold it a little while; then they drop the water a little at a time; this is better for the ground. in. The old leaves make a deep sponge carpet in the woods and this keeps the ground from freezing. If the earth does not freeze it takes up the rain better. 11. We might have dangerous floods if we did not have trees. The trunks and roots of trees stop the water that comes ]iouring down the hillside. 1*2. I will be very careful not io hui't any tree, but will call every tree my fi-iend. — rrintari/ Educd'lion. SPRAYIXG TREES AND PLANTS. Large or small, every place that attempts to grow plants should have a spraying outfit. For a few ])lants of small stature, a bucket- pumj) or a knapsack outfit is all that is necessary. For a place of an acre or more, or to reach the tops of trees, a strong lever-handle force-pump is to ])e advised. There are many good pumps. Look up the advertisements in the agricultural papers and send for cir- culars. People ask what is the l)est pump and best nozzle. There is no answer to this question. What is best for one may not be best for another. What is the best wagon? For fungi (plant disease) Bordeaux mixture is the standard mater- The Orfcixal Grimes Goeden Appee Tree. The Famous West Virginia Seedling Originated on tlie Farm of Tliomas Grimes, Broolve County. Spraying Fruit Trees. Courtesy of B. F. Johnson Publishing Co., Richmond, Va. BALTIMORE ORIOLE (Upper Figure, Male; Lower Figure, Female) Order— Passeres Cenus — Icterus Family — ICTERiOye Species — Galbula . ASSOCIATION OF AUDUBON SOCIETIES. NEW YORK CITY 33 ial to be sprayed on the plants. It is a eomponnd of bine vitriol, lime and water. Ask your experiment station for a bulletin giving di- rections for making it, and when to apply. If you are expecting mildew or leaf-blight, spray before the disease appears. Spray until the tree is covered, even if it is blue. For insects, Paris green and the kerosene emulsions are standard materials. Paris green or other arsenites are used fox all biting or chewing insects, as potato bugs, apple worms, caterpillars. For scale insects and aphis, spray with kerosene compounds. — Country Life in America. THE WOODS. The woods at first convey the impression of profound repose, and yet, if YOU watch their ways with open ear, you find the life which is in til cm is restless and nervous as that of a woman ; tlie little twigs are crossing and twining and separating like slender fingers that can not l)c still, the stray leaf is to be flattened into its place like a tru- ant curl: the limbs swav and twist, impatient of their constrained attitude; and the rounded masses of foliage swell upward and sub- side from time to time with long soft sighs, and, it may be, the falling of a few rain-drops whieli had lain hidden among the deeper shad- ows. — Oliver ^YendeIl Holmes. THE SPEING TIME. I love to trace the break of Spring step by step. I love even those long rain-storms, that sap the icy fortunes of the lingering winter, — that melt the snows upon the hills, and swell the mountain brooks. I love the gentle thaws that you can trace, day by day, by the stained snow-banks, shrinking from the grass ; and l)v the quiet drip of the cottage eaves. I love to search out the sunny slopes under some northern shelter when the reflected sun does double duty to the earth, and whcii the first Hepaticas, or the faint blush of the Arbutus, in the midst of the bleak March atmosphere, will touch your heart, like a hope of Heaven in a field of graves. Later come those soft, smoky days, when the patches of winter grain show green under the shelter of leafless woods, and llio last snow drifts reduced to shrunken skele- tons of ice, lie upon the slope of northern hills, leaking away their life. Then the grass at your door grows into the color of the sprout- ing grain, and the buds upon the lilacs swell and burst. The old elms throw down their thin dingy flowers, and color their spray with <'-reen : and the brooks when you throw your Avorm or the minnow 34: tioai. flown whole fleets of the crimsoning blossoms of the maple. Fi- nally the oaks step into the opening quadrille of spring, with grayish tufts of a modest verdure, which by and by will be long and glossy Jeaves. — IJce Marvel. From **Dream Life." THE OAK 11JEE. . A gentleiiiaii i)nU(1 or Judas tree. Wild Black Clierrv, .Sweet-scented Cral). Black Thorn, June Berry or Service ti'ee. Sweet or Eed Gum, Black or Sour Gum, Akier, Persinnnon, Bed Ash, Green Ash, Blue Ash, Bktck Ash, Sassafras, Bock Elm, Sycamore, Butternut or White Walnut, 'olack \\'alnut. I'ccaii Hickory. Shell FJark ilickoi'y. Bi.u' Shell Bark Hickory, Mocker Xut, Black Hickory. I'iiiiiut. I?iitti'rnut. Bed or Black Oak, Scarlet Oak. Fish Oak, Beech. Iroiiwdod. I-ii-ch. Willow, Saud Bai- Willow. Aspen or (^)uakiii<;- Ash. Boiilai-. Ili\cr Cottonwood, Balsam. Babn of Gilead, U'hite or I'osi Cedar, .\rlior \ ita'. K'ed Cedar, \\'hitc I'ine. Black Spruci-. STATE TBOWEL'S. Alaliama (iolden liod. Arkansas Apple Blossom. California Eschscholzia. Colorado Columbine. Delaware Peach Blossom. Illinois Eose. Indiana Corn. Iowa Wild Eose. Kansas Sunflower. Kentuc-ky Golden Eod. Louisi'ana ]\raL;nolia. ]\raryland (Toldcn Eod. Michig-an \])p]c Blossom. ]\f ississippi Maonolia. Minnesota Moccasin. Missiniri (k)lden Eod. Xchi'a^ka (lolden Eod. Xew York Ro^e. Xorth Dakota Wild Eose. Ohio Scarlet Carnation. Ore.a'on * Oregon Grape. Pennsylvania Golden Eod. Ehodo Island Violet. South Dakota . . '. Pasqne.' Texas Blue Bonnet. T^tah Sego Lily. Vermont Eed Clover. Washington Ehododendron. West Virginia Ehododendron Maximum. 36 '•TOWN CLEAXIXG DAY''. Eecently one of the Pittsburg teachers spoke of Arbor Day as Town Cleaning Day, and said that if notliing more were done than removing the rubbish from the streets and yards, this alone would justify the time and attention given to tlie suljject. ^Yhy not then on April 10th have a general cleaning up all over West \'irginia? The piles of old boxes and barrels, tons of wa-te pa]uu\ thous:^inds of tin cans and other rubbish do not make au attraclivc jucture Tor the eye as one travels around owr the State and ob.-iTvis this ■■mat- ter out of place"'. Get our hoys and gii'ls intere'////'///. While Agriculture is not one of the l)raiU'lics upon wliicli teachers are now required to pass examination, still 1 shall include it in the course prescribed for the Teachers' Peadiug Cindc which is now fully recognized i)y law. 'I'itc terrihlc disaster neai- Cleveland. Ohio, in whiidi l^o children were burned to death, is an object lessoii that is being heeded all over tiie country. Scliool l)uildiugs are being examined, fire escapes are being provided, children are being disciplined in lire drills and a great awakening on this subject is noticeable everywhere. Too much care can not be exercised when human life is at stake. It is hoped that all school buildings in West A'irginia will be properly provided with fire escapes, that doors shall always open outwards, and that in no case shall small children be allowed above a second story, and better still if all are kept on the first. At a meeting of the Monongahela Valley IJound Table held at Grafton on March 7th, the following resolutions submitted l)y a committee composed of Dr. C. J. C. Bennett of Fairmont, Dr. Wait- man Barbe, of Morgautown, and Prof. W. A. Beer, of C'larksl)urg, were unanimously adopted : "Tlie news of the destruction by fire of a school building at C'olliu- wood, Ohio, in which almost two hundred little children perished, arrests our attention. The details of the awful occurrence impress us witli tlie ignorance and shortsightedness shown in the construction of uuiny s'.h.ool liuildiiigs and in the lack of safe-guarding the pupils Kgrtiust lire; and wliile we thus publicly express our deepest sympa- thies for the fathers and mothers who have lost their dear ones in the file at CoUinwood, we also wish to arouse pulilic interest in the safety of pupils everywhere : therefore, be it Resolved. That we, the members of the ^lonongaliela Valley Iiound Table, henceforth continually urge upon our school authorities the necessity of greater care for the safety of the school children, to the end that every school building of our State be examined and improved in reference to fire escapes, stairways and exits and the observance of tire drills."" TirE House Wrex. THE WOKK OF THE SCHOOL IMPEOVEMEXT LEAGUE. By Miss Ethel Carle, Secretary. Our West Virginia School Improvement League is now nearly four years old and, considering its exceedingly informal methods and lack of definite organization, it has produced really remarkable results in many counties of our state, if I may judge from the letters and reports which have come to me from the county secretaries and from, individuals. I regret now that we have not had a more uni- form system of making these reports so that I might have kept a tabulated record of work done, which it has been impossible for me to do under the present arrangement. However, I do know that much good has been accomplished. The chief reason why the movement has made such rapid progress with so little organized effort on the part of the state officers is be- cause there has been a great awakening everywhere on the subject of "Civic Improvement" as it is sometimes called. The Ladies Home Journal and other popular magazines have taken up the subject and on all sides we hear of "Beautiful America Clubs" and "Civic Im- provement Clubs" and "Village Improvement Societies" as well as "School Improvement Leagues". The central idea of all these or- ganizations is to secure more attractive surroundings for home, school, and town. The very spirit of "improvement" is in the air and hundreds of West Virginia teachers have caught it. Those who have read from time to time the reports which have appeared in the West Virginia Scliool Journal concerning work done by West Vir- ginia teachers will agree with me that we have great reason to re- joice over ihe things already accomplished as well as the future prospects of our School Improvement League. School grounds have been cleaned up, shrubs and trees have lieen planted, school houses have been painted, fences built, libraries and pictures purchased, and many other improvements have been made through the efforts of earnest, energetic teachers working with their boys and girls. May the good work go on until every school house in the state shall be — as it should be — the model for the wliole community in matters of cleanliness and beauty, inside and out. I give below a list of books and pamphlets any of which will be found helpful in this work. In selecting books for school libraries at least one or two of these should be included : "Among Country Sdiools*'— by 0. J. Kern (Ginn & Co.) $1.00 39 "Children's Gardens"' — by Mrs. Evelyn Cecil. (Maemillan Co. IST. Y.) ^ $1.23 "Home Acre"— By E. P. Roe (Dodd Mead and Co., N. Y.) • • .62 "The Garden, Yon and I"— By Mrs. M. 0. Wright (Maemillan Co. N". Y.) ". i.oa "Our Mountain Garden"— By Mrs. E. F. Thomas (Maemillan Co. K Y.) 1.35 The following pamphlets from The American Civic Association, Philadelphia : "Children's Gardens"— By Dick J. Crosby 10 "Play and Play Grounds" — By Joseph Lee "35 "School Gardens and Their Eelation to Other School Work" — By Baldwin 25 "Suggestions for Beautifying Home Village and Eoadway" — By W. H. Manning 25 "Uses of an Improvement Society" — Ic. each "Arbor Day Program" Ic. each 'Good Eoads"— By 0. C. Simonds 25 :\[annington, W. Ya., IMarch 10, 1908. WEST YIEGINIA FOEESTEY ASSOCIATION. Prof. T. C. Atkesox^ President. I'k'of. a. W. Xolax, Secretory. At a meeting of the Pomona Grange No. 2, on January 24th. 1908, at the State University, resolutions were offered, looking to the organization of a West Virginia Forestry Association. A few days later a permanent organization was effected, choosing Prof. T. C. Atkeson as President, and Prof. A. W. Xolan as Secretary. The following Vice-Presidents were elected, one from each congres- sional district : Wm. H. Hearne, 1st, Jas. H. Stewart, 2nd, E. E. Thrasher, 3rd, H. A. Woodward, 4th, and James George, 5th. Constitution and by-laws, stating fully the plans and purposes of the Association were adopted, and the charter-membership as enroll- ed constituted repregentati\ies from twenty-three countries of the State, members of the University faculty, and of the Experiment Station staff. The objects for which the association stands, as stated in the con- stitution are as follows: 1. To stand for the conservation of our forest resources. 40 2. To bring about better state laws for conserving and utilizing our forests. 3. To take steps toward reforesting denuded lands, and the ex- empting of woodlands from taxation. 4. To encourage tree planting by rural and urban communities, especially the planting of useful trees along the country highways. 5. To educate the young to a higher appreciation of the economic as well as the esthetic value of trees. 6. To encourage the observance by adults as well as by school children, of Arbor Day, as one of the greatest and happiest of our holidays. 7. To unite in one popular and agressive organization, all persons who desire these objects, that tlie force of their numbers may be effective in securing forestry legislation, in creating and crystallizing public opinion, and in ditfusing among the people proper forestry knowledge. Thei'o is no fee attached to membership, and every person in the State, who is interested in the ol)jects and purposes of this associa- tion, is urged to send his name to the secretary, and get in touch with this important movement. Mr. A. W. Nolan, the secretary, has recently been appointed pro- fessor in charge of the new Department of Forestry in the State University, and he is ready to co-operate with all persons and organ- izations, who are interested in the forestry movement. The instruc- tional work in the University is offered in Economics of Forestry, Silviculture, Forest Mensuration and Management, and the courses give thorough training in Farm Forestry as well as excellent prepara- tion for the more technical courses. President T. C. Atkeson has appointed committees on Legislation. Civic Eelations, Arbor Day, Forest Eeserves, Program, also an expert Forester, Botanist, Entomologist, Zoologist, Geologist Ornithologist and Chemist. With tbis strong array of workmen in the organiza- tion, something constructive in forestry in West A'irginia may be hoped for. The Association appeals to the public spirited citizens and press of the state, for their continued interest and manifested sympathy, as a foundation upon which to build a permanent State Forestry policy. The duty that lies next is to petition Congress to pass the Appalachian l^escrve Law. Upper Figures— CHESTNUT- BACKED BLUEBIRD Order — Passeres Family — Turdid^b Genus — Sialia Species — Mexicana Subspecies — Bairdi Lower Figures— BLUEBIRDS Order — Passeres Family — Turdid-e Genus — Sialia Species — Sialis RTESY OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AUDUBON SOCIETIES. NEW YORK CITY *"^*%#tjT I A Si'RUCE Forest in Raxdolph County. Of course our fine timber is very valuable and in great demand, and while much of it will necessarily be removed, tbj destruction would not be so great if the smaller trees and undergrowth could be preserved and forest fires prevented. It is hoped that the West Virginia Forestry Asso- ciation, recently organized, will put forth efforts that will save some of our fine timber areas, and that provision may be made for re-foresting some of our denuded regions. Is it too much to expect that West Virginia may soon have a Forestry Commission with authority not only to suggest, but to act in behalf of the preservation of our magnificent forest areas in the Appalachian water-shed? 41 FORESTRY AND ARBOR DAY. By A. W. Nolan, Secretary Forestry Association. The true message of Arbor Day is that the forest is the producer and custodian of the necessaries of life and happiness. All the teachings of forestry aim to put this idea into practice, and since the public schools reach so many people, especially the young people who are so open-minded to the truths of life and nature, it is highly important that the message of Arbor Day should come to every school in the land. Thus Arbor Day is the time to bring home to the children, through the principles of nature-study, the simplest and most im- portant truths of forestry. In the planting of trees on Arbor Day a great opportunity has been lost, if reference to the commercial \ ^V Ri:i)\vixt:Ki) Blac KP.iiti). utility and protective value of forests, is omitted. It cannot be hoped that the great mass of cliildren taking part in Arl)or Day exercises, may ever contribute much to the solution of the larger prob- lems of forestry, but before the ideals .of forestry can be worked out successfully in this country, public opinion, and sane forestry senti- ment must be created and crystallized into a national policy, and this result an intelligent observance of Arbor Day may help to bring about. One ideal for which forestry stands, however, may be helped to realization by Arbor Day celebrations, and that is, that the home grounds, the school grounds, the roadsides, and all public as well a^ private grounds, may be beautified by trees. The important thing 42 is. that out of the sentiments and emotions of Arbor Da}^ permanent results be left, — lasting impressions in the minds of the children, of the use and beauty of tree life. The objects of this National Society, as stated in the constitution, are: (1) to promote critical investigation of all phases of nature- study, (as distinguished from technical science) in schools, espe- cially all studies of nature in elementary schools; and (2) to work for the establishment in schools of such nature-study as has been demon- strated valuable and practical for elementary education. The established principles to guide in the teaching of nature- study are as follows : First. Xature-study is a direct observational study of the com- mon things and processes of nature from the standpoint of our hu- man interests in nature as it touches our daily life directly. Second. Nature-study should be differentiated from science, in its strictly technical sense. Third. The aims of nature-study may be stated thus: (a) to give general acquaintance with and interest in common objects and processes of nature, (b) to give the first training in accurate observ- ing, as means of gaining knowledge direct from nature, (c) to give pupils useful knowledge concerning natural objects and processes as they directly affect human life and interests. Fourtb. Tlic ())!(' fundamental method of teaching nature-study consists in getting the pupil to see and think for himself. True natuie-study cannot be primaril}- book study. Fifth. In choosing the material, select the most common and the most interesting from the view-point of every day life. Sixth. Nature-study must be adapted for the child, and not for adults. With these six principles to guide, the intelligent teacher cannot fail to do good teaching in nature-study. The following synopsis of a course of study is recommended, 'flio idea is not so much the addition of n new study as the enrichment of the older branches. GWAnKS 1 AND 2. The main olijeet of nature-study in tbese grades is to give general acquaintance, and arouse interest in the common things of their lift — birds, trees, insects, flowers, pets, etc. A study of pets is ey- cellent for this grade. How the pets care for themselves. Why we arc interested in the pets. How we may care for them. Growing .)f plants is a fine topic. The garden habit is a splendid one for • hildren to form. 40 O Thi? will be all the Elementary Agriculture needed in these grades. Grade 3. Xature-study, Home Geography, and Elementary Agriculture should be the same subject in this grade. Such topics as the follow- ing are suitable : homes, streets, land surfaces, drainage, transporta- tion, the dominant industry, and the geographic condition .favoring, the relation to home, fruits, harvesting and preserving, materials used in home-building, sources of water in city and country, washing of soil, weather observations, simple hygiene of the home, etc. Grade 4. This work should accompany the industrial work of the Elemen- tary Geography. Lumbering, mining, fishing, farming, grazing, etc. all fui'nish topics excellent for nature-study and Elementary Agri- culture. When these topics are studied in accordance with the above named principles, they are sufficient for the work of nature-study and Agriculture of this grade. Grade 5. In this grade may be begun a more intensive study of nature topics, and a text may be used if a suitable one can be found. The following topics are suitable: Trees. Roth's First Book of Fores- try, is a valuable aid to the teacher here. Birds. Give general ac- quaintance with form, habit and habitat. Teach common names, economic values, bird protection, etc. Note-book keeping is a good thing to begin in this grade. The main aim is to arouse- permanent interest, so that the boy and girl may become good citizens, able and willing to do effective w^ork in these lines for the community. Insects, toads, and their relations to human interests. Garden work. Use of tools. Many topics of Elementary Agriculture may be taken up in this course. At least one period a week should be given to this work. Grade 6. In this grade all the topics of the preceding grade are appropriate, and in addition, work in physical nature-study may be given, corre- lated in many cases with the Geography. Such topics as these are good: Atmosphere, heat, temperature and moisture of the air, light and 44 electricity, etc. Avoid the generalizations of science. Woodhull's School-room Experiments, will give valuable help to the teacher in this work. Grades 7 and 8. ]n these grades in the ordinary school it will be best perhaps to give much of the geography in the spirit of nature-study, and begin a text in Elementary Agriculture. The work may be given on alter- nating days with the Geography. One of the best texts for these grades would be Bailey's Principles of Agriculture. It is not the purpose of Elementary Agriculture lo train all to be farmers, but to give to all an intelligent and sympathetic attitude to this most important of industries, and to establish a closer and more harmonious relation between nature and the life of the people. Much interest has been awakened by the establishment of the Sage Foundation fund for the investigation of the causes of poverty in this country. What larger and more widely disseminated causes of poverty can we hope to discover than our tax for preventable dis- ease, our bills for patent medicines, our tax for insect damages, our forest product famine, and the devastating floods and fires on ac- count of national ignorance of forestry, our ruinous soil impoverish- ment, our wanton destruction of bird life, and many other drains on our national prosperity e(]ua]ly unnecessary. Here are ]U'oli- lems which lie close to the life of the child and the home, prohleni.^ of wholesome homes and clean living, prol)leins of birds and insects, gardens, fields and woods and pure water. These are problems Avhicli meet the criterion of human interests which it must be the function of the system of public education to begin to solve. ]\lay natur-'- study and Elementary Agriculture l)e the means of hastening and establishino: the sfood work. NATl I.'K-STIDV AND KLEMKX^'Ah'V .VGinClTLTn^'E. It is very ini|)()rlant at iliis time in om- State. sinc(> Elcmciilary Agriculture is to become a paii of llu' cuiTiciiluni ot tln' coiiiiiion schools, to consider the |)rincip]es that shall guide us in Icachinii- this subject. Are we 1ob(iliid<:, Cowbird, ^[eadow Lark, Orchard Oriole. American ]i'a\eii. (oiiinion Crow. Blue Jay. Pewee. Chininev Swift. Wliippooi-will. Xiglithawk, Ilairv \\'ood])ecker. Belted Kinglisbcr, American Barn Owl. Little Screech Owl, Pigeoi! Hawk. (Jolden j-'auie. Aldiiimng 1)m\c, Wild Tur- key, American Quail, Kildeer, Amci ican Wdoilcock. K'obin. Snipe, ^'el- low Legs, Virginia Eail, American ('oot.W'hoopijig Ci'ane, Snow (ioose. Mallard, Pintail, Wood L^nck, Canvas Back, Doulde Breasted Cormo- rant. White AVinged Gull, Black Tern. H(n-ned Grebe. Loon, Ped- tliroated Diver, Wood Ibis, Fish Hawk. l>ald Fagli\ Black Snow Bird, Prairie Warbler, American Crossbill. (Jrass Finch. Lealeasure in pub- lishing herewith Senate Bill No. 11(5, introduced by Mr. Ha/.lctt of Wheeling, and ])assed at the session oi' the Lcgislatuic in I'.MiL An Act for the protectiori of birds, and their nests and eggs. Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia : Sec. 1. That all wild birds, both resident and nngratory, in this state, shall be, and arc hereby declared to be the ]n-operty of the state. Sec. 2. That no person shall, within the state o\' West \'irgiida, kill or catch or have in his or her possession, livinL;- oi- dead, any wild bird other than a game bird, or ])urchase. offer or expose for sale, transport or ship within or Avithout the state, any such w ild bird after it it has been killed or caught, except as permitted by this act. No part of the plumage, skin, or body of any bird ])rotected by this section shall be sold or had in possession for sale, irrespective of whether said bird was captured or killed within or without the state. 47 Foi" tlir purpose oT this lu-t the fi)ll(i\vini;- only shall he considered game oinis: Tlic aualida', coininoiilx- known as swans, geese, hrant, and rive:' and sea ducks; the I'illida'. eounnonly known as rails, coots, mud-hens and galliniules"; ihe liniicohv, conimonly known as shore hirds, plovers, surf Ijii-ds, snii)e, woodcocks, sand [)ipers, tatlers, and curlews; the galliiue. eonimonlv known as wild tiD'keys, grouse, ])rairie chickens. ])heasants, parli'idges, and quails. .Ml other s]iecies of wild birds, either resident oi- Jingi'atoiw. >Jiall he considered non-game hird~. See. ;i. That no |)er>on shall, within the state ot \Ve>t N'irginui 1ak" or needlessly destrov oi' attempt to take or destroy the ni'st -or the (gu's ot any wild hii-d other than a game hird, or ha\e such nest or egi;s in his oi' her po;;ses>ion. exce])t as pL'rnntted hv this act. Sec. 4. 'Jdiat no pei'son oi- peisons or any ciM'poratiDii acting as a oonntHui carriei-. its olliceis. agents or ser\ants. >;hall ship, carry, take or tr.'insport. either within or heyond the contines ol' the state any res- ident or migi'atoi'v wild Jion-game hird. except as permitted hy this act. Sec. ."). That any person wdio violates any of theprovisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall lie liable to a line of five doUars for each offense, and an additional tine of hve dollars for each bird, living or dead, or ])art of hird. or nest, or set of eggs, or part thereof, possessed in violation of this act. (.r to imprisonment for thirty days, or both, at the discretion of the court. Sec. G. That sectioJl^ 2. ;!. 4 and 5 of this act shall not appiv to any person holding a cei'titicate giving the right to take hirds, their nests, or eggs for scientilic purposes only, as provided foi- in section 7 of this act. Sec. 7. That certiticates may be granted to any properly accred- ited person of the age of fifteen years or upward, permitting the holder thereof to collect birds, their nests, or eggs for scientific pur- ]iose,s only. The applicant for same must present to said officer writ- ten testimonials from two well known ornithologists who must be residents of West Virginia, certifying to the good character, and fit- ness of said applicant to be intrusted wdth such privilege; must pay said officer one dollar to. defray the necessary expenses attending the granting of such certificate. On proof that the holder of such certifi- cate has killed any bird, or taken the nest or eggs of an.y bird for other than strictly scientific purposes, his certificate shall become void, and he shall be liable to a fine of one hundred dollars or im- prisonment of thirty days, or both, at the discretion of the court. 48 Sec. 8. The certificates authorized by section 7 of this act shall expire on the 31st day of December of the year issued, and shall not be transferable. Sec. 9. That the English or European house sparrow, great horned owl, sharp sliinned hawk and cooper's liawk. are not included among the I'ird- ]u-ot<^cl('d by tliis a:i. Sec. 10. That notliing in this act shall prevent a citizen of West Virginia from taking or keeping any wild non-game bird in a cage as a domestic pet, provided that such bird shall not be sold, or ex- changed, or offered for sale or excliange, or transpoited out of this stale. Sec. 11. All other acts or parts of acts in conflict with this act are hereby repealed. XATIOXAL ASSOCTATIOX OF AT^DUBOX SOdETIES. A ScpiooL Audubon Bird Club — How to Organize. Bjj Gilbert II. Trafton. One way of developing interest in the study and protection of birds among children is by the formation of bird clubs, officered and carried on by the children under the guidance of a teacher. In this Avay a feeling of responsibility will be developed and the children may be changed from indifferent friends, or even persecutors of birds, to their ardent protectors. The Promoter. The work of organizing the club and of guiding- its activities must he under the close supervision of some teacher who is concerned in the study and protection of birds and who has a desire to interest and instruct the children. rrcliiiiinaries. Announcement shoidd be made tliat a meeting is to be lield lo organize a Bird Club, naming the time and place, and it may be well to have this announcement made by fhe principal of the school. The co-operation of all the teachers should be sought that they may talk with their children and seek to interest them in the organization of the club. Some copies of the educational leaflets published by the National Association of Audubon Societies may be obtained free for distribution at the first meeting, on request. First Meeting. In order that the children may realize that the formation of a Bird Club is something reallv worth while and worth v AMERICAN GOLDFINCH Upper Figure, Male: Lower Figure. Female (One -half natural sizei HE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AUDUBON SOCIETIES, NEW YORK CITY The Baltialore Oriole. Courtesy Houghton, Mifflm ^ Co., Boston. 49 of the effort, the teacher should cx])huii at the openino; of the meeting- 8()iiu'thin>i- about the value of birds and the pleasure that may be de- rived from studying them. A temporary ehairu-ian and secretary should be chosen. To sim- ])lify matters it will be well for the teacher to nominate these, ex- ])laining to the children tliat they are to serve only till the Club elects its permanent officers. The two following resolutions should then be presented and regu- larly seconded and adopted, arrangements having l)een made before- hand with two children to read these resolutions. I'0(/ni))]iir(il Dlstrihiilion of ])irds and Bird Frotedion. 2. Talks on Fail hers, their an^angcnicnt and uses. Muii/liiia. Ne>^l, and Xesting Ilahiis. 3. Sketch a simple l)ird topograi)liy on l)lackl)onrd, and bavc the pupils draw and name the parts. 4. Eeview of Bird Families according lo the A. (). V. order. .Ask each pu])il to report on some sultjoct discussed tlirough ihe year. Use pictures. T). Exchange migi'ation records weekly with schools in dilferent parts of the state ;ind posl such ri'cords on a hii'd bulletin-board. (). Bird and Arhoi- Day Program. Invite friends. West A^irginia •game laws and the .\. <>. I . moilel protection law. Have an honor cssa^'. Illustrate the economie \alue of birds hy an exhibit of nox- ious seeds and insects. Music, headings, ivxhihit school scrap- book and pictures. I{;nlarge youi' Audubon Sociely. 7. Encourage all original work. -S. jMake a bird-ceiisus and I'ood-chart as descri])ed by Mr. llodge. !). Ask ]mpils to write prize' h'tltus lo The Wdi/sidc and Bird- Lore. svwMVAi.— or r /)()()/: wouk. 1. Are there any bii'ds nesiing al)oul \mw home? have you any ■cats? Try to tind out why the l)ii'ds do or ilo not nest in your grounds. 2. Cive the birds a dish of fnsli water (hiily. (Set' llodge.) .'). Study the trees, bushes and ])laces wheic bii'ds are nesting. How are the nests pbu-ed ? what is tbeii- shajx'? which hiids nest first? 4. Do not disturb cither nests, eggs or birds. Keej) i/oiir eyes open iind see whai; goes on. CARDINAL Upper Figure, Female: Lower Figure, Male (One -half natural size) ESV OF THE NITIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AUDUBON SOCIETIES, NE^^ ^iM^^^^'^i::^:-H^^^^ '>^"- A Vine Clad Porch. From B. F. Johnson Company's "Agriculture. Il^ mSf S-, ■ , ■n JM kiK --- f II ^9 w ■^'h. m. Pleasant Sueroundings. Courtesy C. M. Parker, Taylorville, Ills. 1 i 57 5. Are there any swallows about your eaves and barns or swifts in your chimneys? (!. What time do the birds stop feeding? How and where do birds sleep ? 7. Are there any birds about at night? Do any birds sing or feed at night? 8. Watch the baljy-birds learning to fly. How do they act? 9. Do birds sing in July and August? Do they sing or feed when it is very hot? 10. Do you see birds on the telegraph and telephone wires? in deep woods? in sandy places? 11. Are there as many birds now as there used to l)e? Why not? 12. What enemies have birds? what friends? IT). Keep a daily record and learn to keep track of the birds aljout you. 1-1. Learn the ^'pennancnt residents"' in your vicinity. Thk Cat Bird. INDOOR WORK. 1. Make a diagram reviewing the bird-census and food-chart. 2. Read all the bird-books you can. 3. Keep up the meetings of the Audubon Society and have at least four public meetings during the year. 58 4. Make a note-book in which to record your outdoor and indoor work. XoTE. — This outline is merely a collectidn of hints, drawn from various sources and arranged with the idea of suggesting some sort of systematic bird study. It may be simplified or enlarged to meet the needs of the pupils. If time is limited, try the outdoor work during the Spring migration, with such points of indoor work as seem best adapted to your particular school. The school-record, migration bul- letin e.xchange. colored pictures and a Bird and Arbor Day program are earnestl.v recommended as being the greatest practical bcnetit. THE PURPOSES OF THE SCHOOL IMPE0VE:\1ENT LEAGUE By L. W. Burns, Presidnit. The work of the AYest Virginia Scliool Lnproveiiiont League is steadily progressing. ITS PURPOSES. 1. To improve and beautify school Ijuildings without ami witli- in; 2. To improve and beautify school grounds; 3. To establish school libraries; 4. To provide playgrounds. These are all receiving mucli at- tention; but [he third object, since the great awakening concern- ing libraries by our State Superintcmlent three years ago, has caused thousands of volumes to be put into the schools where they will be of untold benefit in interesting and influencing young minds, and no object of the League will have more lasting good than this. The fourth object has recently been added, and is of great im- portance. I believe that if some of our great philanthropists would turn their attention to aiding in building and equipping good gym- nasiums and providing good playgrounds for the millions of public school children of our country, they would in this way be of greater benefit than any other way possible to future generations. An ex- president of the League said, '^"Let us have a large covered space near every school where the children may play." Why not have such ? The cost would ])e little. Much of the success of the Scliool Improvement League depends, upon the encouragement and guidance of the County Superintendents of the State. One of our oldest and best County Superintendents has devised, and has in use in his county a most excellent plan of report- ing all improvements by each school. Would it not he well for others to trv this? 59 The new school law given to the state recently Avill stand as a mon- ument to the memory of those who worked so hard to secure it. It means much to our public school system. Shall we not be so encour- aged by this that we will all join in the good work and determine to push forward the work of improvement to be secured h\ the four objects of the School Improvement League? Marlinton, Mar. 12, 1908. THE PEOBLEM OF THE EOADS. The law Avhich was passed by the last session of the Legislaturo providing for the consolidation of rural schools is certainly a move in the right direction. That schools can and have been conducted more economically by this method than by the methods now in use in most of the districts of the State, needs no further proof than the fact that in many of the states such is true. No reasonable man doubts the advisability of having schools graded, the pupils properly classified, the teachers placed in charge of the classes for which they are most nearly fitted by training anl disposition. No one believes that such consolidation, such classification of pu- pils, such adjustment of ftwhchers to classes would not be greatly to the advantage of the pupil. Consolidation implies the transportation of pupils to and from the school. But how transport them with tb.o present condition of our roads in most of the rural districts? There is but one method of solution; build roads. It is true that in some of the rural districts of the State good roads are already being main- tained, but in most sections of the State it will be necessary to im- prove our roads before consolidation of schools can meet with great- est success. By improvement in this case, I do not mean to Macadam- ize at a cost of several thousands of dollars. The first thing neces- sary for any road is its proper location. No amount of money wilt make a good road on a poor location. Tou cannot build roads on steep grades except at grea,t cost both for building and maintenance. Our ideas of road building in most districts of this State have been entirely too narroM^ County Courts often send out viewers to locate roads for themselves or for the accommodation of one or two of their neighbors with no thought for the development of the country. In this way roads are located over hills, on steep grades, for the accom- modation of some political healer of the county court, when the same distance would have taken the road around the hill on a level.. 60 What matters the accommodation of inv neighbor compared to the accommodation of those who draw thousands of tons of freight an- mially over the roads? By properly ronnding up the road, and rolling it, and l)y the proper nse of a split-log drag costing $'3. 00 or less, our earth roads can he wonderfully improved. I favor macadamizing wherever it is possible. Constant attention is necessary for the maintenance of any road. If the road is earth, ditches will be cut into it by the wagon wheels except where broad tires are used by everybody. These ditches should be filled and smoothed over with a drag just as quickly as possible so that the water may escape from the surface of the road. If the water is permitted to stand in the wagon ruts it will soon loosen up and destroy the whole foundation of the road. If the road is macadam it may not need so much work, but it must have the same constant attention. The old expression, "A stitch in time saves nine" is certainly true in this case. Little l)reaks need little repairs, but a week later the little break may require repairs costing several dollars. Some of us appreciate the great work now being done by the })ub- tic school teachers for the development of the State, but 1 dare say that even they do not realize the greatness of their position nor the power of their influence. They can, and will, teach reading, writing and arithmetic, but they can do movQ. Tliey can teach the boys and girls the value of a noble Christian character. They can, to a great extent, prevent the killing of the birds which are of such immense value to the State. They can teach the lx\vs and girls to love these rocks and liills. lo love their homes and to make them better. They can create a like or a dislike for study and research in the great science of agriculture, the mastery of wliich requires more knowl- edge than any other' science known to num. They can teach the pupils the necessity for preserving the forests. They can teach them how to build roads. Often a little suggestion, sometimes only a word when walking liome from school, a five minutes talk on some subject may awaken thoughts and ambitions which will result in the ac- complishment of great things. I mention these things because of ni}' appreciation of the work of the teachers and because in my judgment, the text books contain -only a small part of what we learn at school. A'ery truly yours, H. E. Williams. Gl A Scene ix a L(_)s A\mii,s Scikioi, Garden. These Boys Who Were Ixcorkioibi.e Before They Became Interested ix School Garden Work. Afteravard -were the Most Obedient IN School. One of Them Took First Prize. &l OLTt STATE FLAG. Below is found House Joint l»esolution Xo. 2, adopted February "25th, 1907, adopting a State Flag for the State of West Virginia,. WiiEKEAs^ Tlie Legislature did on the 24th of February, 1905, (See Acts of 1895, pp. 320, 521) adopt a Joint Resolution providing for a State flag with design and proportions : And "whkreas. Such a flag has been found to be wholly impractica- ble for the reason that the lettering on one side reads towards the stall: and that the colors on both sides of a white field cannot be used without showing through when opjyosite each other, thus de- stroying the distinctive featuics of the hainitr and leaving the State without a prescribed official Hag : And avhereas. It will be necessary that the State shall have an official flag distinctively its own, among those of other States and Xations, at the Jamestown Exposition, and as well for many other purposes and occasions hereafter; therefore be it Besolved by the Legislature of West Virginia : That the Legislature of West Virginia hereby adopts a State flag of the following design and proportions, to-wit : Said State flag shall be in length and breadth in proportion, the same as the flag of the great American Eepublic of which West Virginia forms a part; the field thereof shall be pure wdiite, upon the center of which on the obverse side shall be the Great Seal or Coat of Arms of the State, beneath which shall appear the legend "State of West Virginia", in a scroll; on the reverse side shall appear a sprig, or sprigs of the Ehododendron Maximum, or '"'Big Laurel," our State flower, having l)lossoms and leaves; the field of pure white shall be bordered by a band or strip of blue and this in turn shall be bordered by a strip or fringe of old gold; and said flag shall be regarded and used as the AVest Virginia State flag on all occasions where a special display of the State's individuality shall become necessary, or be regarded a> jippropriate. A Lesson in the Schooi. Gakdex. Courtesy of the Flower Mission, Cleveland, Ohio. The Riiododenuro.\ as it Appears 0x\ Our State Flac G3 MEMORIAL DAY AXD FLAG DAY EXERCISES The following programs for Memorial Day and Flag Day will -suggest to teachers a very pleasing exercise, that they may have on these occasions. Abundance of material may be found in various publications. MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM. Song — In Memoriam : Recitation — The Blue and the Gray Finch Recitation — How Sleep the Brave Collins Song — God Speed the Right Essay — Lincoln. Recitation — Captain ! My Captain ! Whitman Song — The Battle Hymn of the Republic Recitation — The Phantom Army Harto Recitation — The Bivouac of the Dead O'Hara Song — The Breaking Waves Dashed High Recitation — Our Standing Army Vandergrift Song — America. FLAG DAY PROGRAM, JUXE 14. Whole school recite patriotic pledge Xo. 6 as given in the "^Manual ■of Patriotism." Song— The Red, White and Blue. Essay — A History of the Flag. Recitation — Our Flag Margaret Sangster Reading — Giving the names of the original states and the names of those since admitted and the dates of their admission. Song — The Star Spangled Banner. Recitation — Love of Country Walter Scott Song— Song of the Flag M. Woolsey Stryker Recitation — The Ship of State Longfellow Song — Flag of the Free. Closing pledge recited by the whole school. "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands : One Xation indivisible, with Libertv and Justice for all." C-t OUE OAA'X IJED, WHITE AXD BLUE. There are manv flatus in iiianv laiid^;. There are Hag!" of cverv line. But there is no iUig liowcver grand. Like our own 'T^ed, Wliite and Blue," I know where the prettiei^t colors are, And I'm sure if I only knew How to get them here 1 conhl make a llag Of glorions "Ifed. White and Bhie." I wouhl cnt a piece from an evening sky, A\'here the stars Averc shining through, And use it just as it Avas on high, For my stars and field of hlue. Then I'd want a part of a fleecy cloud. And some red from a rainbow bright; And put them together side by side. For my stripes of red and white. "We shall always lore Hie Stars and >Stripes,' And we mean lo be ever true To this land of ours and the dear old flag, The Red. ihr White and thr Blue. Then hurrah for the Hag I our country's flag. Its stripes and wliite &tars too, There is no flag in any land Like our own "KVmL While and Blue."' — Selected. OUR STATE FLAG