parkways which may endanger the life of trees in such parkways. An open space not less than two feet in width must be left around any tree planted in the sidewalk space.

Persons carrying on building operations must protect exposed trees in the streets with guards so that they shall not be injured.

Violations of any part of this orbinance are punishable by a fine of not less than $5 nor more than $100 for each offense.

These provisions are mentioned here so that teachers may explain to the school children the existence of such an ordinance and its jurisdiction over the trees and parkways in the city. We must try to develop in our school children a finer sense for the beautiful out of doors, to teach them to recognize the more common trees, shrubs, and flowers.

Children eagerly watch for the first buds of spring. They are glad to see the tender leaves unfold. Then, when the sun is the most oppressive, they are happy at play in the cooling shade. In the fall they gather and study the leaves, which have been colored by frost and strewn over the ground by autumn winds. And these joys should not be denied even the least among Chicago children.

Environment has a potent influence in the development of good citizenship, influencing the character, habits, and education of the child. And by providing trees, shrubs and flowers for the embellishment of home and school-the most important educational agencies-the child is supplied with new and growing interests which will help to broaden its ideas of life and of nature. We have all seen the barrenness of streets without trees, and what a loss to citizens and children! What a pitiable condition, where the children must play in the streets upon the hot pavements where there are no trees for shade or beauty.

It has been determined that trees along the streets of a city better the health conditions by cooling and purifying the air. The oxygen given off by the leaves of trees is needed by human beings for respiration. It has also been shown that the death rate among children is diminished where the intense heat of the summer months is mitigated by the evaporation of large quantities of water from the surface of the leaves. Street trees help to keep the dust and bacterial impurities from being carried into the houses. The interior of

houses surrounded by trees are always less dusty than those where there are no trees in the street.

Trees are inviting and encouraging to out door life. It is partly for this advantage that those having the means seek homes in the suburbs and farther in the country. There they can enjoy trees in their native splendor and fill their lungs with the oxygen generated by the abundance of plant life.

The commercial value of the tree should appeal to those who are not touched by its civic and esthetic value. The real estate man knows that a tree-bordered street is highclass property, which grows in value with the growth of the tree.

A school teacher recently told me how her mother, living in the suburbs, was approached by a neighbor who wanted to buy one of the large trees on her property for firewood. "What would you be willing to pay?" the mother asked. "O, I don't know; it's not worth much." "Perhaps not as firewood. But for beauty and comfort it is worth more than $1,000 to me," replied the mother. The neighbor gave the tree one look of amazement, and I am sure his appreciation of trees began to develop.

About a week ago my attention was called to a little playhouse built up in an old willow tree, with big railroad spikes driven into the trunk of the tree, by means of which the boys would climb up into their hut. This desire of boys must be "the call of the wild" for I have read of South Sea savages and other primitive men building their houses up in the trees. Living amid wild nature this was necessary for protection against wild beasts and reptiles or hostile tribes.

We must explain to the children that our ordinance will not tolerate such play. And as much as I love to see a child adventurous, with a creative mind, yet when I work among trees, it is always with the thought that the power that works in me also works in them. Like us trees are born, they grow to maturity, fail and then die. But wherever they are abused and subjected to unnatural conditions their life is shortened and they can no longer fulfill their mission.

Chicago has an inestimable number of dead and unsightly trees standing in the parkways. The dead trees are

a danger to life and limb; every wind storm breaks them down. They also afford excellent breeding places for injurious insects and fungus pests.

Various causes have contributed to the killing of Chicago's trees. Lack of municipal control has permitted street trees to suffer from carelessness of citizens, who have mutilated trees by collisions of vehicles, or used them for hitching posts, allowing their half-fed horses to bite, gnaw and tear off the bark. Unskillful trimming, telegraph, telephone, electric light and street car linemen have chopped and hacked trees almost at their own free will. Gas leaks from mains is a source of constant trouble. Mischievous boys have cut, bruised, and otherwise mutilated tree trunks. Trees have suffered from starvation through confinement of the roots in sterile soil, by a too great or too small supply of water and a lack of plant food.

It is generally considered that the soil and climate of Chicago are not favorable to tree growth. Considering this handicap, the smoky atmosphere and other adverse conditions, it really seems that the question is not which variety of tree is most suitable, but what kind of trees will grow at all. However, most of the trees which are considered best for city planting are to be found growing in some part of Chicago, and many of them are native to this section.

That our best hardwood trees, as the oak, elm, maple, locust, have been dying is not conclusive evidence that they will no longer grow here. It merely indicates that they have suffered from unnatural conditions and lack of proper care. The fact that they have grown and do grow is sufficient proof that they will grow if properly planted and cared for. These old native trees and those planted in the streets before any improvements had been made, have developed sprawling root systems, unsuited to the confinement which their roots are subjected to in the parkways. In the paving of streets, laying of sidewalks, excavating for buildings and in the installment of sewers and drainage, the roots have been cut off, drained, and otherwise disturbed. And yet we see these grand old trees struggling for existence.

For these reasons we can feel assured that young trees of these varieties, properly grown in tree nurseries, where a

compact fibrous root system is developed which enables the young tree to withstand adverse conditions until it has obtained a good start, are well worth planting even in questionable localities.

What this movement needs is the hearty support and co-operation of every citizen. We ought to have an appropriation which will enable us to remove all the dead trees from our parkways and cut out all the dead wood from the unsightly ones. This accomplished, we shall be prepared to plant these trees whenever and wherever funds are available.

The Special Park Commission has printed for free distribution several pamphlets covering the points here outlined.

I know the school teachers of Chicago can be counted upon as strong allies in furthering this work. Wherever possible let a judicious word be spoken. The children should know that we have a city tree department, what its powers and limitations are, and what part it plays in the movement to make the city more beautiful.

City Forester, Chicago

J. H. PROST

Some of the Problems that Confront

Us as Educators

HE GRADED schools are in an evolutional stage. For

THE

the past few years, psychologists and persons interested

in child study have put forth great efforts to change the curriculum, much to the anxiety of many who looked upon them as faddists and feared for the ancient glory of the three R's.

Though experience has taught that the three R's are essentials and can not be neglected without weakening the whole foundation of education and thus sending the youth into life handicapped, yet the so-called fads have been necessary and have shown the awakening of the people of the twentieth century to the rights of the child. The effort to enlighten childhood has been one of the progressive movements of the time. Pasteur's discovery of the microbic origin of disease brought a flood of knowledge which swept the country, and made the study of hygiene essential. It has now reached out and embraced all these various fads through its ability to present them in a scientific manner.

The law requires that physiology and hygiene be taught in the public schools. One of the problems at present confronting the commissioners of education is how best to meet this demand of the people and give the subjects the expert attention their importance justifies.

A child has a right to knowledge of its body, and the functions of its organs, and such knowledge is easily acquired. It is simple for a child to comprehend, from a skeleton or an X-ray picture, the bony framework of a human body and the leverage of its muscles. In regard to digestion children would readily appreciate saliva turning red litmus paper blue. Although they might not understand its alkilinity they could be taught that candies and deleterious substances change the normal character of saliva and interfere with the process of digestion as well as affecting the health of the teeth by form