palmer] JUST OOZE AND SLIME: 31 



food by complex animals, into a highly acceptable form. And the 

 beauty of it is that while bringing about a desirable food, the waste 

 product of that process is useful in purification. What more ideal 

 arrangement could be asked. 



It is true that for one reason or another there are some forms 

 whose desirability is not apparent. Usually, however, these forms 

 force themselves upon our notice only when we have by some 

 artificial means upset the balance of nature and prevented them 

 from performing their normal function. For the inconvenience 

 thus caused, we who upset the balance should be held responsible. 

 Sometimes we expect too much of nature and too little of ourselves. 



Aside from the food and clean water provided by ooze and slimes 

 much of our landscape has been and is being influenced by their 

 presence. When we make an outline drawing of a contintent we 

 never draw it with a ruler. It always consists of an irregular 

 waving line. This very ooze of which we have been speaking has 

 had more to do with the shape of this line than most of us imagine. 

 Were it not for the presence of ooze on the bottom of rivers near 

 where they flow into lakes and oceans much of the sediment which 

 remains imbedded in it would remain suspended for a longer time 

 in the water. The ooze is constantly preventing debris from being 

 carried further down stream particularly if it is at all jelly-like. 

 Anyone can see that sooner or later a continuation of this slowing 

 up of the movement of sediment would cause a greater and greater 

 accumulation and would make the water shallower and shallower. 

 Continue this long enough and marsh plants will be able to grow 

 where once there was too much water. In time the accumulation 

 of the bodies of the marsh plants will build up a soil on which dry 

 land plants can grow and so the geography of the region is remark- 

 ably changed. Remember though, the first step in that change 

 was brought about by that contemptable slime which to the most 

 of us has no apparent significance. Similar formation of land 

 may take place along shores where there is no sediment brought 

 down by rivers but where waste is brought in by a rising tide, 

 and prevented from returning by being stuck in the ooze. In 

 this manner sooner or later land will be built up. This is true of 

 course only when this land is protected from the lashing of waves 

 which would tear down in storm what is built up in calm. A study 

 ot the shore line of any continent ought to prove doubly interesting 

 now that we realize the part this insignificant ooze plays in chang- 

 ing that line. 



