Westbrook High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Westbrook, ME)

Page 9 text:

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In behalf of the Senior Class of '38 wc, the Editorial Board of this BLUE AND WHITE, wish to take this space to extend our sincere thanks to the following for faithfully supporting us this year as in former years: To the S. D. VVarren Co.. who very kindly donated the paper for this book. To the advertisers and subscribers. To Henry S. Cobb, whose cooperation is such a necessary factor to the success of our journal. To members of the faculty and Mr. Philbrook, who have given many hours of their time to make our yearbook a success. To all who have helped in any way in the publi- cation of this BLUE AND VVHITE.

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FACULTY First raw, left to right: FRANCES H. VVIGHT, PAULINE VV. ABBOTT, FRANCES E. STEVENS, AUSTIN A. ALDEN, MILTON A. PHILBROOK, LORRAINE LOMEARD, ELIZABETH M. XVHITTIER, MADELINE VVHITIVIAN. Second row: .ANSEL B. STERLING, MARY S. BYRNE, NAN S. HATCH, HELEN L. WINTDN, ALVEDA A. GROVES, FREMA STAPLES, CHARLES A. BDYCE. Third raw: HAROLD E. CROZIER, G. LAXVRENCE GATES, NIABEL B. DAVIS, HARRIET M. ADAMS, MARION V. CHICK, RACHEL H. MATTHEWS, CLIFFORD R. JORDAN, JOSEPH C. GIVEN.

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W f is 5 2619 5 W 2 lqwvviif w Q4 sw- aa wwskesgf Il' 2 2- if 'M pg 57 if 5.2, thas: 0 H6192 CONSERVATION ETHELYN SMITH, l38 Trees have played a very important part in the development of our country and the preservation of our lands. It was from these primeval forests that our forefathers built their homes, secured their fuel, and made their tools. The accumulation of fallen leaves and decayed timber from the forests made the soil so fertile that we have be- come one of the greatest agricultural nations of the world. These same trees have also enabled us to build up a large lumber industry that has furnished the raw materials for the manufacture of a great many wood products. In addition to all these, the forests conserve the soil, that is, they keep the soil from washing away with the heavy rains. Therefore, in view of all these aids which the forests afford us, should we not be willing to do our bit by the wise conservation of our timber lands? Certainly, we all agree that without the forests the world would be a very dreary place in which to live. However, because of the immense quantities of lumber used each year and the various destructive forces, such as insects, tires, and diseases, the for- ests are rapidly disappearing. At present, our forests are being used up and destroyed about four and one-half times as fast as they are being replenished. When the first settlers came to these shores, about 900,000,000 acres of land were cov- ered with forests. Today, only one-fifth of that expanse remains. As there is usually an explanation for every- thing, there are a great number of reasons for the extensive consumption of our lumber each year. The major demands are railroad ties, tele- phone and telegraph poles, mine props, paper and pulp, wooden fence posts, pencils, buildings, fur- niture, ships, and many other needed things. These items are replenished each year in great quantities, moreover. In addition to the usage of the forests for our many industries, destruction by forest fires, severe storms, and diseases take their annual toll. Sad it is that much more timber is destroyed each year by Fire than is put to use. Statistics state that in a recent year approximately 92,000 fires burned over an area as large as the State of New York. Many of the fires are caused by carelessness, usu- ally of campers and tourists. There are also many species of insects that attack the trees, destroying thousands of acres of valuable forests every year. ln one respect, trees are as human as people, in that their health is affected by diseases. When the diseases in trees progress to such a point that the work of the roots, stems, and leaves is lessened or interrupted, the trees sicken and die. Diseases such as blights, rusts, and bracket fungi cause great losses among certain species of trees. The chestnut blight alone has killed nearly all of the chestnut trees in the eastern part of the United States. Therefore, since there are so many destructive forces beyond the control of man which lessen the supply from the forests each year, we should do all that we can to cut down on the amount of timber which is needlessly wasted each year. lt has been estimated that approximately two-thirds of a tree is wasted between the time that it is cut in the forest and the time that it is converted into a finished product. This waste is found in not cutting the trees close to the ground, leaving nu- merous slabs and brush around to rot, and throw- ing aside many useful pieces at the mills. Although the average high school student may not be able to do much to prevent the waste of our trees from these various sources, he can do much to aid in cutting down the loss of many valuable trees from fire each year. We can be certain not to leave campfires burning or to throw matches which are lighted among the brush and underwood. Every fire means a loss of wood