The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-06-09
ESSAY CONTEST

In the essay contest on the subject
of fire protection of the National
Forests recently conducted by Prof.
H. j. Job and Ranger A. L. Mills,
George Songer won first prize and
Peter Gardner won second prize.
The essays follow:
No. 1. By George Songer.
The Forest
Trees are our best friends and are
the most highly organized portion of
the vegetable world. The parts of a
tree are, roots, stem, and crown, the
latter being the most important part,
for the processes in the reproduction
of the tree and the digestion of its
food takes place in the crown.
The trees food is derived from the
soil and air.
Trees take in oxygen from the air
through their leaves and openings in
the bark called lenticels. More
carbonic acid gas is taken in the tree
than is given off, the surplus remains
to be used in growing.
The cambium is a thin coating un-
der the bark of tree, each year the
layer forms ring; thus we can tell
the age of a tree. The layer has
nothing to do with the height of a
tree, but the thickness, the height of
a tree is due to kind of stretch
ing.
A tree is a perennial plant found
in all climates except the coolest;
the greatest number in the tropics.
Moisture, light and warmth are nec-
essary requirements of tree. The
place where a tree grows has a great
influence on its rate of growth; thus
E. trees rate of growth cannot be
accurately told.
Trees bear many seeds, but even a
great abundance of sound seed does
Trees that have not reached a
height of three feet are seedlings,
three to ten feet are saplings, ten
feet in height until they reach a
diameter of four inches are large
saplings, one to two feet in diameter
are standards, and all trees over two
feet are veterans.
When trees are growing they fight
each other, each tree trying to crowd
out the other and so on until the
fight is won by the mightiest, and
this tree or number Of trees grows
much faster because they can get
more light; thus trees fight each
other.
When a number of trees are to-
gether and strong wind comes up
it is seldom that one is blown down,
but when one tree is alone it is very
apt to be blown down; thus trees
protect each. other.
Natural pruning goes on during a
trees life with great vigor
Enemies of a forest are false
growth, insects, lightning and fire,
the latter being the most dangerous.
Never build large fires, and when
you leave your campfire be sure it is
out. Be careful about matches when
you are in forest.
Speed is the most important thing
when there is a fire, do not get ex-
cited, do all that you can, you will
be paid for your services. Telephones
are the most important and common
signals used to warn men of fires,
and to get help to fight fires; other
signals are fire and smoke signals.
Most of the necessary fire extin-
gushing tools are kept in tool boxes,
there are many different kinds of
fire extinguishing implements, they
are used at large fires.
There are three kinds of fire, sur
face, ground and crown, the latter
being the most fierce.
Don't waste any energy, make every
move count.
Don't whip the fire straight down,
but whip toward the fire.
Don't throw water into the flames,
but where the flames are coming
from.
Don't throw or pour water or dirt,
but sprinkle them.
! For ground fires dig trench down
to the mineral soil around the fire.
For extinguishing ground fires, fire
line roads, railroads and rivers are
often useful for fire lines. The wind
often stops crown fires, but more
oftener spreads fires; thus we rave
to watch for spot fires.
Back firing is way to stop fires.
but it should not be used only by
experienced men because back firing