The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-03-04
ut. Pierce Tribune)

more wholesome and happier dwell
ing place for those who come after us
if not for ourselves" So said Oliver
Wendell Holmes in his Breakfast
Table Talks
From bulletins issued by the State
Marketing Bureau we quote the fol
lowing.
"The merchantable trees of Florida
as catalogued, include 292 distinct
types, grouped in 81 botanical fami
lies, or more varieties than in any
other State. Trees supply fruits
nuts oils, sweets, dyes, drugs, chem,
icals, tar, pitch, rosin, turpentine
gum, and a countless list Of other
things. Ships, houses furniture are
built from trees. From trees we
make barrels and crates, wagons and
Dbuggies, spokes and handles, veneer
ing and butter plates, and a vast va
riety of household articles. All these
things are of vast economical value
to man.
The pine is the leading forest tree
of Florida. 1t is the declaration of
Dr. Fernow, the botanist, that the
pine family of trees lis the most i'm
portant order of forest trees in the
economy of man, having furnished
the bulk Of material of which civili-
cation is built
Sidney Lanier, in his book, Flor
ida, Its Scenery, Climate and His.
tory" says: "Those who hear the d.
wine music from stringed instruments
may not know that this is possible
only by the use of rosin, and rosin
comes from pine trees. Besides, the
pines contain celluline, lignin, starch,
turpentine, tar, zylol, prosphoric acid,
phosphate Of lime phosphate of mag
nesia, silicic acid, silicate of potash,
carbonate of potash, sulphate of pot.
ash, chloride of sodium, sulphate Of
soda, carbonate of lime, and carbon.
ate of magnesia.
Cypress, next to pine, is among
the valuable trees of Florida. It. is
of special use in barrels, tubs ard for
purposes where contact with water or
other liquids is necessary; also for
ties, shingles, doors, sash and blinds,
1t grow in wet pla' es, with roots
bumped up in masses known as
knees
"Trees have personality, each with
meaning, expression and character.
No two Of even the same variety, are
alike. The oaks may all look alike,
but the shape. brar CHING and leaf ar
rangements are different They
change with the seasons, anG. take ad-
vantage Of every scrap of sunlight,
air and rain, and struggle nobly to
live when denied these essentials of
life.
THE oak is one Of the important
trees of Florida. There are many
varieties: the live oak, attaining large
size, of value for building ships, and
is rrized for shade purposes; with
the white oak, water oak, post oak.
over cup oak, chestnut oak, scarlet
oak, black oak red oak, willow oak
and others all with varied uses.
Trees beautify the landscape; they
purify the air exhaling moisture to
help to maintain humidity they
break the force of the wind; they
shelter plants and animals which 9TH
erwise would become extinct; in trees
the birds build their nests and rear
their young; supply men and ami
mails with food and clothing; their
leaves provide fertilizer in the ground
Tor other growths. Like men in cities
and towns, the trees assemble in for. |
ests and groves; like cities, the trees
have their water and gas systems;
their friends and enemies. indeed
the uses of trees passeth understand,
ing,
In the North the oleander. jessa.
mine and Grape mrytle are kept in
tubs and grow as shrubs. but in Flor.
ida they become trees and blinm in
the open air with a riot of color and
beauty throughout the year. The
magnolia grandiflora is one of the
stately and beautiful trees Of Florida
II is the largest of American flower.
ing trees, with a large white fragrant
blossom The palm family of trees
abound in Florida as nowhere else in
America, the royal palm of the soulh.
ern part, while the palmetto or cab
bage palm has wide range. with tho
Washingtonian and other beautiful
varities.
The only camphor plantations in
the United States are found in Flor.
ida, and nowhere in the Republic are
there more varieties of towering
trees, shrubs, vines and hedges to
beautify home surroundings and make
the landscape thing of beauty and