Exploring the Woodpile 175 



kinds of trees, in different trees of the same kind, 

 and at different seasons. It varies according to 

 the tree's age. 



We have seen how much narrower the annual 

 rings are on the outside of large logs. As the 

 tree ages, its power to heal itself diminishes with 

 its power to grow. 



When logs are sawn into boards, many knots 

 come to light which have been buried under 

 growth ring after growth ring. A pile of boards 

 shows us that Nature is a severe pruner, and that 

 limbs must be sawn off close to the parent trunk if 

 wounds are to heal well. 



And log-pile, woodpile, and forest all teach us 

 that the tree as it stands is the remainder of a 

 long problem in subtraction. 



