The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-10-30
A TALK ABOUT TREES.
No. 4.

branches Adam frSt walked and talked
with God, and held communion with
Him concerning the mysteries of His
surroundings. You read of the apple
tree as being the first tree, and "the
tree of knowledge in the midst of the
garden" over-shadowng all others.
The agricultural productions of the first
garden have continued progressively
through all those imaginary years.
The apple-tree fourished and the fruit
thereof became father to many sins.
The tree of knowledge is by some sup
posed to be the oak, because of it's great
utility. Next to the oak may be classed
the cedar, the timber of which became
the substance from which the ancients
built their ships and vessels, Cedar
treesp assessed more than common in
terest for the Greeks and Egyptians.
The Hebrew kings made use of cedar
timbers for all their great temples and
palaces, and many of their war vessels
We're composed of cedar, as the water
has little effect upon it, and the storms
and winds could not prevail against
those strong ships of Israel, whose
foundations were brought from Leban-
on.
So we might go on giving historical
facts concerning the trees, and their
uses from the first age to the present.
But we should find that nature has
made but few changes in her laws con-
nected with vegetation since the days
of Eden. Progression may have been
eternally moving onward for humanity,
and vegetation has controlled or had to
do with all that was and is. The for
ests of the north differ from the luxuri-
Gus growth of the tropics, yet all are
according to the needs of animal and
human life.
When or where men began to study
the chemical action between the sub
stances of the earth and atmosphere Is
not known. 1.-THE Wise Men of the
East" or the philosophers and alchem-
lists of Egyptian and Persian mysteries,
or the Greek and Roman astronomers,
may have discovered the nature of
trees. and their connection with earth
and air. 1t is now no longer a problem
how the giants of the forests attained
their noble and perfect development.
Many Of them standing as sentinels be-
are still beautiful monuments of crea-
tive skill. Arts, science and mechani-
cal progress depend upon substances
furnished by the trees. Humanity
would become a weak and sickly por-
y ton of physical life but for the trees
and, forests and the good derived from
them.
They are from every point of view
among the most valuable of natures
productions, and men should guard
! with better care the forests and or
chards connected with their homes.
The trees of homestead require as
much care as the soil from which the
farmer gathers his grass and grain
And America Of all nations should
guard her forests and see that the
woodman's axe does not cut the heart
from our national prosperity.
Whenever forests are felled others
should be allowed to grow, and no man
should cut his trees for the sake of en-
larging his hay fields as long as there
are countless acres lying exhausted and
barren for want of care and fertilizing
substances. The work of devastation
Of the forests commenced as long ago
as when the white men opened the war
fare with the native-born sons of the
forests, who We're Inhabitants of, this
continent long before the great naviga-
tor discovered this land and claimed it
as the price of Spain's crown jewels.
The ships Of the nation, and cities and
villages, with churches temples and
monuments of architectural beauty,
have been furnished by the grand old
forests, and while their timbers built up
a fIourishing nation, opened the high
ways of commerce across vast oceans
and furnished the cars which span the
globe, their limbs and minor portions
become ashes, and through their aka
line substances, enrich the soil and aid
in the production of other forms of veg
citation, other ana smaller varieties of
trees and running vines, each bearing
fruit for the comfort and vital growth
Of animal or human life. But the
changes wrought by the hands Of art,
science and mechanical industries seem
according to Divine law Yet we grieve
to see the destruction of the old senti-
nels, the removal of the ancient land
marks. and the utter destruction of the
happy and peaceful jewellers of the
woods and forests.
Progress has brought death to the
forests Many believe that the lost
tribes of Israel found shelter on the
American continent by way Of Behring
Straits, and made themselves perma-
nent homes in the forests of new
world. Centuries passed onward.
Thousands of years may have scat
tered forest leaves over the graves of
the first settlers, till even their history
became Evolutionary to their simple
hearted yet fearless descendants.
The Rocky mountains, and those OF
New Hampshire and Vermont, and all
the lofty ranges that span the northern
portion of the continent-if these gran
lite submits could speak and tell the
story of the animal and human life
witnessed by them in their steadfast
sleepless watchfulness, historians
would lift their hands in wonder.
If men would consider that the for
ests are estates held in trust for COM
ing races of people (their own descend
ants) they would plant fifty naples in
stead Of cutting down Dozen and
leaving their stumps to disfgure the
ground for years. The coming genera
tions will be better educated in all that
appertains to agricultural chemistry
and consider it as a sin to destroy a
beautiful tree, and that feeling may be
something like that of the ancient Dru-