688 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



A BATCH 01^ MY LABRADOR ORPHANS 



Open-air treatment for orphans 



tilizing purposes. It is well known that 

 the world supply of nitrates is g'iving 

 out ; that wood as fuel, and even coal 

 are rapidly diminishing. Here lies one 

 immense source of wealth that even the 

 dull eye of a twentieth century scientist 

 can foresee. 



In our vast bogs lie supplies of peat 

 that are almost inexhaustible ; only these 



last few years has indus- 

 trial chemistry turned its 

 attention to these natural 

 resources. AH round 

 this country the little 

 settlements are bare and 

 denuded of the beautiful 

 evergreen trees given 

 for their protection and 

 for preservin-; animal 

 life, just because of the 

 ignorance of the heating 

 material lying in the un- 

 used bogs, which instead 

 of being injured would 

 be improved by being 

 used as a fuel supply. 



The vast area of 

 ledges, which run along 

 our east coast, produces 

 in places immense quan- 

 tities of various sea- 

 weeds, which the storms 

 pull up and fling at our 

 doors without our hav- 

 ing to stir a finger. In 

 Norway the ashes of 

 these weeds, just burnt 

 on the beach, fetch from 

 $2.25 to $3.75 a pound, 

 and bring to the country 

 as worked now $150,- 

 000 a year. Nature 

 seems to make special 

 provision for primeval- 

 minded man, which as 

 he increases in numbers 

 is withdrawn, and so he 

 is forced to put his wits 

 to work and grow in 

 stature whether he likes 

 it or not. 



In the spring, berries 

 for us are ready under 

 the snow, shell-fish in abundance under 

 the harbor ice. Soon flat fish and 

 round fish are veritably thrown on the 

 beach, and can be dipped out with a 

 hand net and can be speared with a 

 straightened hook on a stick, or, as old 

 Cartwright tells us, are at times so plen- 

 tiful he could lie on the rocks and catch 

 them by the tail in his hand. Trout we 



