172 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



canied by two men on a wooden stretcher, aided by 

 shoulder 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 

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

 changeable and arc 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 1^-inch 

 untitled linen hose were also purchased and sent out with 

 No. 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 450 feet of hose, lifting the water up 

 1 ', feet. The idea is to have several such units available 

 at the headquarters of the park 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 1,500 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 be delivered to a fire 

 a mile or so from the nearest available supply. 



A Ford chassis was also purchased and a suitable carry- 

 ing box constructed. This car will be kept solely for 

 fire-protection purposes and is so arranged that the 

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

 mounted thereon. 



This unit was built as an experiment, and much 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 have been solved. 



FOOD TREES 



By Alice M. Long 



MOTHER, some bread and butter 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; father wouldn't find 



it necessary to work so hard for daily bread for himself 



I lived ones; mother wouldn't have to remind herself 



to make up the sponge for the family baking; neither 

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

 day to make marmalade to satisfy Robert and Annabel's 

 sweet tooth. 



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

 the Indian Archipelago and the South Pacific Islands, is 

 also grown in some of the West Indies. 



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

 pounds and is covered with a rough rind. When ripe it 

 is juicy and yellow, though it has a better flavor before 

 it is fully ripe. 



Bread fruit is very nourishing and is the principal food 

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

 it is white and mealy, strongly resembling our own wheat 

 bread. 



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 nu- 

 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 

 you want it. 



The tree which furnishes this sweet is a native of the 

 West Indies. 



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

 wholesome meal something that leaves an exceptionally 

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

 the little custard tree or shrub for your desert. You will 

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

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



A near relative 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 many 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 find anything more delicious than our native 

 apples, pears, peaches, cherries and other ready-to-eat 

 fruits, too numerous to mention? 



Would it not broaden our ideas, awaken our higher 

 selves, and bring us into sweet harmony with all things 

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

 to what nature does for and is to us? 



