WHAT THE TREE TEACHES US 



BY E. T. MEREDITH. SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 



Tree ince* e*cH y*r m 



he.ghl od %prtMO of benches 

 by MM*ng on new growth o* 



ttvige 



TrIE Department of Agriculture is intensely interested 

 in the matter of tree culture from every standpoint 

 utility, beauty and better home life. I was surprised 

 the other day to read that there are more acres of trees 

 in the farm lots of 

 America than of any 

 other single crop ; 

 in other words, there 

 are more acres of 

 trees on the farms 

 than there are acres 

 of corn, or acres of 

 oats, and so on. 

 These farm wood- 

 lots yielded to the 

 farmers something 

 like $195,000,000 in 

 a single year, but 

 they might, with 

 systematic manage- 

 ment and care, pro- 

 duce several times 

 that much, and we 

 could have more 

 trees that would con- 

 tinue to be a beauty 

 and joy for years 

 and years, for our- 

 selves, our sons, and 

 their sons. We 

 should all appreciate 

 the value of a tree 

 and what it means 

 to us. 



The other day I 

 was asked to speak 

 five minutes to some 

 school children on 

 this matter of plant- 

 ing trees, and I 

 thought I would lec- 

 ture them a little. I 

 hesitated to point 

 out to the older ones 

 as I did to the chil- 

 dren some of the 

 things the tree 

 stands for, and yet 

 it does seem to me 

 that, if we stop to 

 consider some of the 

 things the tree 



teaches us, it may help us to lead better lives and be bet- 

 ter citizens.. As I told the children the other day, the 

 tree, for one thing, keeps its feet firmly on the ground. 

 It is a good citizen. It is a substantial citizen. The 

 stronger the wind, the more uncertain the founda- 



Air.supplieS carbon. 

 *ne pr.ncpe !ood.oP 



the f'eoTak.n-.rtOT 

 under iunace of 

 leaves 



Light end hear 

 necessary for 



chemical changes 



Scirfece- 

 rtOOtS^" 



ES.DEPT OF AGRICULTURE 

 FOREST SERVICE. 



HOW THE TREE GROWS 



The buds, roo' tips ana Cambium Isyer are^e growing parts o* ma *fee 

 yvvster cor>ra.n.n 8 a sma n q UOr ,TfTy of m.naratain solution is absorbed by the 

 roots car-noo up Tr. rough Trie sapwood to The leaves and there cosvbfhed with 

 carbon fa><" The a,rTo make food This -food is earned by the iiuier bx-i< to at 

 growing paTs o' rha tree, even aown to The root-tips 



tion, the more firmly it attaches itself to the soil, the 



deeper it sends its roots until the solid foothold is secured. 

 A tree has its hardships just like an individual. Every 



time there is a strong wind and it is blown back and 



forth, the tree is 

 strengthened. In 

 fact, it needs that 

 bending back and 

 forth to develop its 

 powers of resistance 

 just as we in our 

 lives are made bet- 

 ter because of our 

 difficulties and hard- 

 ships. If we meet 

 them and overcome 

 them, we are strong- 

 er and better in our 

 everyday lives and 

 in our attitude to- 

 ward others. We 

 are of better fibre. 

 If you plant a tree 

 too close to others 

 where it is shady it 

 is deprived of its 

 light and to us 

 education is light. 

 Such a tree is either 

 stunted or grows up 

 in a narrow sort of 

 way. It does not 

 have a wide outlook. 

 It is narrow in its 

 view. The same is 

 true with you and 

 me. Unless we get 

 light, unless we 

 study and are edu- 

 cated, unless we 

 broaden out and see 

 the problems of oth- 

 ers, we are likely to 

 be narrow in our 

 views. 



The tree which is 

 planted in the light 

 spreads out and 

 serves with its shade 

 and beauty. The 

 same with you and 

 me. If we broaden 



out, certainly we are able to serve and to "carry on" and 



do the things that constitute real service to our cities, 



our states, and our Nation. 

 Then, again, from this tree, with a small beginning, 



some great results may be expected. The same is true of 



Root Tip* Orrocth*irHVfj 

 up ware " CO"f I n 1 r>g tVn*U 

 quantify of mineral* tn_ 

 olvrt)en. 



