Studies of Trees Part 23

1. Sycamore. Fig. 151. Rays practically all broad. Color light brown, often with dark stripes or "feather grain." Wood of medium weight and strength, usually cross-grained, difficult to split.

The wood is used for general construction, woodenware, novelties, interior finish, and boxes.

2. Beech. With only a part of the rays broad, the others very fine, Fig.

151. Color pale reddish brown to white; uniform. Wood heavy, hard, strong, usually straight-grained.

The wood is used for cheap furniture, turnery, cooperage, woodenware, novelties, cross-ties, and fuel. Much of it is distilled.

(b) Without conspicuously broad rays.

1. Cherry. Rays rather fine but very distinct. Color of wood reddish brown. Wood rather heavy, hard, and strong.

The wood is used for furniture, cabinet work, moulding, interior finish, and miscellaneous articles.

2. Maple, Fig. 152. With part of the rays rather broad and conspicuous, the others very fine. Color light brown tinged with red. The wood of the hard maple is very heavy, hard and strong; that of the soft maples is rather light, fairly strong. Maple most closely resembles birch, but can be distinguished from it through the fact that in maple the rays are considerably more conspicuous than in birch.

The wood is used for slack cooperage, flooring, interior finish, furniture, musical instruments, handles, and destructive distillation.

3. Tulip-tree, yellow poplar or whitewood. Rays all fine but distinct.

Color yellow or brownish yellow; sapwood white. Wood light and soft, straight-grained, easy to work.

The wood is used for boxes, woodenware, tops and bodies of vehicles, interior finish, furniture, and pulp.

4. Red or sweet gum. Rays all fine but somewhat less distinct than in tulip tree. Color reddish brown, often with irregular dark streaks producing a "watered" effect on smooth boards; thick sapwood, grayish white. Wood rather heavy, moderately hard, cross-grained, difficult to work.

The best grades of figured red gum resemble Circa.s.sian walnut, but the latter has much larger pores unevenly distributed and is less cross-grained than red gum.

The wood is used for finis.h.i.+ng, flooring, furniture, veneers, slack cooperage, boxes, and gun stocks.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 152.--Maple. (Magnified 25 times.)]

5. Black or sweet birch, Fig. 151. Rays variable in size but all rather indistinct. Color brown, tinged with red, often deep and handsome.

Wood heavy, hard, and strong, straight-grained, readily worked. Is darker in color and has less prominent rays than maple.

The wood is used for furniture, cabinet work, finis.h.i.+ng, and distillation.

6. Cottonwood. Rays extremely fine and scarcely visible even under lens.

Color pale dull brown or grayish brown. Wood light, soft, not strong, straight-grained, fairly easy to work. Cottonwood can be separated from other light and soft woods by the fineness of its rays, which is equaled only by willow, which it rather closely resembles. The wood is largely used for boxes, general construction, lumber, and pulp.

How to judge the quality of wood: To know the name of a piece of wood means, in a general way, to know certain qualities that are common to all other pieces of wood of that species, but it does not explain the special peculiarities of the piece in question or why that particular piece is more suitable or unsuitable for a particular purpose than another piece of the same species. The mere identification of the wood does not explain why a particular piece is tougher, stronger or of darker color than another piece of the same species or even of the same tree. The reason for these special differences lies in the fact that wood is not a h.o.m.ogeneous material like metal. Within the same tree different parts vary in quality.

The heartwood is generally heavier and of deeper color than the sapwood. The b.u.t.t is superior to the top wood, and the manner in which the wood was sawed and dried will affect its quality. Knots, splits, checks, and discoloration due to incipient decay are defects worth considering. Wood that looks l.u.s.terless is usually defective, because the lack of l.u.s.ter is generally due to disease. Woods that are hard wear best. Hardness can be determined readily by striking the wood with a hammer and noting the sound produced. A clear, ringing sound is a sign of hardness. The strength of a piece of wood can be judged by its weight after it is well dried. Heavy woods are usually strong. A large amount of late wood is an indication of strength and the production of a clear sound when struck with a hammer is also an evidence of strength.

CHAPTER IX

AN OUTDOOR LESSON ON TREES

The importance of nature study in the training of the child is now well recognized. The influences of such study from the hygienic, moral and aesthetic point of view are far reaching and cannot be expressed in dollars and cents. In his a.s.sociation with nature, the child is led to observe more closely and to know and to be fond of what is truly beautiful in life--beautiful surroundings, beautiful thoughts and beautiful deeds. He is inspired with reverence for law, order and truth because he sees it constantly reflected in all works of nature. The social instinct is highly developed and even the parents are often bettered through the agency of their children.

The only way, however, to study nature--especially plants--is to study it out of doors. Our present tendency to gather in cities demands the upbuilding influences of trips into the open in order to equip the child mentally and physically to face the world and its work with the strength and tenacity characteristic of the country-bred. Moreover, the study of objects rather than books is an axiom in modern education and here, too, we can readily see that the best way to study trees is to take the pupil to the trees. Such studies are more lasting than book study because they emphasize the spirit and the goal rather than the petty facts.

Educators and parents are now recognizing the value of outdoor trips for their children and are beginning to indulge in them quite frequently. In many instances teachers about to take out their children for a day have inquired of the writer how to go about giving a general field lesson when they reached the park or woodland. The purpose of this chapter is to answer such a question and yet it is evident that it cannot be answered completely. What to observe out doors and how to present one's impressions is a broad question and varies with the knowledge and ability of the teacher as well as with the age and experience of the children. The how and the what in nature study is of greater import than the hard, dry facts and that must be left entirely to the teacher. A few suggestions, however, may not be amiss:

1. General observations with a view to character building: First of all it is important to remember that the great value of all tree and nature study is the inculcation in the minds of the children of an appreciation and love for the beautiful. Inspiring them to _love_ trees generally means more than teaching them to _know_ trees. Mere facts about trees taught in an academic way are often no more lasting than the formulae in trigonometry which most of us have long ago forgotten. The important thing is that permanent results be left and nothing else will produce such lasting impressions as the study of trees out of doors.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 153.--Trees Have Individuality.]

General observations about trees can be made by pointing out the beauty and character of the individual forms and branching, their harmony in their relations to each other as factors of a beautiful composition and the wealth of shades and colors in their leaves, bark and flowers. Compare, for instance, the intricate ramification of an American elm with the simple branching of a sugar maple, the st.u.r.diness of a white oak with the tenderness of a soft maple, the wide spread of a beech with the slender form of a Lombardy poplar, the upward pointing branches of a gingko with the drooping form of a weeping willow. At close range, each of these trees reveals itself as an individual with a character quite its own. At little distance you may see them grouped together, subordinating their individuality and helping to blend into a beautiful composition with a character all its own. There is nothing more inspiring than the variety of greens in the spring foliage, the diversity of color in the spring blossoms and the wonderful display of autumnal tints offered by the sweet gum, sa.s.safras, dogwood, black gum, red maple, sugar maple, scarlet oak, blue beech, sorrel tree, ash and gingko. The white bark of the gray birch, the dark bark of the black oak, the gray of the beech, the golden yellow of the mulberry and the mottled bark of the sycamore are interesting comparisons. The smooth bark of the mockernut hickory contrasts greatly with the s.h.a.ggy bark of the s.h.a.gbark hickory--members of the same family and yet how different.

A wonderful opportunity is thus offered for a comparative study of human nature--individuality and community life, all reflected in trees.

With this preliminary study and with the addition of some remarks on the value of trees as health givers and moral uplifters, the child is interested and attracted. The lesson so far has attained its aim.

2. Specific observations with a view to training the observative powers: The child's training in closeness of observation and scientific precision may be the next consideration. His enthusiasm will now prompt him to lend his interest for greater detail. We can teach him to recognize a few of the common trees by their general characters--an American elm by its fan-shaped form, a gray birch by its white bark, a white pine by the five needles to each cl.u.s.ter, a horsechestnut by its opposite branching and big sticky bud and a willow by its drooping habit. After that we may introduce, if the age of the pupils justifies, more details extending to greater differences which distinguish one species from another.

The lesson might continue by pointing out the requirements of trees for water and light. Find a tree on some slope where the roots are exposed and another which is being encroached upon by its neighbor, and show how in one case the roots travel in search of water and food and in the other the branches bend toward the light, growing more vigorously on that side. Compare the trees on the open lawn with those in the grove and show how those in the open have grown with branches near the ground while those in the woodland are slender, tall and free from branches to some distance above the ground. Point out the lenticels on the bark of birch and sweet cherry trees and explain how trees breathe. Compare this process with that of the human body. You may now come across an old stump and here you can point out the structure of the wood--the sapwood, cambium and bark. You can ill.u.s.trate the annual rings and count the age of the tree. At another point you may find a tree with a wound or bruised bark and here you can readily make a closer study of the cambium layer and its manner of growth.

The adaptation of plants to the seasonal changes opens another interesting field of study for beginners. If the season is the fall or winter, note how the trees have prepared themselves for the winter's cold by terminating the flow of sap, by dropping their leaves too tender to resist the winter's cold, and by covering their buds with scales lined with down on the inside. Observe how the insects have spun for themselves silken nests or remain preserved in the egg state over the winter. If the season is spring or summer the opposite may be noted. See how everything turns to life; how the buds are opening, the leaves emerging, the sap running, seeds germinating and flowers blooming.

The soil conditions on the lawn and in the grove furnish another interesting feature of comparison and study. In the grove, you can demonstrate the decomposition of the fallen leaves, the formation of humus and its value to the tree. The importance of the forest soil as a conservator of water and its relation to stream flow and soil erosion can be brought out at this juncture. An eroded bank and a slope covered with trees and shrubs would provide excellent models for this study. A consideration of the economic value of the trees would also be in place.

3. Civic lessons reflected in trees: The community life of trees in the grove, their growth, struggles for light and food and their mutual aid can be brought out and compared with the community life among people. The trees may here be seen struggling with each other for light and food, forcing each other's growth upward, some winning out and developing into stalwart and thrifty specimens and others becoming suppressed or entirely killed. On the other hand they may be seen helping each other in their community growth by protecting each other from windfall and by contributing to the fertility of the forest soil in dropping their leaves and shading the ground so that these fallen leaves may decompose readily.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 154.--Trees also Grow in Communities.]

4. Enemies of trees: An old stump or tree may be seen crumbling away under the influence of fungi and here the children may be shown the effects of tree diseases both as destroyers of life and as up-builders, because fungi turn to dust the living trees and build up others by furnis.h.i.+ng them with the decomposed wood matter.

Insects too, may be invading the old dead tree, and something of their nature, habits and influences may be gone into. They may be shown as wood borers, leaf eaters, or sap suckers, all injurious to the tree. On the other hand they may be shown as seed disseminators and as parasites on other injurious insects; all benefactors.

Forest fires as an enemy of trees might be touched upon by noting how easily the leaves may be ignited and a surface fire started when the season is dry. Top and ground fires emanating from surface fires can then be readily explained.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 155.--Trees Blend Together to Form a Beautiful Composition.]

5. Expression: The pupils have by this time been taught to feel the beautiful, to observe carefully and to reason intelligently and they may now be trained to express themselves properly. This may be accomplished by asking them to remember their observations and to write about them in the cla.s.sroom. The lesson may be supplemented with effective reading about trees and forests. Interesting reading matter of this sort can be found in abundance in children's readers, in special books on the subject and in Arbor Day Manuals published by the various State Education Departments.

6. Preparation: In order to save time looking for objects of interest and for the purpose of correlating the various observations so that all will follow in orderly sequence, it is well for the teacher or leader to go over the ground beforehand and note the special features of interest. The various topics can then be given some thought and a brief synopsis can be drawn up to serve as a memorandum and guide on the trip.

It is also well to be provided with a hatchet to cut into some decayed stump, a trowel to dig up the forest soil, a knife for cutting off twigs and a hand reading gla.s.s for examining the structural parts of the various objects under observation. A camera is always a valuable a.s.set because the photographs hung in the cla.s.sroom become records of great interest to all partic.i.p.ants.

7. Suggestions for forming tree clubs: A good way to interest children in trees and nature study is to form, among them, a Tree Club. The idea has been fully developed in Brooklyn, N.Y., Newark, N.J., and other cities and consists of forming clubs of children in the public schools and private inst.i.tutions for the purpose of interesting them in the trees around their school and their homes. The members of these clubs are each given the tree warden's badge of authority and a.s.signed to some special duty in the preservation of the local trees. A plan of study and of outdoor trips is laid out for them by their director and at stated periods they are given ill.u.s.trated lectures on trees and taken to the neighboring parks or woodlands.