Evening star., 1932-07-05
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

that is why they are favorltes every
where, even with the second class Of
nature lovers, those who refuse to
bother their heads with names and
facts.
Trees do more than any other one
planted thing to make a house look
like a home. When one thinks of an
ideal home he Immediately pictures
a place with a background of trees
That is why architects. in making
drawings of their creations, invariably
put in a tree CT two.
They know that trees belong there
by right. Some of the old early Amer
lean prints show this to perfection
Border homes invariably were built in
the wilderness, in an opening cleared
out of the forest.
1t was this surrounding forest, with
its mighty elements, which gave
certain rough charm of home to those
crude dwellings.
Despite the fact that the trees fur
nished splendid lurking places for the
cruel savages, they made many a log
cabin a true home in the best sense.
We saw an old ithograph of one of
those clearings the other day. 1t
showed a one-room cabin nestled
what a good word-at one side, pro-
tected on the North, no doubt, by the
great trunks.
There was a small pond some yards
in front of the cabin. 1t was not
hygienic, in our modern sense, but
no one knew Of the role played by
mosquitoes. in those days; the omni-
present germs we're there. Just the
same, but mankind did not know about
them.
Strip that cabin of its trees. even
leave the pond, it would appear a poor
structure, indeed. With its background
Of forest stalWarts, 1t remains in the
mind as a striking memory.
The living wonder is that there is
tree left in the world, so persistent has
been mankinds onslaught on them. and
so planless his attack.
Only within comparatively recent
years has forestry come into its own
on anything like a national or an in
ternational scale.
SO much yet remains to be done
along these lines that the lay mind
cannot keep from wondering at the
really marvellous advances which have
been made in the face of such universal
apathy.
Even those whose very living depends
upon lack of erosion seem to fail to
grasp the effect which forest depletion
has in this respect; perhaps they agree
with the theory but are unwilling, for
any one or more Of a number of rea-
sons, to agree with the practice which
becomes necessary under such a theory
Nothing SO shows the vigor of tree
life quite so we'll as the very fact
that so many of them are always in
the world. at any given time. despite
the inroadS that are made upon them.
Even the most thoughtless realize
that all cutting and no planting would
end in no trees at all: hence replant-
ing goes on hand in hand with telling.
Nature is not satisfied to leave her
trees to man, however. She cease
lessly plants them herself, in any order.
and in any way, and almost any place.
That is why you will find small locusts
growing on terraces, wherever the seed
happened to fall. If they are cut off.
they have some chance of springing
up again.
If they do not grow, there are others
waiting just around the corner. Trees
share with weeds a tremendous vitality
which permits their seed to lie dormant
for many years. Any one of a large
number Of factors may bring them closer
to the surface Of the ground, where
they will have some chance at last OF
terminating and sprouting forth to the
light and air.
This desire to live strikes a sympa-
thetic chord in the heart Of man.
He sees in it something of his own
nature.
A great tree. writhing in the grasp
of a wind, its branches bending its
leaves rustling, is symbolic Of the life
of man torn by spiritual, mental and
physical storms
May he struggle as successfully and
be rooted as firmly.