Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-23
C0MPA ARES TREE
TO HUMAN LIFE
Z. E. Parsonage Gives Interest
ing Talk Before Bluff
Club Members.
OFFICERS ARE ELECTED
Annual Business Transacted and
Charles J. Seymour Named Pres
ident for Ensuing Year.

That there is a distinct relationship
in methods and circumstances of
growth and development between a
tree and human life. was a point
made clearly by +. Z. Parsonage. gen
eral manager of the John Deere
Wagon company, who last evening. at
the final session of the year. addressed
the Bluff Mems club on The Romance
of a Tree. In his interesting discus
sion Mr.. Parsonage. who is an ex-
pert on forestry topics. considered
each tree as an individual and each
forest as a community, in which the
sum of individuals is constantly striy-
ing to perpetuate existence and TO
forge ahead to the utmost, material
".
The struggle of Tree for exist
ence." said Mr.. Parsonage. lis con-
tinuous and is one OF definite pur-
poses. just as much so as in the
case OF the individual All trees vie
with one another, under one cOndi-
ton and another. for the three most
essential contributing agencies for
their welfare-light, water and air.
Every tree which has reached matur-
ity represents the survival OF about
one in 1000. Such a tree would be
recognized as what is known as
dominant tree. one that had out
stripped its fellows in the struggle TO
secure the necessary nourishment. Diff
ferent species are adopted to different
methods in deriving this nourishment.
The spruce and the hemlock. for in
stance. spread their roots out fat.
while other species send down taper
ing roots that pursue other ramifca-
tons"
Reads History Of Tree.
Mr.. Parsonage presented several 1
close technical comparison of different 4
forest species. giving facts regarding /
the system OF tree growth. etc, that /
were a revelation to the audience. The 1
speaker had with him a number of 4
samples OF finished and rough timber 4
in each of which, with a skillful eye, !
he was able TO read the life history of |
the tree from which II was cut. One /
exhibit of special interest was the J
horizontal cross section of an old oak I
that was cut from what in the old days
of Moline was known as Davenport's
pasture This section was heart shap-
ed and from the concentric rings radi-
ating from the center Mr.. Parsonage
revealed its story, much after the man.
ner of paImist who reads the lines in
a human hand.
The evidence. as read by the ex-I
pert. showed the tree was set out in h
1886, as shown by the annual rings.
and in the rs years OF it's life it had
Far overtopped its neighbors. II
threw of its lower limb in 1851. The
Years from 1868 to 1872 were lean
Tears for the tree, and it exhibited
Tery little advance. With the eXcep-
ion OF three years, from 1884 TO the
line last year when il was cut, this
rec had a wonderful growth and eX-
1erience. The three of years were
rom 1891 TO 1893. which Mr.. Parson.
lge believed might have been very
Try years. The period of its growth
Ifter 1884 was Influenced largely by a
he clearing of the pasture. There :
5 evidence that much of the under :
rush and smaller trees were cut away I
bout that time.
Seymour New President f
The session last evening was the C
nnual meeting OF the Bluff Mems o