The Winslow mail., 1925-09-11
Every Tree a Ready
Made Radio Antenna
BY PAUL WOOTON
Washington Editor of Radio
Retailing"

TNO THOSE who would reduce in
l. reference or who want radio
music in any sylvan dell, Secretary
of Commerce Hoover recommends |
a discovery by General George o. !
Squier, formerly chief of the sig
nal corps. Gen. Squier has proved
by long line of experiments
that there is no better antenna
than tree. All that is necessary
to make use of this natural antenna
is to drive nail three inches into
its trunk and connect the nail
with the SET Such an antenna
should be used wherever possible,
General Squier believes, since it is
superior to any antenna that man
can build.
"a tree" says General Squier,
"gives louder, clearer, cleaner sig
nails than does any other antenna.
1t holds signals in a remarkable
way and performs a wonderful
function in equalizing static The
tree, instead of being only botan-
ical thing with a long name, be-
comes now a highly organized cleo
trical circuit, ready to sing to the
farmer from his front yard; ready
to bring him his market news and
weather reports; ready to help in
the education of his children, and
ready to keep him abreast with the
best thought of the day. 1t makes
available to the humblest home the
culture of the generation
Cnrioy. h;c oO1or;
ments should result in the sales
of thousands of additional sets
just at this time when the people
are taking advantage of the season
to get close to nature. Every auto
list, he thinks. ought to have a COM
pact set that can be carried in his
car. With roll of lamp cord and
a few eight-penny nails in his poe
ket, the autoist can attach his in
strument quickly under any invit-
ing tree. That municipalities
should install sets with adequate
loud speakers at various points in
public parks is another of General
Squier's suggestions.
Now that static is getting bad at
this season and others are having
trouble getting distance, General
Squier is picking up European sta
tions as easily as he did in the win
ter.
While General Squier has been
able to demonstrate with modern
apparatus the full advantages
which now may be secured from
the use of tree as an antenna, he
made the basic discovery in 1904.
During army maneuvers at Camp
Astacadero, in CALIFORNIA;, it was
found that the character of the soil
and its dryness rendered the field
telegraph sets imperative. He was
able. however, to complete his
ground circuit on connecting the
wires with nails driven into trees
or bushes.
Subsequent experiments with the
crude receiving equipment of that
day demonstrated that the growing
tree covered with foliage absorbs
radio waves in an unusually eff
cient manner.
AS a result of his work during
the last few weeks, General Squier
advises everyone who has tree
near his window to change his aeri-
al for the summer and avoid static.
Where extended or continued use is
to be made of the tree, best results
will be obtained, General Squier
finds, by the use of copper nail
which should be three inches long
so as to penetrate the trees cam
blum layer. The wire leading to
the receiving set should be insulat-
ed. Best results are obtained when
the nail is inserted at a point two
thirds of the distance up the trunk
No ini11rv to the tree results.