The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-04-17
TREES LIKE PEOPLE.

people, by far the majority Of trees
are good. Trees have human or
near human qualities and character
istics. The brotherhood 81 the race
applies to trees. for there Il between
these forest dcnizens q community Of
feeling and interest which Il well
worth studying. Clifford Pinchot, oi-
fetal forester for the United States,
who holds that post because he loves
trees, has made lifelong study Of his
fayorite topic. and he declares that
trees live In communities just like
men and are helped or hindered, de.
velopcd or retarded, by each other
just nv In the case Of human beings.
IA forest Is big tree community, a
sort Of vegetable democracy. Every
individual tree has It's own struggle
for life, Yet they help each other in
various ways, Mr. pinchot says In
one Of his reports 10 the department
OF agriculture. called "A Primer OF
Forestry" as published from the gov
ernment printing Office;
",rhe history Of the life Of forest
Is story Of the help and harm which
the trees receive from one another.
On the other side each tree Is con
stantIy working with all its neigh
bors for light, water and food, the
three things trees need most On the
other side each tree Is constantly
working with all Ia ncighbors, even
those which stand AZ some distance,
10 bring about the best condition OF
the soil and air for the growth and
fighting power OF every other tree"
In other words. each tree Is, in q
sense, its brothers keeper.
"T'he life OF community Of trees
Is an exceedingly interesting one
continues Forester Pihchot "A for
est tree Is In many ways as much de-
pendent upon lis neighbors for safety
and food as are the inhabitants OF
town upon one another The differ
enee is that in town each citizen
has d special calling or occupation ~
which he works for the service oI
the commonwealth, while in the for
est every tree contributes to the
general welfare in nearly all the ways
in which Il Is benefited BY the com
munity,
"A forest tree helps TO protect IL
neighbors against the wind, which
might overthrow them, and the sun
which is ready TO dry up the sol
about their roots or TO make SUI
cracks in their roots by shining too
hotly upon il. II enriches the eartl
in which they stand by the fall Of u
leaves and twigs and aids in kecpini
the air about their crowns and TIL
soil about their roots cooler in sum
mer and warmer in winter than
would be Il each tree stood alone
= With the others II forms a common
canopy under which the seedlings o
all the members Of this protectiv
union are sheltered in carly yout
and through which the benchccnt in
luence OF the forest is preserved an
extended far beyond the spread OF tn
trees themselves
But while this fruitful co-oper'
ton exists, there Is also present, jus
as in a village or city a yigorou
strife for the good things Of life, Fo
tree the best OF these and often N
hardest to get arc water for the root
and space and light for the crow
Light and space are Of such impor
ance because the leaves cannot ASSN
late or digest food except IN the pre-
.ence OF light and air. The rate
which tree can grow and make ne
wood is decided chiefly by its abili'
70 assimilate and digest plant food. :,
"The story of the life Of q fore
crop is then largely an account OF y
competition of the trees for light an
room, and although the very strengi
which enables them to carry on Il
fight Is d result Of their association
still the deadly struggle, in whic
the victims are many times more
number than those which survive,
apt alone to absorb the attention X
the mutual help Of the trees TO eac
other is always going quietly on "a
cry tree continually comforts and a
sists the other trees, which are
friendly enemies
A part OF the business OF forestl
is to help treesto help each other ar
to hinder them from hindering eat
other. Scientific forestry stands as