Grow Your Own California Redwood

 

Today is National Arbor Day in the United States. National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April, but many states observe Arbor Day on different dates according to their best tree-planting times. Other countries that celebrate Arbor Day also do so on different dates.

The American Arbor Day originated in Nebraska in 1872. (Read about its history here). One of the traditional ways to celebrate Arbor Day is to plant a tree. This postcard is a "SEEDCARD" ©1966 with a packet of Genuine California Redwood Seeds. The card folds up for mailing. Inside the card there are planting instructions and information about redwoods.

Forest Conservation Stamp

The 4-cent Forest Conservation stamp was issued on October 27, 1958, in Tucson, Arizona, at the Annual Meeting of the American Forestry Association. The stamp features the major aspects of forest conservation, including new growth of young trees and harvesting of mature timber under scientific forest management; home and shelter for wildlife and birds; and protected watersheds. There is a first day of issue Smokey Bear cancellation on this maximum card.

The Forest Conservation stamp was designed by Rudolph Wendelin, who was a United States Forest Service employee and the best-known artist behind Smokey Bear. Smokey Bear is the mascot of the United States Forest Service created to educate the public about the dangers of forest fires. Wendelin also designed several other U. S. stamps: a Range Conservation stamp in 1961, a stamp honoring John Muir in 1964, a stamp honoring John Wesley Powell in 1969, and a Smokey Bear stamp in 1984.

The subject of the postcard used for this maximum card is "Tucson to Mt. Lemmon." This scene in the Santa Catalina Mountains shows a portion of the highway from windy point, 30 miles from the Desert to the tall pines at an elevation of 8000 feet.

This is a post for Sunday Stamps at Viridian's Postcard Blog

Beautification of America Stamp & Washington Cherry Blossoms

Above is a maximum card with the 5-cent Beautification of America commemorative postage stamp that was issued on October 5, 1966. This stamp was issued to publicize President Lyndon Johnson's "Plant for a more beautiful America" campaign.

Both the stamp and the postcard have a view of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. framed by blooming cherry trees. The Jefferson Memorial was dedicated on April 13, 1943 on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson.

This year is the 100th anniversary of Washington's Japanese cherry trees. The trees were a 1912 gift from Japan given in an effort to enhance the friendship between the United States and Japan. The 2012 National Cherry Blossom Festival is being celebrated from March 20 – April 27. The average peak bloom date is April 4. Due to warmer than usual weather this year, the peak bloom date is estimated to be March 20-23.

This is a post for Sunday Stamps at Viridian's Postcard Blog

Jay Cooke State Park, Minnesota

This postcard has a map of Jay Cooke State Park in northern Minnesota. Since this card is circa 1964, there probably have been some changes. The small pictures on the map show the Rivier Inn Shelter and Refectory, the Swinging Bridge, and the Oldenburg Point Overlook. The St. Louis River runs through the park.

The following information is from the back of the card:

Area 8,920.2 acres. Jay Cooke was established as a State Park in 1915 and it is the third largest state park in Minnesota. The terrain of the area is spectacular with rugged slopes from the shore of ancient Lake Duluth to the preseent river bed. The St. Louis River runs through a picturesque gorge of basaltic rock formations. The glacial drift which mantles portions of the rock is covered with mixed deciduous and coniferous plant life.

This is the time of the year for spectacular fall color. Here is the current Fall Color Report (September 29) from the DNR park website:

Where to go: With the warmer daytime temperatures, the trees are quickly turning color. There are lots of yellows in the basswoods, ashes and aspens, with more red or orange appearing throughout the park. This week-end should be great for fall color viewing.

What you'll see: Stop at the Swinging Bridge for some close-up views of the rapids. And take the short walk out to Oldenburg Point to see a panoramic view of the river valley.

If you can't get there in person, you can enjoy a 2010 fall drive through Jay Cooke State Park in this video.

California Drive-Thru Trees

Tunnel trees have been popular tourist attractions in California for more than a century and have been pictured on numerous postcards. I started with a postcard of the Pioneer's Cabin tree in Big Tree Grove, Calaveras County, California and then went on to explore other California drive-thru trees.

The Pioneer's Cabin postcard was mailed in 1923 and has a R.P.O. (Railway Post Office) cancellation. It was sent to Eva Anfinson in Valley City, North Dakota with the following message:

Lodi Calif July 25
We spent Sunday at the Big Trees. Drove 84 miles on Sat and camped out all night. We are having a wonderful trip. Leave tomorrow a.m. for Sacramento. Will reach Medford Ore on Sat. I am sitting on the porch. The porch is shaded by two magnolia trees. There are still some blossoms on them.
Mrs Walker

The Pioneer's Cabin is a 32' diameter tree. A tunnel was carved in it in the 1880s to compete with the Wawona tree in Yosemite National Park. Both the Pioneer's Cabin and Wawona trees were sequoias. The Wawona tree (shown in the next postcard) was tunneled in 1880-81. It was 234' tall and 27.5' in diameter at the base. The Wawona tree fell down in 1969. The Pioneer's Cabin tree is still standing, but it is in poor condition, and it is no longer possible to drive through it.

The Coolidge Tree was named after President Coolidge's father. It was 305' high and had a circumference of 58' . The Coolidge Tree was tunneled between 1910 and 1915. The Coolidge tree was cut down in 1938 when it appeared ready to topple.

The next postcard has a view of the Chandelier Tree attached to a piece of redwood. Information about redwood is printed on the wooden back. This card was sent in the 1960s by a tourist who added this note: "This is where we were today. We saw the Pacific Ocean too."

The Chandelier Tree is 315' tall and 21' in diameter. It was tunneled in the late 1930s to replace the nearby Coolidge tree when that tree was cut down. The opening is 6' (1.83 m) wide by 6'9"(2.06 m) high. The Chandelier Tree was named for its shape which resembles a candelabra or inverted chandelier. Large branches, beginning about a hundred feet up, are balanced on the sides of the trunk. The Chandelier Tree is one of the two old redwood tunnel trees that it is still possible to drive through. It is in Drive-Thru Tree (Underwood) Park.

The Shrine Tree is the other old tunnel tree that still can be driven through. The Shrine Tree is 275' tall and 21' in diameter. The car in the old postcard below has a 1935 New York license plate.

The video below shows a recent drive-thru of the Shrine Tree.

Visit Sepia Saturday for More Vintage Photos

The Prayer of the Woods Sign

According to the description on the back of this postcard, this Prayer of the Woods sign dedicated to our forests was (is?) located in Silver Gate, Montana at the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

The author of this prayer is unknown, but it is "from the Portuguese." The words on this sign appear to have an error. It probably should say "timber that builds your boat," not "timber that holds your boat."

THE PRAYER OF THE WOODS

I am the heat of your hearth on the cold winter nights, the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun, and my fruits are refreshing draughts quenching your thirst as you journey on.
I am the beam that holds your house, the board of your table, the bed on which you lie, and the timber that builds your boat.
I am the handle of your hoe, the door of your homestead, the wood of your cradle, and the shell of your coffin.
I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty. Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer: Harm me not.

I'm participating in Signs, Signs

Sequoia National Park Entrance Sign

Sequoia National Park is located in the southern Sierra Nevada in California. It was established in 1890 and is famous for its giant sequoia trees. The park's General Sherman tree is the largest tree on Earth.

The Ash Mountain Entrance Sign pictured on this vintage postcard was constructed in 1935 by Civilian Conservation Corps craftsmen. It features a Native American face carved from blocks of sequoia wood.

I'm participating in Signs, Signs

PFF - Cherry Blossom Time

The cherry trees in Washington, D.C. were a friendship gift from Japan. Japan gave the city of Washington 3,000 cherry trees in 1912. The U.S. reciprocated with a gift of flowering dogwood trees given to Japan in 1915. Additional cherry trees were given to the U.S. in 1965.

The cherry trees grow in several locations: around the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park, in East Potomac Park (Hains Point), and on the Washington Monument grounds. The cherry trees flower in the spring and are a popular tourist attraction. This year the blooming period was March 27 - April 5. The 2010 dates of the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival are March 27 - April 11.

This postcard shows the cherry trees in bloom. A Japanese lantern used in cherry blossom ceremonies is in the foreground, and the Washington Monument is in the background. Similar cartoon "tourists" also appeared on postcard views from other areas of the United States.

Postcard Scavenger Hunt #2 – Spring

This is my monthly Postcard Scavenger Hunt for April. If you are interested in participating, please read about how it works on my Announcing the Postcard Scavenger Hunt posting.

NOTE: You don't have to post today. The deadline is really at the end of the month so there is plenty of time to post. You also can put the permalink to an older post on the theme into Mister Linky.

The theme for this month is SPRING. Spring-themed postcards are often found among Easter cards, but they can also be found among advertising and local views. Here are some from my postcard collection to inspire you.

An old Easter postcard, published by Bergman, with a simple elegant design influenced by Japanese and Arts and Crafts styles.

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"The Jefferson Memorial appears in its most beautiful setting usually early in April, when the Cherry trees are in bloom. Thousands of visitors come to see the annual Cherry Blossom Festival."

The National Cherry Blossom Festival^® is held in Washington, D.C. to coincide with the blooming of the cherry trees. The event celebrates the 1912 gift of cherry trees given to the city by Japan as a symbol of friendship between the citizens of Japan and the United States.

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"Springtime is 'Blossom Time' in southwestern Michigan. Routes to view the blossoms are plainly marked directing visitors through beautiful orchards and hillsides that are colorful with bloom." (Photo by John Penrod).

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An advertising postcard for Spring Rain fragrance described as "a highly feminine and romantic medley of spring garden flower fragrances." © 1983 Scarborough& Company. The illistration is "Childhood, the Season of Joy" by Currier & Ives.

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A Pabst Beer advertising card for spring break 1982. Pabst Brewing Company was a famous Milwaukee brewery founded in 1844, but the company no longer owns any breweries. The company is a "virtual brewery" that owns brand names and markets many brands that are actually brewed by other breweries.

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