The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-21

traction to the leaves in the crown
and the branches for digestion and as
similation A leafless tree stands lit
tie chance of living. Trees denuded of
their leaves by caterpillars and other
mischievous things are deprived of
their stomachs and lungs at once.
Every leaf on tree is INCREASINGLY
industrious day and night Examine,
the linden leaf. or. in fact, any leaf
will do-the truth applies to all-and
notice how its surface is spread to
catch the sunshine. The under side
of the leaf has a different appearance.
The tissue IS tenderer and a network
of breathing pores. A section placed
under the objective of the microscope
reveals tiny cells filled with a green
ish liquid called chlorophyll, which
plays an important part in the domes-
tic economy of. the tree. When un-
digested food from the ground has
been carried to the leaves the chloro-
phyll seizes it, and under the influence
of sunlight changes it to nourishment.
The chlorophyll also breaks up the car
bon dioXide with which it comes into
contact. and liberating the oxygen
sends 1T out into the atmosphere
Dgested food materials are carried
from the leaves to all parts of the tree
and aid in it's growth. Leaves as the
lungs are necessary in the process of
breathing. Like animals the tree needs
oxygen and breathes much after the
manner of a human being. Not only
is the life giving air taken into the
lungs, or leaves. but it is inhaled
through tiny openings in the bark, Just
as man and animals transpire through
the skin. Those tiny breathing holes
are called lenticels, and may be seen
r0loiOIt- l,a no o.
other kinds of trees. As the tree
drinks water. it sweats and exhales
water vapor along with the oxygen
cast off from the carbon dioxide
Tons and tons of moisture is evapo-
rated from wooden areas. This is an
other beneficial act. Water vapor in
the atmosphere is essential to agricul-
ture. Trees transpre through cracks
and assures in the bark, where the len
ticles are hidden from sight This is
especially true in old trees. From time
to time scientists have computed tho
leaf area of trees and the results have
been astonishing. An ordinary linlcn
leaf has a surface of ten square inches
Multiply this by the number of leaves
on branch and calculate the LEAKAGE
area of the tree. This entire surface
is liberating oxygen and water Vapor
day and night.
In the arid sections of the West the
people are beginning to see that for
estry and irrigation are the factors
which will count for their prosperity
About 1000, 900 square miles, or more
than One-third of the United States.
is forest land. The destruction of for
ests has been so extavagant that the
government has taken the matter in
hand and decided on thirty eight reser-
vations where the forests will be I'M
der intelligent supervision There has
been some misunderstanding in regard
to these reserves. Although the in
tention is to preserve the forest and
encourage the growth of young trees
at the same time the land available
for settlement will be increased. AS
forests conserve the rainfall and infu-
ence the humidity of the atmosphere,
newly planted forests will wedge in be
tween farms on the reservations and
farms penetrating the clearing in old
forests. Sheep herders and settlers must
be taught intelligent forestry and tree
wisdom spread broadcast over the land
before the tree receives the reveren-
tial respect due to it,