Evening star., 1932-03-12
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES L. TRACEWELL.

cisely the same rate as the fall IN an
other place He would see nothing pc
culiar about any inequality.
Templeton Jones, however, being q
very unscientific sort OF person, In
sisted on seeing a mysterious quality
about the way the snow melted-ofl
here, but not there. two inches thick
one place and quarter OF an mcn
in another. :.
We are not sure that Jones hadn't
the better of the argument For there
is mystery in snow. II any one doubts
it. all he has to do Is to get copy OF
q book published recently, called
Snow Crystals"
Here there are scores Of photographs
of beautiful crystals, taken In New
England. where they have SHOWS which
are SHOWS. And every one OF those
patterns, it Is revealed, Is based upon
the number 8.
Why 6?
If that isn't a mystery, then nothing
is mystery, and the scientists are
right in pushing back the unexplain-
able with q few surface explanations
and standing back to ask, "See?"
Frankly, Templeton Jones didn't see,
any more than when he was kid
in school, and the SNUG young fellow
out of college solved" an elaborate
problem in algebra on the blackboard
then turned to the class and asked
"See?"
Not a soul in the class understood
including the smart young teacher. He
saw no more than the rest, probably
less. because he did not know that ne
did not see at all.
He thought he did! The dumbest boy
in the class knew that all teacher was
doing was giving memory demonstra-
ton, that he honestly didn't see
any more than they did, that they
were ahead of him in sheer intellectual
ability, because they knew that they
didn't know, and he thought he die
when he didn't.
Their demonstration Of intelligence
came when they chorused, Yes. sir
We see" After all. what difference die
it make whether they saw or not? But
by declaring that they did, they ended
the memory demonstration. terminated
their own boredom, and pleased teach
er, who had to be pleased or he would
know the reason why. Jones had won-
dered since If he ever knew the rea-
son why. The answer is, NO" That
teacher was as dumb as they come
despite his brilliant feats in memory.
The prevailing high winds of the
early part of the week did considerable
/ damage to evergreens. Templeton
Jones had several tall varieties which
were given a list to starboard. and he
noticed that those of neighbors suf-
fered in the same way.
Blowing constantly at high speed
from one quarter the wind seemed to
make a permanent bend in the trunk
of the conifers. Most of this came out
however, in few days with the end oi
the blow.
A good way to protect such tall
things from possible wind damage Is
to anchor them with a piece Of clothes
line or similar material, passed over
padding of some description around the
main trunk, and then fastened to q
lattice or some other support.
This aid should be aimed to give the
tree support against prevailing winds
usually from the north or west in thi;
vicinity. The rope should be fastened
around the evergreen at the point OF
stress, rather above it than below it.
The only way TO determine this point
is to watch the specimen during q
high wind, and see just where the
break" comes. Often this will show
permanently in a bend. The support
point should be just above this bend
not too tight, but tight enough to pre-
vent too much listing. When Nature
finally brings the evergreen almost up
right again, the clothesline may be
drawn tighter for better guying in fu-
tuYe winds.