Franklin High School - Molecule Yearbook (Franklin, VT)

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8 Many people say, Why plant trees? The main reason is that planting trees psys. Forests are the source of lumber, pulpwood, and other necessities which through long years of use have become a necessary part of civilization» Around the process of making the products of the forest into everything from cradles to coffins is built an enormous buisness which gives employment to thousands of people, (There are about fifteen people in ny town that are employed in making paper from wood.) Then forests aid in the control of water. They help to hold river flow and to lessen flood dangers. They prevent soil erosion and the resulting loss of soil fertility and the filling in of reservoirs. Forests are the finest recreational centers. With the steady flow of population to cities, together with the ever quickening pace of modern life the need and value of recre- ation increases yearly. Forests are the natural homes of fish, game, and wild birds. Forests give us beauty, but without them Vermont would be a desert. Forests are wealth and every effort to add to them by planting new forests will have a big effect on our future health, wealth, and happiness. Fires destroy our forests and y v haves.nofr the forests to be destroyed. Fires burn material for homes, newspapers, and hundreds of other products that are used every year. We could replant every forest, tree by tree that was burned but we would be planting all the time. Besides what would happen to our immediate needs? It would be easier all around to prevent fires in the first place. And if every single person in this state would co-operate we could and would prevent these forests fires. Insects also do a lot of damage to trees. .Some insecta eat the tree buds and young shoots, others bore into the bark and'the inner trunk. Bark beetles kill hundreds of pine and spruce trees every year. Some destructive insects eat s ring around the trunk of a tree until the flow of sap is cut off and the tree dies. Among the worst enemies of the forests are the hairy worm-like caterpillars. Another highly destructive pest is the hemlock looper. Disease is another enemy of trees. White pine blister rust and chestnut blight are the most destructive. Many of Vermonts forests are privatly owned. We need a forestry program to show these owners why to replace these trees and how to do it. So let’s have a FORESTRY PROGRAM. • —Rita Magnant, ’55 In the 1950 forestry essay contest, Rita’s essay was assigned fifth place In the Franklin Countv Northwest District.

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9 STORIES CAMPING AT LAKE CAR?,'I Elvo Girls from Franklin decided that they would like to go on a camping trip at Lake Carni the week of the Fourth of July. We rented a canp o:ver on the beach near the bowl- ing alley. We noved in on Saturday night. The girls were, Ortha Colunb, Joyce Ellsworth, I.Ierilyn Hubbard, Ann Towle and mysoll. Ily no the r went as our chaperon and cook. The first night ny mother wasn't there at supper time, so we girls got our own supper, did our dishes, and then went to the bowling alley As there v dsn’t anybody over there we ,ent back to canp and went to bed. By that time my mother was back so everything was quiet—that is for a little while. Ortha, Joyce, and I slept out on the porch. The rest of then slept inside. We talked, and giggled, and had an awful tine getting to sleep, I don't think our neighbors got much sleep that night, and neither did we. ounc. y lorning at about three o'clock Joyce and I v oke up. Vhat time is it? asked Joyce. Tine to ,et up, I hope, I replied. We hac forgotten to bring a clock with us so when we a wanted to know what tine it was we had to turn on the radio. Go turn on the radio and find out what time it is. said Joyce. do I got out of bed and turned on the radio, but couldn't get anything. Then I turned it off and got back into bod and tried to got warm—which was impossible for any of us to do. Hey, arc you girls awake? asked Ortha. ''Sure, Joyce and I replied, we've been awake for ages. 1 Say, must be we're having company. There comes a car, said Joyce. Oh, ny gosh, it stopped! Whose car is that anyway? questioned Ortha. Gee, I don't know, I answered.