J Arbor and Bird Days ILLINOIS 19 2 4 ILLINOIS Arbor and Bird Days Friday, April Eighteenth Friday, October Twenty-fourth CIRCULAR NO. 183 Compiled by H. T. SWIFT Issued by FRANCIS G. BLAIR Superintendent of Public Instruction 1924 [Printed by authority of the State of Illinois.] A breath of beauty 1% % (Smterttnr nf Slltttota A flmlauiatinn To tlic People of Illinois, Greeting: It is a welcome duty of the Executive, in compliance with our laws, to designate each year certain days in the Spring and Fall to be observed throughout the State of Illinois as Arbor and Bird Days. Farming is the basic industry, the business of prime importance to everyone of us, and therefore the improvement of the land, the protection of growing crops and the fostering of tree growth are matters which concern us all. No farm should be without its wood lot, and the planting of trees on patches of land which are not adapted to agriculture will add to the attractiveness of the farmstead and also yield a handsome financial return from the lumber which will ultimately be produced. Man’s most efficient allies in the protection of plant life are the birds of the air, and every inducement should be given them to nest and rear their young and every necessary step taken to protect them. The wonderful hard-surfaced State roads, which are being rapidly pushed into every county, besides drawing together urban and rural communities, invite each year thousands of visitors to Illinois. Thus the fame of Illinois’ attractive countryside is spread far and wide, and our constant effort should be directed toward maintaining its attractiveness and augmenting its natural beauties. Now, Therefore, I, Len. Small, Governor of the State of Illinois, by virtue of the power in me vested by the statutes do hereby designate Friday, April the 18th and Friday, October the 24th, of the present year, as ARBOR AND BIRD DAYS, and I request that appropriate exercises be held throughout the State in public schools and elsewhere, and that our people, and especially those of school age, become interested and receive instruction in the propagation and care of tree and plant life and in the protection of the native song and game birds of Illinois. In Witness V/hei:eof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Illinois to be affixed. DONE AT THE CAPITOL IN THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD THIS EIGHTEENTH DAY OF FEBRUARY, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR AND OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS THE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH. By the Governor: Secretary of State “Cjap you plant a tree?” To Teachers and Pupils: Not everyone can write a book, or sing a song, or preach a ser¬ mon. Very few can paint a picture, carve a statue, or build a cathedral. These creative immortalizing gifts come only to rare personalities. It is, however, within the power of everyone to create something and thereby share the feelings which rejoice the hearts of those who give form to living things of beauty and loveliness. Can you plant a seed and work with sun and soil and season to bring it into bloom? If so, you will feel the stir of creating joy within you. Can you plant a tree and watch and help it as from year to year it reaches its roots into the earth and its branches into the sky, to be the haven of birds and the comfort and pleasure of men for a hundred years? If so, you have achieved through such an act something of the earthly immortality that great souls have fought and died for. Moreover as these living things grow and develop under our care, we shall feel the ennobling pulse beats of a newer life and a newer beauty within us. What we do unto them we do unto our¬ selves. Can we perform a more educative worth-while thing, can we exhibit in any other way a truer service of good citizenship than by planting a tree? Arbor Day brings us the occasion and the sugges¬ tion. What shall be done with it remains with the teachers and pupils. Group of oaks in a small city park. The oak tree is a long-lived trpe §nd lends dignity and sturdiness to the landscape picture, THE VALUE OF TREES FOR THE HOME GROUNDS Joseph Cullen Blair, Professor of Horticulture and Landscape Gardening, University of Illinois. Trees are of great importance to civilization. From earliest times trees have exercised great influence upon the universe by being more closely in touch with humanity than other living elements in the land¬ scape. They have been held as sacred objects, and worshipped as the abiding places of supernatural spirits. This inherent reverence for the trees has lived throughout the ages, and is evidenced today by the Arbor Days and Memorial Days set aside by various states for the planting of trees. Man looks to trees not only for the wood or the fruit and nut supply, but, also, for the comfort their shade brings during the hot summer months, and the shelter afforded throughout the stormy win¬ ter days. Trees are useful for many other reasons. They may act as screens for unsightly objects, or windbreaks. They may serve as a pleasing background for landscape pictures, and as frames for build¬ ings or open vistas. They increase the humidity of the air by exhaling moisture. Their varying forms and shades of color give satisfaction to the aesthetic feelings of man. Because of their permanency, dig¬ nity, strength, and gracefulness, trees are the most important and in¬ dispensable of landscape materials. There are two ways of knowing and appreciating trees. The first way is through human feeling and sympathy, whereby the tree becomes a part of one’s self, like the sunshine. To the lover of nature all trees are charming, awakening his thoughts and quickening his sensi¬ bilities. To him any'tree is beautiful, no matter how misshapen it may be, for it is a living thing with the symmetry of life, and possesses color, texture, form, and perfume. Then, there is the second way of knowing trees, whereby every detail of the individual tree is carefully scrutinized and studied. The habits, conditions of growth, the leaf, woody tissue, every portion and every characteristic is an object of study. Happy and successful is the landscape architect, or the ama¬ teur gardener, who can employ this human feeling together with the analytical attitude. The Background of the Picture Just as the style of architecture determines, to a great extent, the type of landscape treatment to be used, so the size of the lawn deter¬ mines the kind and number of trees to be planted. The lawn is the background, or the canvas, upon which the picture is to be painted. To ignore it means a misfit planting scheme and mediocrity of design. Whatever the extent of the lawn the qualities are the same, and its value is dependent upon its character and manner of upkeep. Be¬ cause of the economic and aesthetic importance attached to the lawn, it should be beautiful as well as useful. The contour of the ground, the color and texture and uniformity of the grass, and the appropriate¬ ness of the ornamental plantings determine its beauty. The use of the lawn is to provide a suitable setting for the buildings and ornamental plantings. 8 The dominant note should always be the house in any well planted grounds. 9 A well planted yard. 10 Where only a small area of land is available for the lawn, the ground should be gently sloping which, together with the preservation of open spaces obtained by the use of trees and shrubs in borders or margins, and an even and luxuriant greensward, tends to give the impression of increased area. On small lots a single large tree with a few smaller trees or high shrubs properly placed will not only enhance the beauty of the place by giving the feeling of extent, but will, also, afford the necessary shelter and shade, and add color to the picture. The larger spaces allow for, and usually demand, large trees and a greater variety of plant materials. The size to which different trees will grow, however, must be taken into con¬ sideration when the lawn is planned, although growth varies greatly with the condition of the soil. I have known elm trees in central Beautiful park-like front yard planting. Illinois to grow with a rapidity far greater than in other parts of the United States. New England and New York are famed for their elm trees, yet, an elm reaches maturity in Illinois in about 40 years, while it may take 75 years to reach the same degree of maturity in these eastern states. In planning the home grounds, it is well to avoid the use of more ground for the lawn than can be easily and well cared for, and equal precaution should be taken in the selection of varieties and placing of trees and shrubs. The lawn should be a place of pleasure and rest¬ fulness, rather than one of neglect and worry. Allowance must be made when planting for the full development of the trees or the result will demand removals, transplantings, or perhaps a complete re¬ arrangement of the entire design. 11 Framing the view of the house with elm trees, 12 Making a quick planting with castor beans. Framing the Landscape The distance that the trees should be placed from the buildings or from each other depends to a certain extent on the primary purpose of the planting. Quite naturally, one of the first thoughts in this con¬ nection is the provision of shade, or, if the site is located in an open stretch of country protection from the winds. The mature trees should partially shade the buildings without entirely screening them from view. It is unwise to plant so densely or so close to the buildings that the trees or shrubs keep out much of the sunshine and fresh air. In order to make available all the light possible during the dreary winter months, therefore, deciduous trees are very desirable for plant¬ ing close to buildings for the purpose of shade. To make a pleasing and attractive picture the buildings should be properly framed by plantings, the character and size of which will be determined more or less by the architectural style of the structures. Large buildings may require a group of large trees and shrubs, while for a small house or a small lawn, one or two medium-sized trees and a few shrubs are sufficient in most cases to make a beautiful picture of the place. Where an immediate effect is desired to get rid of the bare look around a house, many people plant rapid growing trees, with the intention of replacing them later, or interplanting, with more durable and permanent, slow-growing varieties. The elms, oaks, white ash, maples, tulip tree, and many other trees native to Illinois will last long after the quick-growers are gone, growing even more valuable with age, so it is often wise to resist the allurement of quick effect, save time, and expense, and plant for permanence. 13 A good border planting with two poplars for accent. A good border planting of trees, shrubs and flowers. Why not make your street into a park? 14 A good view from, or to the house, is of more importance than the best of specimen trees planted in a haphazard manner in a lawn. Too often we are apt to try to make the place look “different,” and take advantage of the wealth of materials in the way of unusual cfr showy trees, shrubs, and flowers that are available, and conclude with a mediocre hodge-podge sort of arrangement, which not only shocks the eyes but spoils the views toward the house. The dominant note of any home ground is the house, and it can always be kept so by the reservation of open lawn toward the best views from the porch and street. Selection of Trees for the Home Grounds In the selection of various kinds of trees for the home grounds, if we are to have a harmonious and simple effect, it must be remem¬ bered that particular trees are of less importance than the general effect of the mass, although the mass depends upon the individual plants. Our aim should be for gradual transitions in color and tex¬ ture rather than great contrasts. A contrast may startle and attract attention, but seldom holds it, while a yard planted simply and har¬ moniously is a “joy forever.” The selection of trees should be based on the purpose, the adapta¬ tion of species to locality, appropriateness, extent of the grounds, and the number of trees to be used. Different types of architecture, and dif¬ ferent building materials call for certain plant materials. We all agree, I am sure, that there is no more beautiful plant material for use with stone buildings than the evergreen. But to use evergreens profusely in planting a small prairie lawn, with a frame building, would be the height of ill taste. A meaningless planting. Yard spoiled with impertinent bushes. 15 There are two principal types of trees: the deciduous and the ever¬ green. The deciduous are those trees whose foliage drops or dies with the approach of winter, while the evergreen lives true to name and maintains its foliage throughout the entire year. In every instance hardy or native plants, which are of easy culture, should be selected A good vista with beautiful clouds and water front by native hawthorns. because of their value for foliage, winter effect, and flowers. As there are at least five months of the year that deciduous plants are without foliage, it is best to have a few evergreens which will give color and variety and add materially to the attractiveness of the place the whole year around. 16 A beautiful farm yard containing- a notable collection of Illinois trees and shrubs. A bird garden in the heart of the city. When evergreens are used in borders they should be massed, rather than scattered here and there. If used for a background effect, select only those varieties with good foliage. Certain evergreens, par¬ ticularly the pyramidal type, such as Arborvitae, Cypress and Juniper, add to the picturesqueness of the view. Evergreens, as a rule, do not 17 do as well in Illinois as in other parts of the country, nor do they har¬ monize as well with the broad lines of the prairie as those deciduous trees which are native. For planting close to buildings and for shade, deciduous trees are most desirable. The soft texture of their sky-lines makes them equally valuable for borders or backgrounds. When the buildings appear as though they belong to the place, fitting quite naturally together and blending into the landscape, then the trees are selected and placed most successfully. The keynote of every piece of gardening should be simplicity and repose. A well made small park. Trees Recommended for Planting in Illinois By the intensification of our native flora instead of the importa¬ tion of foreign plants, one can almost insure success in planting.. Try to have, at least, one-half or more of the plant materials native to the state. Illinois has over 200 varieties of trees that are native and which do idealize Illinois surroundings. The list of trees which I should recommend for planting in Illinois are: Street Trees: American elm, Norway maple, hard or sugar maple, white oak, red oak, burr oak, pin oak, shingle oak, hackberry. Lawn Trees : Tulip tree, linden or basswood, American elm, Nor¬ way maple, hard maple, white birch, Magnolia soulangeana, hawthorn, redbud, flowering dogwood, pear thorn, prairie crab apple, American mountain ash. Evergreens: White fir, Nordmann’s fir, white pine, Austrian pine, arborvitae, red cedar, hemlock, Canadian juniper. 18 Solving the rent problem for birds. 5th, 6th and 7th, Elmwood Schools, Cairo. 19 SUMMER SNOWS 3pyrea. 20 AT HOME IN A POCKET Margaret B. Blakeslee. In June 1921 a wren was noticed dying about an old hunting jacket, which had been left hanging from a beam of our back porch. A greater curiosity on my part revealed a nest partly built in the left hand pocket. As we had been away previous to this time no facts as to the birds’ arrival or beginning of nest building can be given. Suffice it to say a family of little wrens first drew breath in that pocket and were frequently seen during the following days until they made their first venture into the world outside, after which we were never able to identify them again. On May 8th, 1922, a familiar sight was seen. A little wren, with a twig in its mouth was perched on the shoulder of the same coat. One week later on May 15th I witnessed a very amusing scene;—Mrs. Wren was loudly attending to housecleaning, removing certain twigs from last year’s nest, which she apparently disliked, whilst keeping their seeming duplicates and Mr. Wren scolded from the beam above, “Why do we have to have this house cleaning, this housecleaning, this housecleaning?”—to which question Mrs. Wren’s replies seemed so reasonable to the housewife that I feel it super¬ fluous to repeat them. Their troubles ended soon and their love mak¬ ing revived but before their seven little raspberry colored eggs were hatched, the nest was ruthlessly torn and ransacked and the night after a cat was seen beneath it. (Anyone, it would seem will be par¬ doned for connecting the cat with the catastrophe.) The human family living in the house tried to console themselves with the thought of other birds, when, to their great astonishment a few days afterward, the parent wrens were seen carrying lumber for a new house,—this time to be built in the right pocket of the coat which, fortunately for us, was closer to the door of the house; and, through a glass panel by the door, we could watch the mother bird sitting on her nest. She also cautiously watched us and, if we would proceed promptly to our business, going in or out of the door, only a foot or two from her, she would permit that amount of sociability with little uneasiness on her part; but should we pause for a moment, close by her,—even though forgetful of her for that moment—off she would fly and scold us irritably from nearby. July 25th was the birthday of five new little wrens, whose brief span of life was marked by peace and frequent feedings. Brief it was for five nights later, between eight and ten-thirty dates a second ransacking of the nest. No cat was seen this time but our attention was drawn to the sniffing of our little dog about a space on the porch below the pocket. Upon investigation, on our part, it was found that some twigs and feathers lay about on the floor of the porch—and the nest was found to be empty. Daylight, on the morrow, revealed the 21 prints of the cat’s paws on the upper beam of the porch. (To be seen in the photograph.) Apparently the cat had climbed up a post of the porch to the roof—then by means of a cross-beam, from which the coat hung, the nest was reached four feet above the floor. As the mother-bird never slept in the nest, at night,—to our knowl¬ edge—after the eggs were hatched, we can not believe she was caught too; yet we have never seen her since. Perhaps her little heart rather than her body was broken and she has gone further away to rest. But the question which perplexes us, is, will she have courage to come back next year, with only a silent promise from us that a cat-proof apartment will be ready for her? (Nature Study Review , May , 1923 ). THE FLOWER Helen Kent. In an ugly old field a little boy saw One flower of beautiful hue And he said to himself “I will pick that flower So my Mother can look at it, too.” But he broke off the stem and, what do you think? Away a big butterfly flew; All the time he had thought ’twas a flower for its wings Were such nice, periwinkle-y blue! {Nature Study Review , April 1923) 22 WOODMAN SPARE THAT TREE By George P. Morris. Woodman, spare that tree! Touch not a single bough! In youth it sheltered me, And I’ll protect it now. ’Twas my forefather’s hand That placed it near his cot; There, woodman, let it stand— Thy axe shall harm it not! That old familiar tree, Whose glory and renown Are spread o’er land and sea— And wouldst thou hew it down? Woodman, forbear thy stroke! Cut not its earth-bound ties; Oh, spare that aged oak, Now towering to the skies! When but an idle boy, I sought its graceful shade; In all their gushing joy Here, too, my sisters played. My mother kissed me here; My father pressed my hand— Forgive this foolish tear, But let that old oak stand! My heart-strings round thee cling, Close as thy bark, old friend! Here shall the wild-bird sing, And still thy branches bend. Old tree! the storm still brave! And, woodman, leave the spot: While I’ve a hand to save, Thy axe shall harm it not! (History of the Poem.) Mr. Morris, in a letter to a friend, dated New York, February 1, 1837, gave in substance the following account: Riding out of town a few days since in company with a friend, an old gentleman, he invited me to turn down a little, romantic wood¬ land pass, not far from Bloomingdale. “Your object?” inquired 1. “Merely to look once more at an old tree planted by my grandfather long before I was born, under which I used to play when a boy, and where my sisters played with me. There I often listened to the good advice of my parents. Father, mother, sisters—all are gone; nothing but the old tree remains.” And a paleness overspread his fine counte¬ nance, and teqrs p^mp to his pyps. After a rpcmient’s pause, he added; 23 Shade and Shelter. 4 “Don’t think me foolish. I don’t know, how it is: I never ride out but I turn down this lane to look at that old tree. I have a thousand recollections about it, and I always greet it as a familiar and well- remembered friend.” These words were scarcely uttered when the old gentleman cried out, “There it is!” Near the tree stood a man with his coat off, sharpening an axe. “You’re not going to cut that tree down, surely?” “Yes, but I am, though,” said the woodman. “What for?” inquired the old gentleman, with choked emotion. “What for? I like that! Well, I will tell you, I want the tree for firewood.” “What is the tree worth to you for firewood?” “Why, when down, about ten dollars.” “Suppose I should give you that sum,” said the old gentleman, “would you let it stand?” “Yes.” “You are sure of that?” “Positive!” “Then give me a bond to that effect.” We went into the little cottage in which my companion was born, but which is now occupied by the woodman. I drew up the bond. It was signed, and the money paid over. As we left, the young girl, the daughter of the woodman, assured us that while she lived the tree should not be cut. These circumstances made a strong impression on my mind, and furnished me with the materials for the song I send you. u White Robin. ROBIN SNOWBALL R. M. Barnes. During the last week of May, 1922, a lady living in Henry, seven miles from my home in Lacon, Illinois, hearing a commotion in her yard, glanced out of the window and saw a white baby robin on the lawn, fluttering its little wings and opening its mouth at every bird that went near it. The little fellow was too young to be able to fly, apparently very hungry, and seemingly deserted by its parents, for an observation ex¬ tending over a considerable time disclosed no bird paying attention to this ghost-like robin. Being of kind heart, and fearing the con¬ spicuous plumage of the helpless youngster would result in his destruc¬ tion by boys or cats, she took him into the house and put him in a cage. The little fellow responded to kindness and feed, becoming very tame, taking most of his sustenance from her hand and when big enough flying over the house, following her from room to room, perched on her shoulder frequently. Later he was moved into a larger out door cage and on July 22nd was given to me and brought to my home in Lacon. Here a cage three feet wide and four feet long and four feet high was built for him, and placed under a tree on the lawn. During the summer he was an object of much interest and curiosity to visitors and grew to be a normal robin in every respect except color, though for some reason he always maintained a dirty appearance. 25 During my absence in August, the little rascal slipped out of the door of his cage as it was opened to put in the feed and, quick as a flash, he was gone. He remained at large until the afternoon of the next day, about thirty-six hours, when he quietly permitted one of the family to pick him up and transfer him again to his cage quarters in which he appeared thoroughly satisfied and glad to get back. About the 1st of October I moved the now adult bird into the house and turned him loose in a conservatory with glass sides and top 9 by 18 feet in which there are many dozen plants of all kinds, and be¬ gan feeding him prepared bird food such as is found in the bird stores for soft billed birds. The result was magical. Robin Snowball, im¬ mediately took to bathing once or twice a day, something he had declined to do while out in the yard except in very rare instances, which without doubt, accounted for his dirty ill-kept appearance. His feathers at once cleared up and the entire bird except the bill, legs and feet, is of absolutely snowy whiteness. The eyes are a perfect bright pink, rather large for a robin. The bill, a very light ivory, and the feet and legs pinkish white with light yellow claws. Apparently this bird is perfectly normal in every way and well satisfied with his quarters. It is very tame, eats from the hand, will come at call, and seldom, almost never, ventures out of the conservatory, though large double doors continually open lead into the dining room. He is very active in his movements, cheery in his disposition. The first thing in the morning he greets the first riser with a continuous and lengthy volume of robin conversation. He does not appear to be quite as strong or vigorous as a normally colored bird, otherwise I can see no difference whatever except his color. I have referred to this bird as “he,” but I am not certain whether Robin Snowball is “he” or “she.” P. S. At this writing, February 1st, 1924, this bird is apparently as healthy and vigorous as ever. He lives in a small conservatory nine by seventeen feet, with glass sides and roof, which is filled with house plants of various kinds, opening from which there are double doors into our dining room, and every time the little fellow hears the rattle of the dishes and conversation at meal time, he promptly flies out into the dining room and hops around the table until somebody feeds him. He is very fond of small strips of beefsteak, the white meat of fowl and sweetened cookies and mashed potatoes, all of which he eats read¬ ily from our hands and seems to have absolutely no knowledge of what fear is. R. M. B. 26 Inglenook Farm Views 27 LIFE SAVING STATIONS. It is customary to think of life saving stations only on the shores of the ocean. There is, however, perhaps in a different sense a new type of life saving station coming into use. Tired, worn out business men are purchasing outlying tracts of land and building little cottages out in the open as a sort of life saver. Some men seek such a place in order to save the lives of their children. In Mount Vernon, Illinois, a man who had spent thirty years in close, hard application in law office work, a man who was seriously handicapped physically, decided to buy an outlying piece of land and to build for himself, his wife and children a real home. Everyone knows what money can do to transform a barren looking, run down farm into a place of beauty, but it takes real interest and loving devotion to make the greatest trans¬ formation. A small expenditure of money with a keen and sympa¬ thetic interest will work wonders. This gentleman thus transformed an old worn out farm into a beautiful place to live, into a real life sav¬ ing station. It is not only a home for him and his children to live in, but a rendezvous for all his friends and relations. It is not our purpose in this brief comment to enumerate all of the things he has accom¬ plished. It is our purpose here to name the trees which through his fostering and kindly care are growing about this country place. There are forty-eight different varieties. In them and around them during every season of the year birds of almost every variety may be found. Inglenook Farm is the name given to the place. (See photographs on opposite page.) Here are the names of the trees: 1. White oak. 25. Catalpa Bungei. 2. Post oak. 26. Black walnut. 3. Pin oak. 27. English walnut. 4. Water oak. 28. Willow (common). 5. Red oak. 29. Weeping willow. 6. Black oak. 30. Pawpaw. 7. Spanish oak. 31. Service berry. 8. Willow oak. 32. Magnolia. 9. Shellbark hickory. 33. Red cedar. 10. Pecan hickory. 34. Colorado blue spruce. 11. White hickory. 35. Arbor vitae. 12. White elm. 36. Norway spruce. 13. Red elm. 37. Hackberry. 14. Canoe birch. 38. Mulberry. 15. Cut-leaved weeping birch. 39. Persimmon. 16. European birch. 40. Thorn tree. 17. Soft maple. 41. Black locust. 18. Hard or sugar maple. 42. Ash. 19. Wier’s cut-leaved maple. 43. Wild cherry. 20. Schwedlerii maple. 44. Wild plum. 21. Norway maple. 45. Basswood. 22. Southern redwood. 46. Pecan. 23. Tulip poplar. 47. Sycamore. 24. Catalpa speciosa. 48. Russian olive Snow scene. TRANSFORMATION. Sybil A. Hausman. When darkness veiled the landscape from our sight The snow-flakes came, and busy through the night Fell thick and fast, a silent hurrying rout, Until at dawn we gazed with wonder out Where hill and vale in shrouded whiteness lay, And apple orchards shamed the blooms of May! The sky no more with gray was clouded o’er; The sun shone forth e’en brighter than before. A picture fair, a landscape clothed in white, A pure, a spotless universe of light! 29 NATURE AND ART Rambler Rose. 30 • ■ **?' 31 HISTORY OF ARBOR DAY. The geographies of,fifty years ago had printed across the wide expanse now known as the State of Nebraska the words “The Great American Desert”. It was in that state that Arbor Day had its be¬ ginning. “In 1872, Mr. J. Sterling Morton, a far-seeing statesman, pointed out to his fellow citizens that it would be a fine thing to plant trees over the great barren prairies. He suggested that a certain day should be set apart each year when all could join in the tree-planting. It took some time for his ideas—and the trees themselves—to take root. Many persons scoffed at the scheme and said that trees could not grow in Nebraska; but they did, and gradually “The Great Ameri¬ can Desert” has been transformed into a fertile and prosperous farm¬ ing and orchard country. The State Board of Agriculture offered prizes for the counties and persons planting the largest number of trees, and it is said that more than a million trees were planted the first year, and that since that time more than eight hundred million trees have been planted in the State. In 1895, in honor of Mr. Morton and his plan, the State legislature resolved that Nebraska should be known hereafter as the “Tree Planters’ State.” The legislature in Illinois in an act approved June 10th, 1887, passed the first Arbor Day law. This act provided that the gov¬ ernor should annually designate by official proclamation a day known as “Arbor Day”. In a later act approved May 16th, 1903, the General Assembly passed an act providing that the governor shall annually designate by proclamation “Bird Day”. At a later time the legisla¬ ture passed an act found in section 271, chapter 122 of Smith-Hurd’s Illinois Revised Statutes which reads as follows: “The governor shall, annually, in the spring, designate by official proclamation, a day or days to be known as ‘Arbor and Bird Day,’ to be observed throughout the state as a day for planting trees, shrubs and vines about the homes and along highways, and about public grounds within this state, and as a day on which to hold appropriate exercises in the public schools and elsewhere, tending to show the value of trees and birds and the necessity for their protection.” 32 CONSIDER THE GARDEN IN WINTER. Many people plan gardens and shrubbery borders so that some¬ thing will be in bloom from early spring to late fall, and having achieved a satisfying succession of bloom with an interesting foliage background, rest contented with the result. And they have reason to feel that they have done well, for it is no small achievement to work out a smooth running succession of blooms. We would like to see a little more effort given to providing for winter interest, too. Of all seasons that need brightening, winter cer¬ tainly heads the list. The average citizen finds little to enthuse about in the winter landscape, except when snow or sleet produce extra¬ ordinarily beautiful effects. Instead of putting the garden and home grounds out of mind when the fall covering work is done, everyone should give thought to the possibilities of interest in winter. How many of us even glance at the exquisite tracery of tree tops lined against the sky? Yet at this time, more than any other, the distinctive individuality of different species is apparent. There is as much difference between various tree species as there is between people, but because the trees cannot go about with us or in other ways attract like people or animals we forget their presence. We neglect and ignore the most steadfast and unob¬ trusive friends we have on earth. Introduce as many different types as you can find room for in your grounds. Get some of the shrubs that have colorful bark in winter. By contrast they make even the browns and blacks look gayer. Place plenty of bright-berried shrubs near the house. They are not only decorative but they draw the cheerful, hardy little winter birds. Evergreens are indispensable for winter warmth. They make an ex¬ cellent background for the bright colored berries and twigs, and when massed at strategic points bring about a feeling of snugness in the home place where otherwise a shivery exposure to sweeping winter winds might be felt. Is there too much cold sky in view from your windows? Do you see not only a bleak foreground, but a still bleaker horizon? Then tune up your imagination, and see if you can’t picture friendly trees etched against the sky and horizon, and a foreground infinitely more cheerful from the presence of colorful plants and birds. And remember it’s not so very many weeks until spring. 33 Snow and sleet. 34 LARCHMOUND. Mrs. Julia Evelyn Ridgway. The winter which has just closed was not very remarkable, ex¬ cept for the unusual mildness of the month of January, 1923, which was far more springlike than March, the latter being the most stormy and unspringlike of any since we have lived in Olney. Like every other, however, the winter has been more or less peculiar in respect to the birds which have or have not been with us. The Killdeer, usually here all winter, was entirely absent until the second of March. There were few White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows and Juncos; no Fox Sparrows, nor Chewinks. On the other hand there were more Grack- les, Robins and Doves than usually winter with us. Other birds were present in about their normal numbers. At this writing, March 22, Doves are nesting; they and the Flick¬ ers had paired by the seventh of the month. The Doves commenced cooing February 18; a male Cardinal was seen feeding a female, a sure sign that they had paired, on March 11. Bluebirds were inspect¬ ing the nesting boxes about March 15. The Brown Thrasher came about on schedule time, March 16. While feeding, different species of birds present many peculiarities of behavior toward one another. When feeding together in numbers, only the English Sparrow and the Quail do so in perfect peace. All other kinds quarrel more or less, especially the “peaceful” Dove, one —-Photo by J. Evelyn Ridgway. Brown thrasher’s nesting place—brush pile covered with morning glories. 35 of which will not, during the mating season, allow another of the same sex to feed near by, persistently chasing it away, and if resisted, the two fighting savagely. But, when they are through feeding I have seen them all sitting on the ground together in perfect harmony. In the case of the Chickadee (Carolina) and Tufted Titmouse, I have noticed, frequently, that when an odd number are present at the feeding place, the familiar saying “two are company, three a crowd” is well illus¬ trated; the odd one is invariably persecuted by the other two to such an extent that in order to obtain any food it must do so after the others have gone, or else get it from a separate and far removed feeding box. Excellent nesting and roosting places for Juncos, Cardinals and our Mocking Bird are the dense clumps of bamboos, the brush piles, and tangles of climbing roses. We have a very interesting pair of Tufted Titmice; they are a devoted couple, being always together. They really dance, hopping back and forth on the walk in front of the south porch, facing- each other, about two feet apart, and singing all the time. One of the pair also imitates the notes of other birds, especially the chirp of the English Sparrow, and the ordinary call-note of the Chickadees. This it does so perfectly that both Mr. Ridgway and I were at first com¬ pletely deceived. While writing of the Tufted Titmouse I must tell of an incident which occurred several years ago. I have an old Spanish mission chair, the seat and back being covered with a Puma skin, given to me by a Costa Rican friend. It was on the porch for several days. I noticed a pair of Tufted Titmice flying back and forth past the win¬ dows. Curious to know why they were acting thus I went out to investigate, and to my astonishment found that they were getting their bills full of the Puma hair, for nest building material. As they were making bare spots on the skin, I moved the chair inside the hall. The door was left open, however, and in a few minutes the birds were as busy as ever, having come into the house and found the chair! A favorite building material with many birds is the Florida moss, which we festoon from the trees, when we have it; also pieces of old muslin, torn in strips about six inches long and half to one inch wide, and strips of soft paper. The muslin and paper are put on bushes and it is an amusing sight to see the birds flying with these strips stream¬ ing from their bills. A friend told me she put out hair combings; in that there is great danger, as I once found a bird whose feet were so entangled with the hair that it was perfectly helpless. The main feeding places are near the dining room windows, from which we have a good view of all the birds, as well as the squirrels when they are feeding. The windows are of the “three in one” kind, giving a window space of more than six feet. 36 It is a beautiful sight to see, as we have, at one time, twenty-two Doves and fifteen Quail feeding together under and near a large Cor¬ nel bush, and twenty or more Cardinals together with many of the smaller birds; and the two fat sleek Fox Squirrels eating walnuts, each from his own pan; the Woodpeckers (sometimes all five kinds) extracting bits of suet from the holes bored in the post supporting one of the nut boxes, or pressed into crevices in the bark of the big elm; and Robins eating dried currants, sliced apple and crumbs of suet. I was surprised to observe that different Robins prefer different foods; some are partial to dried currants, others to suet while others prefer sliced raw apple, and one is very partial to finely ground peanuts a favorite food of the Flickers also. Little Bewick’s Wren, also is fond of suet and nut crumbs. He has been with us all winter 7 but by the middle of April, when the House Wren arrives will have to change his abode. What a pity for there is simply no comparison between the two birds in point of desirability. Bewick’s song is far sweeter, he is equally tame, and strictly minds his own affairs; while the House Wren is not only “fussy”, but a destroyer of the eggs of other birds. I have watched the home life of the House Wren for a number of years. It is a complicated affair, concerning which I may write some other time. Birds have so many enemies; Hawks, Cats, Screech Owls, snakes (in summer), gray squirrels and flying squirrels, together with Blue Jays and Grackles, which like the snakes, systematically despoil the nests of both eggs and young. Consequently, we have to exercise “eternal vigilance” in order to give our birds needed protection. Meadowlarks, Bewick’s Wren, Cardinals and Mocking Birds sing here all winter, or rather at any time during winter. There are two Mocking Birds now. The one with us all winter is much lighter in color than the one who has recently come. The lighter one lost his tail feathers during the winter (as did two Cardinals and a Junco) and for a time only the long white feathers came in. The newcomer is very, very dark; he peeps from the box at the base of the elm tree, while the lighter one comes from the west side of the house and eats bits of suet. The newcomer has to watch his chance in eating, for if seen by the other he invariably chases him off. Mr. Ridgway says the dark one has the appearance of a hybrid between a Mockingbird and a Catbird, the underparts being quite as dark a gray as the back, while very little white shows in the wings when it flies. As my bird family has grown, it is necessary to supply more food, which unfortunately attracts the undesirables such as rabbits, white-footed and field mice at night, and Blue Jays, Black-birds and hordes of English Sparrows by day. Largely on account of these undesirables, especially the ever- hungry English Sparrow, the quantity of food consumed is enormous. 3 ? —Photo by J. Evelyn Ridgway. Another thrasher’s nesting place—shrubs canopized by vine of the wild passion flower. Mr. Ridgway buys chick and scratch feed by the hundred pound bag and little raw Spanish peanut meats, twenty-five pounds at a time. Suet and sun flower seed in proportion. My grocer gave me a carton holding thirty-six boxes of dried currants, which had become slightly wormy, but enough to prevent the sale of them. Robins like them very much. When the ground was frozen, it was impossible for them to get their natural food and the currants proved an apparently satis¬ factory substitute. Last fall, after the leaves had fallen from most of the trees and shrubs, Mr. Ridgway made a count of the nests of the season on the north portion of our grounds only, that is, from the open field south of the house to the northern end of the premises; an area of about three acres. The count did not—in fact could not include many nests hidden in the dense foliage of numerous large coniferous evergreens and in the tangle of climbing roses covering the enclosing fence. Sev¬ eral additional nests were found later, when certain shrubs that held their foliage until late in the season became bare, and a few but by no means all of them have been added to the original list. The. total num¬ ber of nests which were occupied during the season of 1922, accord¬ ing to the count, is one hundred and seventeen, the species, and the number of nests of each, being as follows: Robin 26, Dove 20, Brown Thrasher 18, Catbird 18, House Wren 12, Chipping Sparrow 6, Cardi¬ nal 6, Flicker 3, Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, Bob-white 1, Indigo Bird 1, Great-crested Flycatcher 1, Orchard Oriole 1, Wood Pewee 1, Red¬ headed Woodpecker 1, Blue-bird 1. 38 Besides the species named above, Mr. Ridgway says he is posi¬ tive the following nested on our grounds; although we had not been able to discover their nests; Killdeer (in the open field), Wood Pewee, Blue Jay, Meadowlark, Field Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Maryland Yellow-throat. He had good reason for believing the following also nested on the premises; Green Heron (seen daily flying between our little piece of woods and a pond nearby), Screech Owl, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Humming Bird, Goldfinch, Cedarbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Tufted Titmouse, and Carolina Chickadee. All the above have nested here in previous years, also the Baltimore Oriole, Bewick’s Wren, Chimney Swift (in a chimney of our house), Alder Flycatcher (one season only), Cowbird, Towhee, and Bronzed Grackle (each spring Mr. Ridgway declares war on this species, to prevent its nesting here, but a pair or two manages to out¬ wit him). The first summer we lived here, the only birds to be seen or heard on the eight acres were Crows, Blackbirds (Bronzed Grackles), Blue Jays, and English Sparrows, and a vigorous warfare against them was necessary before other birds could get a foothold. Our seven years’ experience on “Larchmound” has impressed us with the great importance of water as a means of attracting birds. Food they can easily find in abundance during the warmer months; but often water, unless provided for them, they can only find by flying a considerable distance; and water to drink and bathe in is not merely a luxury to them but an absolute necessity. “If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting Robin Into his nest again, I shall not live in vain.” 39 “HOUSES TO LET.” 5th, 6th and 7th Grades, Douglas School, Cairo. WEATHER WORRY TURNS ROBIN GRAY. One of Springfield’s bird lovers, Clarence J. Root, saw a very pe¬ culiar robin on West Canedy street. About one-third of the back was splotched with white and fully four-fifths of the breast was white, just a little red appearing here and there. The eyes were not pink as in albinos, but the eyes and beak were normal in color. Mr. Root has seen robins before with a little white color, but never to such an extent as in this last one. 40 ENCOURAGING THE BIRDS TO “KEEP HOUSE. 5th, 6th and 7th Grades, Lincoln School, Cairo. 41 HOMES FOR THE “NEWLYWEDS. Colfax Public Schools. 42 BALLAD OF THE SNOW. Written at Hood River, Oregon, in 1911, by Rebecca H. Kauffman. Snow had fallen for thirty hours, and lay thirty-three inches deep in a calm level along the mouth of the Hood River where it flows into the Columbia, while farther up the river in the Upper Hood River Valley the big snowflakes piled themselves up to the depth of five feet. The snow had come down in such a quiet, gentle, effective man¬ ner, just as the rain, too, does along the Pacific Coast, attending strictly to its own business. We were literally and truly “snow-bound”, as the trains of the C. W. R. & N. Co. were stalled at various places along the tracks between The Dalles to the east and Cascades Locks to the west, and one big engine had run off the rails in front of the Hood River station. The mercury dropped to zero, though it did not stay at that point long. The sun rose on Sunday morning, after the snow had ceased falling, upon one of the most beautiful, brilliant pearly- white landscapes it has ever been the lot of mortals to see! I am only a tiny snowstar Down from the blue above, X and my mates aerial, Fluttering like Noah’s dove. We drop to the earth to rest, I and my mates so white, And lightly, softly, smoothly, We cover it deep and bright. Warm shines the sun on our crystals. Gay sparkles our faces with light; Warm blows the Chinook over us,— We melt away in the night! Into the soft earth’s embraces We sink for a space awhile, But rise again, like Phoenix, immortal, " Out of our own funeral pile! Resurgam! Behold me again, Me and my mates as we grow Into tree, bud, blossom, fruit! — Welcome! yes, welcome, the snow! THE TREE. Spared through the years from woodman’s careless hand; Anchored by roots that reach the depths below; Buffeted by the storms that sweep the land; Braving the summer’s heat and winter’s snow; Here, all alone, you stand, oh noble tree, Relic of virgin wood that used to be. High in your crest, safe from the hunter’s sight, The squirrel sleeps through the lazy hour of noon; While, from its depths, is heard throughout the night, The owl’s weird cry, beneath the harvest moon; Each thankful for your shade, and each, like you. Native of virgin wood, which once you knew. 43 A pair of fine elms. FRIENDS. John Kendrick Bangs. May I be friends to all the trees; To birds, and blossoms and the bees; To things that creep, and things that hide Through all the teeming countryside; On terms with all the stars at night, With all their playful beams of light; In love with leafy dales and hills, And with the laughing mountain rills; With summer skies, and winter snows; With every kind of breeze that blows; The wide sea, and the stretching plain, The tempest, and the falling rain— If I were thus what need had I To fear Death’s solemn mystery That takes me from the world’s alarms And lays me in earth’s loving arms? (Qopnecticut School Document No. 2, 1923) 44 Safford School. Cairo. 45 Hope springs eternal in the fisherman's breast. 46 Living Decorations 4 ? THE OAK IN BLOSSOM. White Oak. 48 ROADSIDE PLANTING. Charles Lathrop Pack. Roadside planting is one of the most important phases of shade tree development. The highways of America are the great arteries of the nation. With the universal use of the automobile, this is true in a sense previously undreamed. The value of the tree-lined country thoroughfare to the adjacent property is as direct as that of the shaded street in town or city. The charm of the trees will attract where the barren roadside would repel. There are roads in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and elsewhere, for the enjoyment of which tourists will go many miles out of their way, to the increased prosperity of the surrounding neighborhoods. Thousands of permanent residents have been attracted to Pasadena, San Mateo, and other places in California, to some of the famous resorts of Florida and the Carolinas, and to summer places in New England, Michigan and Wisconsin, by the hire of shade tree splendor. Costly homes and extensive improvements have been established along the inviting highways in and near these communities, with the inevitable result that all property values have been increased to an amazing extent; and largely because the charm of the trees proved irresistible to visitors from other places. Every community may not be suited for a resort, but none can afford to overlook the value of shade trees. The highway without trees is merely a means to an end. It is used simply because it leads somewhere. The road which has its lines of stately trees carries a charm peculiarly its own, and is sought because of its beauty and at¬ tractiveness. Many communities have already awakened to this truth, and have shown a determination to let no other community outdo them in offering the shade tree invitation to the world-at-large to come and enjoy the beauties and the restfulness of their highways. Such de¬ velopment cannot fail to be attended by an increase in property values, and it has an additional value through the greater comfort and en¬ joyment afforded the residents of a neighborhood by the conversion of plain and unlovely country roads into driveways of impressive charm and loveliness. - — “Trees as Good Citizens.” AN ARBOR DAY TREE. Dear little tree that we plant today, What will you be when we’re old and gray? “The savings hank of the squirrel and mouse, For robin and wren an apartment house, The dressing room of the butterfly’s ball, The locust and katydid’s concert hall. The school boy’s ladder in pleasant June, The school girl’s tent in the July noon. And my leaves shall whisper them merrily A tale of the children who planted me.” — Youth's Companion. 49 Winter and Summer Clothes. Dwarf Elm. 50 Thornapple 51 J VIOLETS By Lucy Laecom. They neither toil nor spin; And yet their robes have won A splendor never seen within The courts of Solomon. Tints that the cloud-rifts hold, And rainbow-gossamer, The violet’s tender form enfold; No queen is draped like her. All heaven and earth and sea Have wrought with subtlest power, That clothed in purple she might be— This little fading flower. We, who must toil and spin, What clothing shall we wear? The glorious raiment we shall win, Life shapes us, everywhere. God’s inner heaven hath suft, And rain, and space of sky, Where through for us his spindles run, His mighty shuttles fly. His seamless vesture white He wraps our spirits in; He weaves his finest webs of light For us, who toil and spin. By permission of the publishers, Houghton, Mifflin & Co. FOUR-LEAF CLOVER By Ella Higginson. I know a place where the sun is like gold, And the cherry blooms burst with snow, And down underneath is the loveliest nook, Where the four-leaf clovers grow. One leaf is for hope, and one is for faith, And one is for love, you know, And God put another one in for luck— If you search you will find where they grow. ., . «r But you must have hope, and you must have faith, You must love and be strong—and so— If you work, if you wait, you will find the place Where the four-leaf clovers grow. 52 YANKEE TREES IN FRANCE San Francisco Chronicle. No futile wreaths that fade and die, Whose life is but a day, Can truly honor those who lie So many leagues away; Nor fainting blossoms represent The hope, the strength, the urge Of Youth incarnate—why, it sent Them, laughing, to the verge. For those who perished overseas, Our glorious host that lies In France, let hosts of living trees Gloriously arise; Rise where charred limbs of older trees, Flung mute against the sky. To countless wanton cruelties In silence testify. And at some distant future day When we, who mourn them now, Because they died—the selfsame way Have followed them, oh how Shall we deserve so fine a thing For our memorial, As trees lit with the green of spring, Or scarlet fires at fall? (The Forest Poetic, 1924 Edition) THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE FOREST Douglas Malloc. I love the man who loves the wood, Whate’er his creed, whate’er his blood. I may not know his native land; His creed I may not understand; But, when we meet within the wood, There each is silent—understood. We worship them at selfsame shrine; We see the same celestial shine On lustrous leaf, on petaled flower; We feel the selfsame grace and power; Yea, walking on the selfsame sod, We worship both the selfsame God. I give who loves the wood my hands, For here is one who understands; Who loves the wood I give my heart, For there responsive echoes start; We meet in this sweet brotherhood— We meet as Brothers of the Wood. (The Forest Poetic, 1924 Edition) 53 After the Storm 54 SPRING IN THE VALLEY Mary Austin. When the catkin’s on the willow And the tassel on the birch, The wild bees from the hiving rocks Begin their honey search. Brown wings among the browner grass And breast all brightening yellow— Pipes up from meadows as we pass The lark’s call, clear and mellow; Now wakes the burnished dragonfly Beside the glinting river, That shakes with silent laughter where The iris banners quiver; Now on the budding poplar boughs The tuneful blackbirds perch; For the catkin’s on the willow And the tassel on the birch. Now stalks the solemn crow behind The farmer in the furrow; The downey owl comes out at dusk And hoots beside his burrow. Now blows a balmy breath at morn To call men to the sowing; Now all the water ways are full, And all the pastures growing; Now truant anglers drop a line To catfish and to perch: For the catkin's on the willow And the tassel on the birch. (Connecticut School Document No. 2, 1923.) THE FOREST TROUBADOUR Henry C. Pitz. Down in the heart of the greenwood, beside the dim lakeshore Is the trysting-place of the forest folk, and the forest troubadour. There, when the blue dusk deepens, and the stars wheel on through space, The birds and the beasts and the forest folk creep to the trysting-place. Then the greenwood piper, who comes, when the day is done, From the rim of the furthermost valley, where the sunset gold is spun. Plays, as the wood aisles darken, a haunting, witchlike air, Till even the hawk is gentled and the gray wolf leaves his lair. So bird and beast and forest child listen in silent awe, Forget their former enmity, forget the jungle law. Then fairy bows to goblin, and toads creep from the rocks, And even the timid forest hares hobnob with the red-tailed fox. And any venturesome human who finds the trysting-place, And hear the piper’s music, is given heart of grace To understand the greenwood speech and to follow, unafraid, The darkest trail of the forest heart and the wildest woodland glade. (The Forest Poetic, 1924 Edition) 55 Black Hawk 56 THE CHILDREN’S HIGHWAY AND THE FOX RIVER TRAIL OsiIER ScHLAIFER. A lingering memory of two beautiful and world renowned boule¬ vards, The Champs Elysees and Unter den Linden leaped into the foreground of the consciousness of the writer as he was making his way slowly, painfully slowly, in his newly acquired Dodge Sedan, along the Fox River Trail. The natural beauty, the artistic possibilities, the unparalleled juxta position of hill, dale, valley and glimmering of blue water of the Fox River skirting the trail caught and held the imagina¬ tion. There was a challenge to reproduce in this valley on an even larger scale and more magnificent proportions the landscape beauty of those two wonderful promenades that have captivated and held the admiration of the world, for centuries. What a glorious opportunity to make this the heritage of the chil¬ dren along the Fox River Trail. What unparalleled opportunity to develop the appreciation of natural beauty and landscape artistry among the visting generation by enlisting their ardor and youthful enthusiasm for this matchless and challenging undertaking. What a rare chance to present in a concrete way to the nineteen thousand children along the Fox River Trail the rare landscape artistry of this beautiful trail and to enlist their youthful enthusiasm to make this truly wonderful valley one of the most beautiful boulevards in the United States. The Superintendents’ and Principals’ Association of Kane County listened respectfully to the report of the dreamer and the visionary, and took up with enthusiasm the plan to enlist the effort of the nine¬ teen thousand children along the Fox River Trail to make this dream a reality; to create a boulevard whose fame and beauty and art would be sung all over the land. The services of the most renowned landscape architect, Mr. O. C. Simonds, of Chicago, were secured. The whole trail was gone over on foot and most carefully studied with a view to developing its best artistic possibilities. In planning the planting for the Fox River Trail or the “Children’s Highway” the following landscape gardening ideals were had in mind: First: The preservation of the views of the Fox River and its charming valleys and the framing of these views by appropriate trees and shrubs. Second: The preservation of the existing growth of trees and bushes by grouping the additional planting so that it will harmonize with the present trees that are of value either for shade or beauty. It has been our wish generally to arrange new planting in irregular groups rather than in rows, since groups of this character allow many different species to be used and give generally more varied and beauti¬ ful effects than continuous rows. In some places, however, on account of the limited area for planting, it will be necessary to plant in rows, but often in such cases a variation in spacing is advisable to preserve views or to make a more satisfactory composition of scenery. 5? Moon River, Bala, Canada. Deer Lodge, near Bala, Canada. HEALTH AND HAPPINESS IN NORTHERN HAUNTS 58 A LESSON UNDER THE TREES 59 Third: To create by the proposed planting a beautiful harmon¬ ious work of art. What one sees as he passes along a highway should be a series of pictures as beautiful as those to be found in any art gallery pictures formed by a combination of foliage, trunks of trees, buildings, hills, valleys, water, clouds, sky and the various forms of life to be found in city and country. In passing through the country one occasionally finds a bit of road that is perfectly charming because of the woods on either side, a view of a lake or a distant hill. One would like to photograph such delightful effects. The aim in design¬ ing the planting for a highway is to give this charm to all of it, to make it all interesting and beautiful. To carry out the plan nearly nineteen thousand shrubs and one thousand trees will be required. The planting will be done by the children. Each superintendent and principal along the Fox River Trail is to appoint one adult citizen for each ten high school boys to super¬ vise the planting of the trees and shrubs. These adult citizens will meet with Mr. Simonds or his representative a day or two before the planting and get the exact program of planting for each town, then these men will set the stakes and get all in readiness for the planting. As soon as the shrubbery comes each high school will dismiss some of its boys and get the planting started. All the planting is to be done before the day of the grand celebration. The program is to have a huge parade on the final day of planting. The parade is to consist mostly of automobiles. Each superintendent and principal is to ask different organizations in his own town to furnish enough automobiles to carry all the children, and these autos are to start north from each town at 1:30 in the afternoon from Montgomery, through Aurora, North Aurora, Batavia, Mooseheart, Geneva, St. Charles, South Elgin, Elgin, Dundee, Carpentersville, and Algonquin. All the automobiles will start at the same time going north to Algonquin, back to Aurora and then North again to their starting point. Thus each town will make the complete circuit and it will be an almost continuous parade from Au¬ rora to Algonquin. Each owner of an automobile will be expected to decorate it. The schools will make banners, one for each fourth or fifth machine—with the inscription “The Children's Highway”. In addition to these automobiles there is expected to be one float from each high school and one float from each city grade school sys¬ tem. These floats will be on trucks. Bands from East Aurora High School, West Aurora High school, Mooseheart High School, and from any other place that can be gotten are expected to be in the parade in addition to the autos and floats. It is expected to make the organization a memorable one in the lives of the nineteen thousand children along the Fox River Trail. It is hoped that they will thus conceive a spirit of ownership in it and be encouraged to care for it in the years to come. The sponsors of the movement are expected to raise about fifteen thousand dollars by the middle of March and the planting will take place the first part of April. This is the genesis and life history of a cjream, yet to be realized, but sure to come trpe. 60 fm&m : a >?,V: % *’• -■ ; ■ ,*®f »> . r#%$i .- & > > *, ... . ‘ .••. • mii One of Mr. Smithkow’s Bluebird Boxes. A robin’s nest appears in the crotch below. Taken near North Amherst, Ohio. Dawson’s “Birds of Ohio”—Courtesy Ohio Library Company. 61 Youth and Loveliness. THE GLORY OF THE WOODS By Susan Fenimore Cooper. Of the infinite variety of fruits which spring from the bosom of the earth, the trees of the wood are greatest in dignity. Of all the works of the creation which know the changes of life and death, the trees of the forest have the longest existence. Of all the objects which crown the gray earth, the woods preserve unchanged through¬ out the greatest reach of time, their native character. The works of man are ever varying their aspect; his towns and his fields alike reflect the unstable opinions, the fickle wills and fancies of each, pass¬ ing generation; but the forests on his borders remain to-day the same as they were ages of years since. Old as the everlasting hills, during thousands of seasons they have put forth and laid down their verdure in calm obedience to the decree which first bade them cover the ruins of the Deluge. Py permission of the Baker and Taylor Company, N. Y. 62 THE SONG OF THE WHIP-POOR-WILL As the world sinks to rest And the still-glowing west Marks the daylight’s reluctant retreat. From a wood o’er the way, Where the deep shadows lay, Comes a melody mournfully sweet. The gleam from afar Of the soft evening star Carries surcease from travail and pain, While the care-burdened mind Leaves its worries behind In the whip-poor-will’s plaintive refrain. Hoosier Pat TREES Rt. Rev. James H. Darling to a. O, a tree is a psalm of beauty; yes a tree is a green-leaved prayer, A tree is a benediction, from those who planted it there; When you pause by the roadside weary, and rest beneath its shade, Say a prayer yourself for the kindly heart that this provision made. There are trees far off in the wildwood, sprung from a seed wind-sown And the winds today are glad because the earlier winds have blown. The birds which carol sweetly are but trying to sing in glee Their thanks to other birds that help’t to build some forest tree. That chatter you hear is a squirrel’s call, who wishes to let you know His gratitude to his ancestors who planted the acorn to grow. So now, O man, you are rebuked by squirrel, bird and breeze, Unless yoq also bury seeds and bless the world with trees. (The Forest Poetic, 1924 Edition) 63 Breakfast is served 64 Home-grown complexions