172 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



ciinied by two men on a wooden stretcher, aided by 

 shoidder straps. The hose truck has four metal reels 

 mounted on spindles, each having a capacity of 200 feet 

 of 1-inch rubber-lined hose. Each reel is detachable and 

 is quite portable. The reels on the hose truck are inter- 

 changeable and are exactly similar to the one reel mounted 

 on the rear of the engine truck. The unit with its auxiliary 

 truck carries 1,000 feet of hose in all. The auxiliary truck 

 is capable of being hauled by man or horse power, as con- 

 ditions will allow. Fifteen hundred feet of li/-inch 

 unlined linen hose were also ]nirchased and sent out with 

 Xo. 1 outfit, and tests will be made in the field to ascer- 

 tain which type of hose is most serviceable and efficient. 

 The linen hose is considerably lighter in weight, less 

 bulky, and consequently much more portable. If the 

 linen hose is found to be more satisfactory a specially con- 

 structed hose truck will require to be built or the present 

 one modified. 



In tests held in Ottawa before the unit was shipped 

 West to the Dominion Parks, the outfit pumped a power- 

 ful stream through 4."i0 feet of hose, lifting the water up 

 ITO feet. The idea is to have se\eral such units available 

 at the headquarters of the i)ark in which '.his unit is now 

 .stationed. If a fire occurs a considerable distance from a 

 railway, road or trail a sufficient number of gasoline 

 pumping units, each equipped with 1,.'>00 feet of hose, can 

 work in relay fashion, pumping from the source of water 

 supply into a canvas tank to a second outfit, which would 

 have its source of water supply from the canvas tank ; in 

 this manner water can quite easily lie deli\ere(l to a fire 

 a mile or so from the nearest a\-ailal)le supply. 



A Ford chassis was also imrchascd and a suitable carry- 

 ing box constructed. This car will be kept solely for 

 fire-protection purposes antl is so arranged that the 

 portable gasoline pumping outfit and hose, etc., may be 

 mounted thereon. 



This unit was built as an experiment, and nuich interest 

 will center around it during the coming field season, while 

 it is undergoing a thorough practical test in the Rocky 

 Mountains Park. If the outfit proves successful, it is 

 hoped that further ones will be constructed and a stand- 

 ard design adopted. If successful, this is not all, as one 

 of the most difficult problems in fire protection, namely, 

 getting water to the fire, will ha\-e been solved. 



FOOD TREES 



Bv ALicii M. Loxc, 



MOTHER, some bread and initter with marma- 

 lade would taste pretty good." 

 "Well, go out to the trees and pull them, son." 

 And that is just what one might do if he were living 

 in a tropical country where three certain kinds of trees 

 were growing in the yard. 



The farmer might find it more profitable to cultivate 

 these trees than to grow wheat ; f.ather wouldn't find 

 it necessary to work so hard for daily bread for himself 

 and loved ones; mother wouldn't have to remind herself 



to make up the sponge for the family baking; neither 

 would she Ije obliged to toil over a hot stove on a hot 

 dav to make marmalade to satisfy Robert and .Vnnaliel's 

 sweet tooth. 



The bread fruit tree, although a native of South .Asia, 

 tlie Indian .\rchipelago and the South Pacific Islands, is 

 also grown in some of the \\'est Indies. 



The fruit of this tree is round. It weighs about four 

 pounds and is covered with a rough rind. W'lien ripe it 

 is juicy and yellow, though it has a better rta\or before 

 it is fully ripe. 



llread fruit is verv nourishing and is the jirincipal food 

 of the Soutli Sea Islanders. .After it is cut up and baked 

 it is white and mealy, strongly resembling our own wheat 

 Ijread. 



One would scarcely except to find butter growing on 

 trees, but this is what you would see if you were to look 

 for the Shea (she'a), or butter tree, which is a native of 

 Africa. 



The nut of this tree is enclosed in a soft pulp which is 

 covered with a smooth skin. The pulp is sweet and mi- 

 tritious and a large percentage of the nut is butter. 



In addition to the 'bread spread," if a man wants a 

 light at night he can depend upon his shea tree for 

 candles, while from it there may also be produced suffi- 

 cient soap to insure the practical expression of "cleanli- 

 ness is next to godliness." 



Marmalade — Mm ! Think of picking all the bread you 

 want from one tree, getting a generous supply of butter 

 from another and then from still another tree a de- 

 licious spread of marmalade over these, just as thick as 

 }'ou want it. 



The tree which fiu'nishes this sweet is a native of the 

 West Indies. 



But this isn't all. Suppose you want at the last of a 

 vvdiolesome meal something that leaves an e.xceptionally 

 good taste in the mouth. Whv, then, just step over to 

 the little custard tree or sbrulj for your desert. "S'ou will 

 find hanging upon it fruit halls about the size of a small 

 orange, enclosed in which is a soft yellowish sweet pulp. 



A near relatixe of the custard tree is the Sour sop. 

 though its somewhat acid fruit might better serve as a 

 first course at breakfast. 



But after all, are these rather remarkable trees more 

 wonderful than the m.my with which we are familiar? 

 Is there anything more strengthening than the nuts grow- 

 ing wild in our forests and under cultivation upon plan- 

 tations in many parts of our country? Are they not 

 wholesome and palatable substitutes for flesh? Then, all 

 credit to the "meat" trees. 



Can we Imd .-inxthing more delicious than our native 

 apples, pears, ])eaches, cherries and other ready-to-eat 

 fruits, too numerous to mention? 



Would it not broaden our ideas, awaken our higher 

 selves, and l)ring us into sweet harmonv with all things 

 that live, grow and have being, by giving more thought 

 to what nature does for and is to us? 



