Daily Republican., 1885-05-25
SOME FACTS ABOUT rRUgS.

White pines and yellow pines, pitch
pines and sugar pines, two or three
varieties Of spruce trees, and half q
dozen species Of cedars we're mentioned
by Prof. Bickmore in lecture to pub.
lie school teachers on Evergreen"
The lecture was the first Of course on
the vegetable kingdom. Vegetables,
said Prof. Bickmore, are classified into
those with and those without flowers,
and these classes are subdivided into
those which plant covered seed and
those which plant it uncovered. Ever
green's belong to the second subdivi-
sion of the latter class. A large map
of the world covered with big, black
blotches was exhibited to the teachers.
The blotches represented the quarters
where evergreens grew, and they were
found every where except in the extreme
A rtic regions. The United States in
the map had clear stretch of country
running north and south through the
center, which the Professor said was the
prairie region. 1t divides our forestry
into the. Atlantic and Pacific division.
There Is nothing in the soil of the prairie
to prevent the growth Of trees, and
the only thing that keeps them away is
the prairie fires. The active work of
growth In tree Ia carried on between
the bark and the trunk proper.
The manner in which the rings that
are seen on q smooth cut stump are
formed was explained. Under micro
scope 1t Is seen that common piece of
wood contains number of minute
cells. In tree these microscopic cells
appear in circles each year about the
section Of the trunk that is new growth.
They decrease in size as tie season adj
vance., which Of course Affects the
density of the wood and shades its color
from light to dark. The light growth
at the opening of the following year Is
Joined to the dark edge, giving the sp-
pearance of a ring.
The great value of the pine tree WAS
mentioned and enlarged upon. Not
only is 1t used AZ lumber, but from II
are extracted tar, pitch. and turpentine.
The sap is made to flow by cutting a
niche in the tree foot above the ground,
and another about a foot further up.
The block between the two cuts is then
Clipped out, and the sap flows. The
operation Is called boxing tree.
The sap first drawn il the purest, and Is
of light yellow color. 1t grows darker
each year until the tree loses it's vitality
and is cut down. Tar is made from the
sap which is heated out Of logs that are
being burned to charcoal. In the lum-
Der districts an area of trees to be cut
down is set apart each Winter by every
party Of cutters, and near its center is
laid out camp, where cooking, eating,
and sleeping may be INDUCED in.
The trees, when cut down and
trimmed into logs, are drawn on the
ice, and when it melts they are toated
TO the mills in raft. In cases where the
water is not sufficient in depth or vol
ume to float raft, dams are made by
the lum Dermen to raise IT., and this, the
Professor said, caused much Of the de-
struction of trees which has recently
been made the subject of legislation
The damming of the water washes the
earth from the roots of trees along the
banks, and when the water goes down
with the dam the tree is certain of de
struction, If, indeed, it has not NeeI
ruined before. The pine tree is an article
Of export in this country.