The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-01-31
Pagan Gods First
Real Conservators
BotaniSts Rebel When Street
Fires Consume Valuable
Dead Leaves Property.

Once more the scientists and publicist
are tuning up theirsvoices to sing a SON
OF warning against waste. One gathe-
that civilization is spending its capt
like a drunken sailor. destroying forest
annals, sea food and all the rest OF
without proper care to refertilize &
earth with 1.-THE Of the goods 9.
tracted from it.
Such conduct would have been irr
ligious in ancient times. To-day we ca
1t uneconomic. The language hi
changed from that OF the heart to thu
Of the head. but the crusaders for CO
servation OF national resources won
not be sorry If we could get baS
enough OF that old devotional feeling
keep us from starving our moth
planet.
When Socrates and the other hai
drinkers of Athens used to pour upS
the ground a libation TO the gods, b
fore draining their goblets IN the fr
and hearty fashion OF those times, VIII
do you suppose they thought they we
doing? Just wasting good liuuorg
actually providing share OF. their r
freshment to..be Tapped up by Ecu
Aphrodite, Athena and the other divii
denizens OF Mount Olympus? "
Nay, nayl Plato and those felloS
were not hicks. They were not moron
One or two OF them had intellects sc
dom or never excelied on earth befo
or since their time, even II they didr
scoot around In twin skies and fool wi
radio sets. Their attitude toward Il
gods was probably very much VIII.
ours is toward Santa Claus. But tia
were pious men, who had been initiat'
into the mysteries OF Elousis and W
wrote guardedly of the marvellous inn
effect OF that experience. And VIII
they poured a iibation they poured
piously.
Custom From ChRIdeRnS.
The custom had come down TO {.
Greeks from the Chaldeans. 1t
more than a gesture toward the Tore
Of nature, personifiad by the gods. LII
the companion custom Of bringing Z
first fruits OF the crops as sacrui
to the altar, 1t was dranatization
the fulfilment OF mans sacred oblig
ton to replenish the earth.
To-day that obligation ts no long'
sacred It has become an scadem
question for the economists to worr
over. ,or the foresters, or somebody. TT
forests are disappearing, greatly TO tn
detriment fof soil, climate and IN
earths future fertility. But II isn't
religious question. Modern civilization
has broken men OF the habit Of plant
ing trees as sacrament to the CODES
Of earth. We no longer have libetion
to spare for tho gods. and even II W.
had we'd pour them down our gullet
Instead.
The latest example OF our crimina
waste has just been announced by tn
United States Bureau OF Fisheries
We're exhausting our oyster supply 81
far as the Maryland oyster beds ar
concerned. How7 BY not pouring
libation to the gods. BY not DUMPING
the empty shells back into the water
where the oysters breed. 80 that tn
young oysters may have q frm founoa
ton to cling to while growing larg'
enough to grace a banquet.
In a state of nature the oyster bed
are we'll supplied with shells OF tnnum
cradle generations and the youngster
use these relics Of their ancestors Tor
an anchorage. But the thrifty Mary
landers have been using oyster shells
for road building and now the oyster
beds are carpeted with slime and sand
and the species is dying out at the rate
of 60,000,000 bushels a year. at which
rate they will soon DO exhausted unless
stringent measures are taken TO save
them--an extra nbation TO the neBlecteo
and indignant gods.
The trees have begun 20 shed thetl
leaves and In every suburb the autunna
air is turning blue with the incense 9
burning leaves. To burn leaves Is q
rob mother earth Of her great Drina
fertilizer It's the ancient layers o
rottlng leaves that make the forest sol
so rich. 1t gives a good botantSt
severa main to sec autumn leaves betnl
DESTROYED like that. OF course subur
banites may retort that they can't le'
leaves pile up on their lawns and gar
dens as they do in the forest and thai
they must keep their places tidy. Bu'
the botanists will tell you TO tidy up al
much as you please. but TO dump thu
leaves into an appropriate pit. main
tained for the purpose with some earth
or manure or what not on top1of them
and there to let the chemistry Of nature
work in trem until they're ready TO rum
a fertilizing function in your garden az
a pious libation to the Rods.