ARBOR DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 147, 21 June 1917, Page 8

ARBOR DAY.

{Vi, the Editor.) Sir,—F.ven in this time of war it would be a matter for regret if Arbor Day should pass unobserved this year. In spite of the destruction in Europe, and perhaps the more because of it. we wish to preserve sonic of the best and most ibeaiutifnl forms of civilisation. and surely none comes higher than the decorating and purifying of our town and suburbs by the planting of tree* and flowering plants. For school children this is an education in itself in several .ways, not the least of which is teaching them to work for their neighbourhood and for some future good, and to change their destructive instincts into those of developing and guarding turf, flowers, or trees that are common property. A great lack in our suburbs and countryside is the dearth of wild-flowers, or garden flowers growing wild by the roadsides and hedges, as they commonly do in older countries. They would grow easily in Auckland, but unfortunately ■whenever sweet peas, nasturtiums, pink geranium, or arum lilies or cannas begin to flourish and make suburban streets beautiful, they are zealously "tidied" out of existence. Surely this is a regrettable mistake. Would it not be better if children planted or tended this overflow of the garden? In our suburbs at least there is plenLy of room for it.— 1 am., etc., EDITH SEARLE GROSSMAXX.