The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-04-17

gard them as of little use. If not
actual enemies. A little study will
reveal some of the things that trees
do. Animals grow and become larger.
This is due to the food they eat.
Trees also grow, but they use differ
ent food, and take it In quite a diff
ferent way. They live upon mineral
matter-that is, air, water and soil,
which they change into their own
substance. BY gradual addition of new
material. trees becon larger and
larger each year. for growth is simply
the increase of living thing in size
and substance.
Trees help to keep the air pure for
man and the lower animals. How do
they do this? The element of the air
that makes it fit for breathing is gas
called oxygen. About one-fifth of the
volume Of the air is oxygen, and at
every breath animals cake in some of
this oxygen and change it into carbonic
acid gas. In other words, the oxygen
Is breathed in. combines with the car
bon In the blood and this makes car
boAAS 6oob "hlSh 40 VI CdLuOu OuI tuIO
the air in place of the oxygen taken In.
There is small amount of carbonic
acid gas In the air everywhere, and at
all times; the usual amount is about
one part In every $500 parts OF air.
This carbonic acid Is unfit for the
breathing of animals, and wherever it
Increases in the air, even to a slight
extent above the usual amount found,
animals cannot live. Trees and other
plants prevent the carbonic acid from
accommodating In dangerous quantities
In ordinary air. They do this by alb
sorbing this gas through their leaves.
It is their principal food. 1t makes
trees grow, for little more than one
half of the trunks and branches of
every tree Is carbon. and this all comes
from the carbonic acid from the air.
Trees supply large part of all the
fuel In the world. The real wood of
trees Is Of little or no use as a food,
but 1t does largely serve to cook food
and serve as a protection against cold
Even the coal dug from the earth, as
well as the coal and gas now so gen.
orally used for fuel, come from the
vegetable matter and are largely the
remains Of trees In forests that -four
ished before man existed on earth.
Trees give US wood. and wood fur
nishes building material, furniture,
implements, utensils, tools and other
useful things in great variety. Wood
Is one of the necessities of life. We
are rocked in cradles ilade Of wood;
when we sit down. 1t Is in chairs or
benches of wood; every day we eat
from wooden tables; the papers and
books that we read and study are
printed on paper made from wood;
whenever we ride out 1t is in a wagon,
carriage or car made largely of wood
More than one-half Of the houses in
the world are built of wood and the
other half use wood for doors, floors
and other interior parts; nearly all
barns are made of wood. We ship our
fruits, vegetables and many other
products In baskets, barrels and crates
made Of wood; we pack our butter
and pork. and buy our nails and salt In
firkins. kegs or barrels made of wood.
Wood is Indispensable to our comfort,
convenience and happiness.
Trees furnish one of the most strik.
Ing and permanent forms Of beauty
What stately grace, what fine proper
tions. what variety of expression. and
what unconscious dignity may be seen
in well-developed tree. How they
beautify and glorify every landscape
Trees improve the climate and con-
serve soil and water. Although the In
huence Of trees and forests on climate
Ia not definitely known. the effect of
a. ak TOO :eek!ass destruction Is be-
ginning to be felt Springs and streams
are failing that never failed before:
soil droughts are more severe and pro-
tractcd. Untimely frosts are more
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