Evening Star Newspaper, February 22, 1931, Page 71

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, FEBRUARY 22, 193l 3 do Honor George Washington With 1rees TenMillion Living, Vibrant Memorials to Be Started as Bicenten- nial of the First President Approaches. BY HERVE W. MINER. ¢ ¢ DID it with my little hatchet” is soon to be paraphrased to “I did it with my litlle spade.” George Washington once cut down a cherry tree and thereby gained immortal fame as a teller of the truth. Now, instead of one hatchet chopping down one cherry tree, 10,000,000 spades will be brought into play in the planting of 10,000,000 other trees—not cherry, but trees that are native to or thrive best in the varied climes of this great America. These 10,000,000 trees are to become me- morials to the Father of His Country—living symbols, reverent and vibrant expressions of a grateful people for one who made certain that the structure of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” would arise on the corner stones of our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. The 200th anniversary of the natal day of George Washington falls on February 22, 1932, one year hence. Plans are already under way for a nation-wide celebration of this event, headed by none other than the President of the United States. Included in these plans is the proposal that 10,000,000 trees be planted this year so that thesy will have taken root and be growing when the bicentenary day arrives. This phase of the observance of the Bicentennial is being fostered by the American Tree Asso- ciation, with headquarters in Washington. The association president, Charles Lathrop Pack, is urging a nation-wide response to the appeal. “TEN million monuments to a great man. Ten million tributes, enduring and straight-growing, which will bz as ever green as is the memory of George Washington in the hearts of 122,000,000 persons, recording the fact that he is ever the ‘first in the hearts of his countrymen.’ ' These are not to be monoliths of marble, nor statues of static stone, nor dun-colored copper and brass, nor eulogiums written upon perishable parchment, but grow- ing things, alive with a life emblematical of that living Nation which the First President guided into being. The more significant will they be because the hands of thousands of citizens will have put them in this native soil,” said Mr. Pack. “The whole population is urged to take a part in the Bicentennial celebration of the birth of George Washington. They will become a second Continental Army, an army of tree-planters made up of young and old mobilized in every State and hamlet and actively engaged in set- ting up a lasting testimonial to the one whom this country delights to honor. “For the purpose of this remarkable cele- pration, Calvin Coolidge, when President, created the Bicentennial Commission. The American Tree Association, co-operating with this commission, is directing this gigantic task of planting 10,000,000 trees, each one indicative of a Nation’s honor to the national hero. It is & particularly fitting way of remembering the life and services of the master of Mount Vernon. “What more significant and unique method could be employed to manifest the affection which America feels for Washington? Not only will this tree planting involve an act of commemoration, but also will it su- premely carry out one of the guiding principles of George Washington—namely, that of self- sufficlency in National Government. This means conservation. A nation must be strong and able to take care of itself in emergencies. Thus enly can entangling alliances become unneces- sary. There is no greater need in the Unifed States today in the matter of self-strengthening than that of trees. Washington undoubtedly would be the first to desire as memorials to him trees that will make his country a stronger and better one. “There are 120,000,000 idle acres now existing in the United States which are suitable for forests only. The crop of timber steadily dwindles while the rate of consumption is on the increase. There have been times when men and guns and bullets were the supreme necessities. That is not#so now, for the na- tional necessity is trees and more trees. It is one thing t¢ subscribe ta the principles of Washington; i¢ is another thing to put them fnto everyday practice. Strength acquired from I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed Against the earth’s sweet flow- ing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; a constantly diminishing resource is not true strength, nor true patriotism, but short-sighted- ness. The main source must be replenished— and that immediately and regularly. Conse- quently there is at this particular time an economic as well as symbolical reason for the planting of trees in honor of George Washing- ton. “EACH city and town, each individual, eac? crganization, will have its own problems in planting for George Washington. The town or State roadway engineers or shade tree com- missions should be called into consultatiom about roadside planting; the State forester, willing to lend his talents and aid freely, is best fitted to advise the care of town forests or of State forests, “‘Plant for George Washington.” That is the cry that is going up in all parts of the country. Plant now or at any suitable time before the Winter of 1931-32, so that streng, healthy trees will be firmly rooted in the na- tive soil when they are dedicated in the name . By Joyce Kilmer A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; W ho ntimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree, of the Father of Our Country on February 22, 1932. “The first of 10,000,000 leafy monuments has been erected. The first George Washington town forests, memorial roadways and memorial trees are in existence. Every citizen in every city and hamlet—and more important, every future citizen—is hearing of the plans for pay- ing the greatest honor ever paid to America’s national hero.” Forms of planting have been divided into seven groups by the sponscrs of this program. Individuals who desire to participate in the movement may select spots in a garden, in the street, with proper permission from the munici- pal authorities; along a road or anywhere the individual has the right to plant a tree. It is suggested that civic. and other clubs may plant one large tree in a suitable location, but grcups of trees on park lands owned by the community or club are more desirable. Municipalities, as such, are invited to plant forest trees upon lands owned by the towns and cities, such as park lands, watersheds of the city Sandy Spring Pioneer Invented the Refrigerator. NE of the most distinguished of the early settlers of the Sandy Spring, Md., neighborhood was Thomas Moore, inventor of the first refrigerator. This Quaker was the son of Thomas Moore of Ireland, who first settled in Pennsylvania early in the last century and later moved to Water- ford, a small town in Virginia, which he named for his native town in Ireland. The village, situated about six miles from Leesburg, Va., is often visited as one of the early settlements of the Old Dominion. Moving to Sandy Spring about 1794, after his marriage to Mary Brooke, daughter of Roger Brooke of Brooke Grove, Moore started farming on the estate of his wife. He made valuable contributions to agriculture and many visitors traveled to his model farm. It was at this time that Thomas wrote & book called “The Great Error of Agriculture Exposed, and Hints for Improvements Suggested,” published in 1801. A copy is contained in the Library of Congress. A chapter in the book advocated deep plowing, which made the author a pioneer in this man- ner of farming The patent on his refrigerator, which Moore received in 1803, was signed by Thomas Jeffer- son as President and James Madison, Secretary of State. It is in the possession of the Misses Miller of Alloway, granddaughters. This first refrigerator is described as a small oval tub, 18 or 20 inches deep, in which was placed a tin square, holding about 22 pounds of butter. Be- tween the wood and tin box was left a space for ice, the whole being covered first with rabbit skin and then a course woolen cloth. It being the habit to go to market on horseback, Moore invented the first refrigerator so that butter might be carried the 20 miles to Washington. He could deliver his butter in much better shape than the other market men. Later he made his reirigerator larger and in a different style for family and dairy purposes. President Jefferson and some of the heads of the Government departments in Washington used Moore’s patented refrigerator if they were fortunate enough to possess ice houses, which were luxuries in those days. After 14 years the patent expired, when the inventor gave the public the benefit of his work by not renew- ing it. Moore wrote on many subjects and his agri- cultural work made him widely known through- out Maryland. Also, as a civil engineer, as he was called upon by the corporation of George- town to build the causeway to connect Ana- lostan Island to Virginia, for which he was pald the sum of $24,000. Then the United Giates Government employed him to lay out the great National road to the West. President Jefferson later appointed him chief engineer of the James River Canal, and he also served in the same capacity for the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. With his two brothers-in-law, Caleb Bentley and Isaac Briggs, he started a cotton mill at Triadelphia, Md.,, and at one {ime-he managed the Union Manufacturing Mills, near Ellicott City, Md. water supply or in town forests if such arg owned by the municipality. Colleges and schools are urged to further the memorial work by planting trees upon the grounds owned by the institutions. Class plant= ings or institutional plantings have been sug- gested with appropriate exercises. National organization plantings may be of a sectional character, or a national organization can appropriate money for a large forest plante ing. Many States have counties named for the great Washington. An idea has been advanced that it will be appropriate for such counties ta plant a county forest in memory of their namee sake. Of course, all other counties can do likes wise. It is pointed cut that State Forestry De< partments should be consulted when work on a scale so large is undertaken, for in many cases the department not only will be able to furnish expert advice as to the planting, but also many be able to provide thé seedlings for planting. { ITHOUT exception every State owns land, either in the form of State parks or ground about State buildings. Plantings of trees on such land would properly be of the character of State functions conducted by the State Forestry Departments with tree provided by State nur- series. That all plantings, especially by organiza- tions or communities, be ceremonial affairs with programs of patriotic character is urged by those who are fostering the movement. In connection with this great Washington Memorial movement the associaticn has issued a pamphlet containing much valuable informa- tion as to selection of- sites for planting, the stock or kinds of trees to plant in the various localities, the care to be exercised before plac- ing the trees in the ground and best planting times for these sections. A pertinent admoni« tion is contained in the very first paragraph: “The first thing to do is to select your space and decide upon the type of trees that will best fit it—always keeping in mind the future.” Forestry experts have ascertained that 75 per cent of the trees taken from their native State in woodlands die, so it is best to secure trees from reputable nurserymen. Precautionary measures are necessary to protect the roots, keeping them moist until the tree is actuady set in the ground. “Do not spare the top soil and spoll the tree” is the advice of nurserymen and forest experts, so it is best to have new top soil to a depth of at least 12 inches in the excavation, And another thing, be sure to have the exca-~ vaticns wide enough so that the roots are not cramped when the tree is planted. Transplanting time varies with the kind of trees and the section of the country. Spring and Autumn are the proper seasons for plant- ing deciduous trees in the Eastern part of the country except in much of Florida. The advo- cates of either season have many arguments to advance for the success of their operations, but as a rule it is safe to say that in the Eastern half of the country south of the line, St. Louis to Chicago, Buffalo and Boston, deciduous trees may be planted at any time during the dormant period when it is possible to work the soil—that is, when it is not frozen. This period begins with the dropping of the foliage in the Fall and ends when the buds burst open in the Spring. Early Spring is the better for tree planting in the region north of this line. From near the ninety-eighth meridian to beyond the crest of the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascade Moune tains Spring planting is usually best except in a few of the warmer portions, the tree associa< tion experts say. IN the Eastern United States, evergreens may be planted in the Fall, beginning three months before the ground is expected to freeze and ending six weeks later; or in the Spring after the frost is out of the ground and until the weather gets tco warm, West of the Mississippi planting should be done only in the Spring because of danger from droughts that are likely to occur in late Sume mer. In the region bounded by the Rocky Mountains, the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevadas times should be selected when root growth may take place promptly after transplanting with a minimum of transpiration from the foliage until the plant is re-established. On the Pacific slope the same reasons dictate planting early in the rainy season or just prior to it, as there is seldom sufficient cold to check root growth. In semitropical Florida“moisture is so abundant that transplanting may be done at almost any time. ‘To all who plant trees in memory of George Washington and register them with the Ameri« can Tree Association will be sent a Bicentennial tree-planting certificate. So the hatchet is to be supplanted in its Washington’s birthday relation to the cherry tree, and we of this generation, as we look with pride on our handiwork in creating these mee morials, can say: “I did it with my little spade.” (Qopyright, 1931.) o