Protective forests are usually found on steep mountain slopes or on bleak, open plains. In certain parts of the United States, chiefly in the West, - the planting of such forests is one of the leading questions of the day. Let us turn our thoughts now to the individual members of the forest, - the trees.

The tree obtains most of its food from the ground; the numerous tiny root hairs absorb water, which holds mineral substances in solution. When any part of a tree is burned, the mineral substances remain in the form of ashes.

The leaves take in carbonic-acid gas from the air. The gas is decomposed into carbon and oxygen; the carbon is retained by the plant, and the oxygen set free again into the air. Oxygen is the gas most needful to the life of man.

How does a tree grow? The newer twigs grow by a kind of stretching. In the older parts of the tree growth takes place in a different way, the new material is deposited in rings or layers between the old wood and the bark. Each branch follows the same method of growth out to the place where the season's new twig began to develop. As long as a tree is growing, a new layer of wood is formed outside the one last formed. By counting the rings in a cross section of the trunk we can tell the age of the tree. Each branch bears a record of its age in the scars left by bud scales and leaves.

In some trees-oaks, for example -the wood becomes darker in color and harder in texture as time goes on. Its cells become clogged so that sap can no longer flow through them. We say that the sapwood has been transformed into heartwood. The former absorbs water more readily than the latter and is therefore more liable to decay.

Oak wood is coarse-grained and often full of holes; but its fibers are tough, hard, and durable. The oak is probably our most important hard-wood tree, where strength and durability are in demand. Oaks are found in most of our forests east of the Rockies.

Japan is said to be the home of the maples, many species of which are now native to America. The hard or sugar maple is one of our most beautiful shade trees, as well as a valuable timber tree. It is a large, graceful tree of slow growth. The delicious maple sugar and maple sirup are made from its sap.

The pines furnish us with more lumber than all other trees together. The wood is soft and of straight grain, and therefore easily worked; it is also sufficiently strong and durable for many purposes. Certain species of pine yield turpentine and resin in addition to timber. Commercially regarded, the pine is our most valuable tree.

deciduous
eventually

exhaustless
denuded

deforestation
durability

THE BRAVE OLD OAK

A song to the oak, the brave old oak,

Who hath ruled in the greenwood long;

Here's health and renown to his broad green crown, And his fifty arms so strong.

There's fear in his frown when the sun goes down,
And the fire in the west fades out;

And he showeth his might on a wild midnight,
When the storms through his branches shout.
Then here's to the oak, the brave old oak,
Who stands in his pride alone;

And still flourish he, a hale green tree,
When a hundred years are gone!

In the days of old, when the spring with cold
Had brightened his branches gray,

Through the grass at his feet crept maidens sweet,

To gather the dew of May.

And on that day to the rebeck gay

They frolicked with lovesome swains:

They are gone, they are dead, in the churchyard laid,

But the tree it still remains.

Then here's to the oak, the brave old oak,

Who stands in his pride alone;

And still flourish he, a hale green tree,

When a hundred years are gone!

He saw the rare times when the Christmas chimes

Was a merry sound to hear,

When the squire's wide hall and the cottage small
Were filled with good English cheer.
Now gold hath the sway we all obey,

And a ruthless king is he;

But he never shall send our ancient friend

To be tossed on the stormy sea.

HENRY F. CHORLEY

And for many a day old Tubal Cain
Sat brooding o'er his woe;

And his hand forbore to smite the ore,
And his furnace smoldered low;

But he rose at last with a cheerful face,
And a bright, courageous eye,

And bared his strong right arm for work,
While the quick flames mounted high;
And he sang, "Hurrah for my handiwork!"
And the red sparks lit the air.

Not alone for the blade was the bright steel made,

For he fashioned the first plowshare.

CHARLES MACKAY in Tubal Cain

THE TEMPEST

There was a certain island in the sea, the only inhabitants of which were an old man, named Prospero, and his daughter Miranda, a very beautiful young lady.

They lived in a cave or cell, made of rock; it was divided into several apartments, one of which Prospero called his study; there he kept his books, which chiefly treated of magic, and the knowledge of this art he found very useful to him; for, being thrown by a strange chance upon this island, which had been enchanted by a witch called Sycorax, who died there a short time before his arrival, Prospero, by virtue of his art, released many spirits that Sycorax had imprisoned in the bodies of trees, because they had refused to execute her wicked commands. These gentle spirits were ever after obedient to the will of Prospero. Of these Ariel was the chief.

The lively little sprite Ariel had nothing mischievous in his nature, except that he took rather too much pleasure in tormenting an ugly monster called Caliban, for he owed him a grudge because he was the son of Sycorax.

Prospero found this Caliban in the woods, a strange, misshapen thing. He took him home to his cell and taught him to speak, and would have been very kind to him, but the bad nature which Caliban inherited from his mother Sycorax would not let him learn anything good or useful; therefore he was employed like a slave,