64 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



of sitting up on his hind legs when he 

 is hungry, and will frequently retain 

 that attitude until some one feeds him 

 Sometimes he will sit for four or five 

 minutes at a time with hardly a change 

 in position. This suggested that I 

 take his photograph, to show this re- 

 markable trait. 



Curious Group of Trees. 



Barnesville, Ohio. 

 To the Editor : 



I am sending you a picture of a tree 

 that may be called a natural graft. 

 The tree to the left is a white elm. 

 From its trunk at the base two sugar 

 maples seem to grow. At about six 

 feet from the ground, the two trunks of 

 the maples and an elm branch have 



grown together. Five feet farther up, 

 the two maples are completely joined, 

 and the bark around them is perfectly 

 smooth. Several feet farther up. the 

 maples again separate, or the single 

 trunk there branches 



Yours truly, 

 Emma E. Laughlin, 

 Gray Memorial Botanical Chapter of 

 'the A A. 



Convince nature that a thing is need- 

 ed, and she will produce it. — Elbert 

 Hubbard. 



THE CURIOUS GROUP OF TREES. 



Yes, Just What we Want. 



Lincoln, Nebraska. 

 To the Editor: 



Enclosed find money order for the 

 renewal of my subscription to The 

 Guide To Nature. I like the magazine 

 very much. The pictures are espec- 

 ially good ; many of them are works of 

 art. But in spite of its good qualities, 

 I believe it can be improved, and hope 

 that you will accept my suggestions 

 kindly and for what they are worth. 



There was some excellent material 

 in the March issue. In the camera 

 deoartment is an article entitled "Long 

 Focus and Short Focus: Theoretical 

 vs. Practical." We need more such 

 articles that give valuable informa- 

 tion, and not so many that are only 

 words of appreciation of nature. I am 

 helned to apnreciate nature by being 

 told how to deal with her rather than 

 by being- told how much some one else 

 appreciates her. 



We want to know how to use the 

 microscope, how to prepare our speci- 

 mens, how to make permanent 

 mounts ; how to care for our pet 

 animals ; how to photograph the birds ; 

 how the trees resist the cold of winter; 

 why the maole leaves turn red in fall 

 even before frost, and the many other 

 things that are known only to those 

 who have had the training of the 

 scientific deoartments of our colleges 

 and universities. 



C. Elmer Frf,y. 



This is exactly right. Will our con- 

 tributors please tell things that will 

 help "the other fellow." Don't leave 

 it so much to the editor. Why should 

 he do more than vou? — E. F. B. 



