The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1905-07-27
The Work Of the Leaves
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found that every leaf gives of water
TO the air in such quantity that
taking all the leaves of single tree
many barrels are given of each year.
If you will think OF the number Of
trees on an acre OF land, you will
see that the amount of water which
small tract of timber gives of is
something very great.
There are two questions of great
interest and value that should be
asked Of children who have been led
10 think OF aud observe the work Of
the leaf thus far. One Of these is,
OF what use is this power of giving
of water to the plantY and the other
is, OF what use is this power TO men
To get at the first one of these
questions, ask the children If rain
water tastes like spring water, and
il all spring water tastes alike
They will know by experience that
rain water tastes different, and that
some spring water is hard" some
sulphur, etc. Tell them that as the
water makes its way through the
ground il picks up little parts of the
soil so small that they cannot be
seen which stay with il until il is
changed into vapor.
Their fathers put manure and
fertilizer in the land TO make crops
grow. This is dissolved just as
sugar is dissolved when one puts it
into coffee, and when the roots suck
up the water they get the manure
or fertilizer, too. This runs up
the roots and stem and out into the
leaves. Some OF il stops and is
made into wood as il goes up, and
part goes 20 the leaves, but there it
can 60 no further, for the water flies
away as yapor, aud it cannot go
along. Thus many gallons Of water
are taken up by the roots Of a tree
each day, aud the food thai is in
it strained out just as one would
strain the sticks and dirt out Of a
bucket Of water by pouring it
through a -four sack.
This. they will see, is one way in
which the leaves are OF use 10 a tree.
They will learn some day that they
have another way Of being very
useful, too. Now let us see If all
this work that the leaf does is selfish.
But now where does the water
come from which the trees in the
woods give Off IL you were TO
follow the tap root Of large hickory
or oak tree you would find that il
runs down FIVE, ten, even fifteen feet
amongst the clay and rock From
down there, where there is always a
plentiful supply. il draws the water
natures pump which makes its
own we'll and does its own pumping.
In this way, one acre OF beech
timber will give of TO the air 1920
gallons OF water each month during
the summer This falls back as rain
and gives water TO the surface Of the
ground and allows all Of the small
crops, like corn whose roots only 60
down few inches into the soil, to
grow and make food for us.
In this way impress upon the
children that the trees are our
friends more than in giving us wood
10 burn and lumber to use when they
are cut down. They bring the water
from deep below the surface, and in
this way keep our fields from drying
up during summer, and our whole
country from becoming desert in
which we could not live.
Ask the children to find out from
their parents il creeks and springs
dry up worse now than when they
were children. You will find that
they do. BY questioning lead them
TO see that il is because the water
gets deep down in the ground and
there is no way to get it out.
Apply this also TO the retaining
of desert regions by planting trees.
In some parts of Nebraska and Kan
sas the climate has been almost
wholly changed in generation by
tree planting.
End this talk by having the pupils
suggest ways in which they can be
friends TO the trees in return for
their friendship.
If you want to add interest and
give some arithmetic, have the boys
find how much water they can pump
or draw from the well in minute
and then calculate how many boys
working ten hours per day it would
take to bring as much water from
the ground in month as an acre of
forest does, and how much it would
cost at 90 per cents per day for each
boy.
Miss Moxie Ponder began teach