The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-11-20
FEM ON FOREST FIRES
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.
iNFLAMMABLE SUBSTANCE ON
FOREST TREES IN MON
TANA AND IDAHO.

pondent of the Anaconda Standard
forestry officials during the fire haz.
ard season just closed have made
several discoveries which will prove
undoubtedly, of inestimable worth
should forest CONGREGATIONS become
One OF these, and possibly the most
interesting, is the demonstrated fact
that 'lookouts" in airplanes are far
more dependable and efficacious than
those stationed on mountain tops. An
other is that the farther civilization
travels into the woods the greater be-
comes the fire risk. But from a
scientific standpoint, the most import
ant is discovery of the reason conf
erous trees are so intensely combust-
ible in dry weather.
Quick Combustion Explained.
Major Frank A. Fem, assistant
forester with headquarters at Mis-
soula, gives an interesting explana-
ton of the cause of the rapid spread
ing Of fires in the forests Of this To-
cality, and further study may result
in devising means of prevention. Ma
jor Fem is a pioneer of Idaho and is
we'll known in all parts of the state.
The following discussion shows that
he has given close attention to his
subject, and his observations may
nrnya Of orraat 1ro11n in dnalin with
this great n to one of the most
important sourc of the west:
MANY plants in the arid and semi
arid regions have thick leaves, often
covered with a gummy substance,
which closes the pores in the leaves
and thereby prevents the escape of
water through the process of tran
SEPARATION. This is a provision of ma
ture to conserve the limited amount
of moisture available in such locali-
ties and thereby make plant life pos
sible in places where otherwise it
could not be supported. In the prac-
tically desert portions of Arizona and
New Mexico the larger cacti when cut
into are found to contain very con-
siderable quantities of almost pure
water. A knowledge that the cactus
thus stores moisture to preserve it's
own life has saved many a furnishing
from death.
SEVEN in regions where ordinarily
there is ample precipitation to main
luxuriant plant growth nature
applies the same moisture conserving
principle in times of unusual drouth.
Normally trees take UP from the sub
surface strata of the earth by means
of their roots great quantities of
water which Is given off into the air
their leaves in the process
of Transportation.
Experiments have shown that sew
eral tons of water are thus transpir-
from the trees of a single acre OF
fairly dense timber in n day dur
ing normal times. Where soil mois-
ture is plentiful, Transportation be-
especially active in hot wea-
Their. With the broad -leaved trees,
because of their relatively large leaf
surface, the evidence of transpiratory
activity at such times is especially
noticeable. During the day time
the temperature is high the
moisture t%ranspired through the
is taken up by the heated air,
90 nioSbt pryhap tho nfr 10 nOn1pr
this moisture collects on the surface
Of the leaves, often in such quantities
as to drip from the leaves to the
1t frequently has occurred
that owners of broad leafed orna-
trees, cottonwoods and balm
particularly, have thought their
trees diseased and become alarmed
when in hot weather their pets wept
so copiously during the night and
early morning as to form on the pave
wet spots which as the day ad-
RANGED dried off, leaving a dark or
blacklist patch behind them. AS a
of fast such weeping Is the
very best evidence that the trees are
and functioning properly.
Now, the blacklist patch on the
paw ement is a residue of gummy,
sugary matter that has been held in
suspension by the water t~ranspired
md when the water evaporated, re-
NAMED. Almost every one has not
Iced the sickness which character
ICES the leaves of the balm of Gileads
the summer time and which Is
caused by the evaporation from the
of the leaves of transpired
that has not accumulated in
sufficient amount to form drops and
falls to the ground. The sticky sub
stance is the same as that which In
a dry state remains on the ground or
pavement after a tree has INDUCED
in a spell of weeping.
"sThis natural moisture conserving
process Is in operation in the conf
forests of this region as well
as elsewhere whenever there Is a
shortage of water in the soil and it
is very pronounced when drouth con-
ditions are long continued. The years
1917, 1918 and 1919 afford an excell-
emit illustration of such conditions,
three years with precipitation far be-
low the average, but with mean tenn
perature abnormally high. . The enor-