ARBOR DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 181, 1 August 1892, Page 2

ARBOR DAY.

What Dryad of bho woods was it thafc whispered the idea of an Arbor Day to the cold official heart of the Department of Agrioulture, and what could have induced the nymph to forsake her sylvan re. treats for the garish streets of windy Wellington ? It ceuld only have been grief and despair at seeing so many of her noble trees—her sbters, to continue the graceful imagery of the classics—cut down by the cruel axe, or wantonly withered up and consumed by the fire, ib could only have been this that foreec. her from the cccl reees-.e o. the bu .h te haunt the ua-

lovely purlieus of bhe v Circumlocution Office.

We rejoice thab her mission as intercessor has in a way been successful; bhab, though she has not obtained for her woods tobal immunity from fire and steel, she has extracted a promise of a new habitation when the ancient one shall have been destroyed. This is but a small concession, ib is true. To exchange bhe ambrosial shade of the raba and bhe hinau, or the columnar aisles of the primitive bush, wh6re bhe kauri and the rimu " high overarched embower," for bhe conventional angularities of "perky larches and pines," or the wintry nakedness of an English wood, is indeed a descent, but better a rude cob than no shelter ab oil. She must pay her tribute \o the necessities of colonial civilisation which counts as a benetacbor, not the woodman who spares the tree, bub his brother thab cubs ib down and makes a blade of cacksfoot to grow in its place.

On the other hand, we regreb bhab our Ciby Fabhers have not proved so susceptible to the woodnymph's prayers as the Department of Agriculture has. They have refused to recogni.e the day. But bheir action, we are inclined to believe, arose in bhis instance from an erroneous view of the subject in dispute. The question before them was really nob whether Auckland should have another holiday — a question on which bhere mighb ' fairly enough be difference of opinion — bub whether ib mighb nob be a good bhing tor New Zealand to follow in bhis mabter the example of America and seb apart come special day that ought, apart from its utility, to be interesting to all, and that in all likelihood would create in the minds of the rising generation a deeper attachment for the beautiful laud to which their own hands had given an added beauty and attractiveness.

But even if our City Council had looked upon the matter in this lighb we should nob have felb greably surprised if bhey had wibhheld bheir sanction bo bhe proposed celebration. We are boo well aware that among our population bhere is nob an overwhelming majoriby which has nob bowed bhe knee to the Baal of utilibarianism. The larger parb of mankind is composed of bhose who bhink bhab " bhe meab i_ more than bhe life," and as " mere hewera of wood and drawers of water think bhab bhe wood bhey hew and bhe water they carry are better than tho pino forests that cover the mountain like bhe shadow of God, and than the greab rivers bhab move like His eberniby." Bub bhese are nob Nabure'B children, and to bhem shall never bo entrusted the office of her guardians. In addition to the little baud of men and women who yet rebain in bheir hearts bhe freshness of youbh, bhere hre the hosts of children who have nob yeb awaked into "The lighb of common day." To bhem shall be enbrusbed the task of making the wasto places of the earth rejoice. Iv them shall be fulfilled tho prophesy that instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree. Though bho city fathers burn a deaf oar to the wood nymph calling, the city children will answer to her voice and follow hor out into the fields. Nor shall the teachers be absent if bhey understand the value of the lessons that Nature has to impart.

" One impulse from a vernal wood May teach ua more of man, Ot moral evil and ot good Than all the sages can."

Our utilitarian frionds aro no doubb weary of so much sentiment and so little logic. They are perhaps unaware that the world is ruled a ereab deal more by sentiment than by logic. Bub even of utilitarian and wholly unsentimental arguments there is an abundantsupply. To say nothitigof the long list of prodigals who have blossed their greab-grandfabhers when bhe last penny was spent and nobhing remained but their ancestral woods, wo havo any number of practical authorities advocating, and strongly advocating, tho extensive planting of trees. Nay, have not even Governments that are usually the slowest to initiate a good thing become awako to the importance of the subjnet, and are nob Forestry Department, rising up in every country? But there is ono testimony to the practical value of plantations which will be familiar to all readers of the "Heart of Midlothian." It is tho testimony of the Luird of Dumbiodirkes. When that thrifty magnato lay on his death-bod the bo3b practical advice which he thoughb he could give bo his son and heir was expressed somewhab in bhese worHs : "Aye bo sticking in a tree, Jock, it'll bo growing while ye'resleeping." But have we not that highest warrant for our proposed plantations which Bacon in the beginning of his essay on " Gardens " makes use of to ab once assort bhe dignity of his subjecb, and its claim to tho highesb place in our estimation, "God Almighty planted a garden." The Scotch are an eminently practical nation. They are not enthusiastic over trifles. In Dunedin they have taken up the idea of Arbor Day very warmly, and herein they have given proof of their practical character, and bhe importance ot bhe mabber in hand. Leb us not be behind bhem. If a few have forgobben the pabh bhab leads us to the meadows, we brusb that bhere are many who remember it.

On Thursday neut, il old Sol will but smile on our enterprise, with these leading us, we shall hie us to bho fields and bhere celebrate our first Arbor Day in such a merry and practical, fashion thab everyone will fall in love wibh the institution, and never again permit the season to go by without turning out to do honour to Flora and the woodnymphs.