Petersham High School - Hilltop Yearbook (Petersham, MA)

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'r me 'ro P i'?1.. i i where there is no gas heating, wood is used for fuel. In fact, many people own their own woodlots. Many foods, such as oranges, nuts, apples, and peaches, are products of the trees and are essential to one's diet. By boiling the sap from the maple, a common tree of New England, syrup and sugar are made. Other important products of the tree are cloth and paper, which are made from wood pulp. Because many of our books, magazines, and newspapers are made from paper, we owe much of our knowledge and enjoyment to the trees. A few years ago the trees in the Mississippi Valley were cut down. This year there occurred one of the greatest floods in history. Whole towns were destroyed, and people were killodg there was a damage of millions of dollars. If there had been trees planted to replace those cut down, the flood could have been prevented to some degree, be- cause the roots would have absorbed the moisture from the earth. The artist, poet, or musician gets many of his inspirations from trees. One of the most simple, yet beautiful, poems, nTreesH, was written by Joyce Kilmer and was later set to music. Even to the common man, going.about his work each day, trees have furnished joy and inspiration as well as the necessities of daily living. Ruth Wildes, 'sv ARBOR DAY Q Petersham has been called by many prominen 5 people the most beautiful town in Massachusetts ' Its spacious common with its tall elms, rollin green woodlands, white pillared houses, and nified churches make this statement true. if our homes were not beautif ' ' with trees and shrubbery, we did not have within our 'l'af' is xv U 55 F I 'u iii v Kg, , n, 35 F1 1. . ' m -X. wif,- - Q. A .., ,-: : :ph s ' 'I' .fl ,7 ,,.a .... . ,.. El ' v 'M-.' .U 1 - Y--1 ' :-f W. Ax . .46 ., gb ANL . ,, L. ,- I . '5I.',. 4 z. - . 4 -'1,':. Q 3 - ff' V X N as Q ef I 1 1,1 ,I W. ft., .Pi 9 g. 1 .1 fo 4 1 N .fx J 1 1 jf W 5. .' . ylpn., K... I fjafgd, , . ,. aw!

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THE HILLTOP . , . . .......--,......1---.-......... .....-.-.... H...-..........1. ...-... -..i-................ .-.............. -..-.... ... ... -- .. boundaries the extensive Harvard Forest and other spreading woodlots, would our town be called the most beautiful town in Vassachusetts? No, it would notl Away back in the nineteenth century in a small F town in Arkansas, a young man by the name of J. 1 Sterling Morton saw clearly that communities, cities, and states could be made more beautiful if people ' would only become tree conscious. So he conceived 1. the idea that one day a year should be set aside we fl 4 . for planting trees, and gradually people would take egg great pride in their beautiful communities. Thus ef Arbor Day was established. On April 22, 1872, one Hy? f million trees were planted. Since then many states , have declared this date a legal holiday and have Aj observed it by planting trees. Schools usually ii? have appropriate exercises with recitations and 'K' songs, and plant trees and shrubbery around the tg school grounds. 132116 first tree society to be formed after the :gag establishment of Arbor Day was the Federal Forest .'gg Nursery in l902. The members desired to improve the beauty of all states and to show the country ' 32 the need of trees for shelter, food, and protection. 'QQ Tree-planting associations have been organized all rgqg over the country for people who love nature and .A fit enjoy beautiful surroundings. Children have ea- lgyg gerly joined these societies and have been as en- ,Fha thusiastic as their parents over the results of th' Q 553' work. C gfkii ' ?'QQ 'Jhen next April 22 comes along, renew your ff X pride in your towns trees, and think of J. Ster- 1Qag5 ling Morton, who conceived the idea .of Arbor Day X439 as one means of beautifying your community. JFKJS, Q Elsie H. Buell, v8.3 fsQ,2 ,Q I T H W. 1 I'