Wisconsin School of the Air; Afield with Ranger Mac; 21

The Wisconsin School of the air invites you to go to a field where the Ranger Mac today boys and girls where going to learn about weeds. Not to take you on another radio hike down the nature trail. Here is your guide Ranger Mack. Hello boys and girls. This is your day. So up and away we're going to do two things on this trip afield. We're going to answer the questions left unanswered last week and we're going to say some pleasant things about weeds. Now let's do the unfinished work first and give out attention to the unanswered questions of last week. Now we start on Question 12. How do Hawks an owl serve a great purpose in the scheme of nature that these birds are known as predator ours and they prey and feed on rodents and help to keep these past multiplying creatures in check. They are the farmer's friends hence the friends of everyone all except

the great horned owl. Are protected by law in this state. And the great horned owl is nesting at the present time. Question 13. How did George Washington Carver show that a great scientist can be a great humanitarian by patient skillful effort. This negro scientists discovered many new uses for the crops of the South especially peanuts and sweet potatoes. These discoveries created new demands for these crops and farmers received better prices for them and they raised more of them also. And this improved living conditions among the people of the South. Carver gave all his discoveries to the world. He was a lover of humankind. That's the meaning of the word humanitarian. Question 14 can you name

10 uses for peanuts that Carver discovered he discovered over 300 new uses for peanuts. And among them a butter paints salad oils axle grease cosmetics Lin oleum. Add a breakfast foods cheese vinegar soap shaving cream paper dyes ice cream a question 15. What are some of the reasons for believing the dog descended from the wolf at the bones of dogs are found buried with prehistoric people. But the very nature of the dog leads us to believe that it was the first animal to be domesticated. It resembles the wolf in its physical makeup bands and its character. Dogs are loyal you know to their master. And wolves learned that in the wild. They work together in packs they know how to follow a leader and it was natural for them to accept man as

their leader and their master. All creatures that work together in the wild are the easiest to tame crows horses reindeer cows camels even elephants. Question 16 in what ways is the beaver. A conservationist by building dams and Beaver store water. This helps to prevent floods. This started water as seeps into the ground in pieces the underground channels and pools of water and the dams prevent soil from washing into the stream. The streams that carry the soil to the ocean. Birds and plants and animals find the ponds great places to live. And so beavers increase wildlife. Question 17. Name 10 plants that have the names of

animals. Well let's see foxglove harebell Tiger Lily skunk cabbage pussywillow Larkspur or snap dragon cranes Bill pigweed dogwood spider wort Toadflax wake robin gooseberry cowslip and on and on a great many others of them. Question 18. A tale serves as a rudder a balancer and a glider for birds but for other uses. Can we find potatoes. A tail is a comforter. Spread far the Fox while they're sleeping. Used by the beaver and muskrat to give warning of approaching danger. A brace for woodpeckers while digging for insects in the trunk of trees. A trap for the a possum. A deadly weapon for the park upon a barometer of disposition for the dog. Question

19 How can you tell a young birch not turn white you know from a cherry tree in the winter time when there are no leaves. By taste is the easiest way. The bark of the cherry twig is bitter that of the birch is sweet and has the aroma of wintergreen. Question 20. Which one of the winter sleepers is it crew hibernate or the groundhog or woodchuck. It is the true hibernate or 21 question 21 in what ways has the increased in population given rise to worry about our water resource. All water must come to the land by a rain or snow. And when water is used faster than nature supplies it or where we allow the water to run off the land into the sea and by clearing the land and draining the marshes then we are sure to suffer from a

shortage of water. Modern inventions and all the different implements that we have and the industries that we have grown to such tremendous size in these days. These things have increased our uses for water all sold. Question 22 what is meant by calm with calm of large and nature. It is a protection given to animals and that prevents their being seen. By having their colors blend with their surroundings. It is commonly called protective coloration a foreign with its spots. For instance is a good example and nature has provided that many birds and animals change color and with the season to blend with their surroundings. Question 23 where does the muscle or we call it commonly clam. I get the minerals to make its shell and the muscle takes in water through a siphon order to which projects

out when the valves or the shell is open. This water contains the food for energy and growth and also the minerals in solution out of which the muscle makes the shell. These secretions make a beautiful smooth lining to the shell known as Mother of pearl. That finishes the questions and we are at the end of the old trailer. I wish that we might have had a little more time to loiter along for old trails are fascinating like old friends but now we must branch off onto a new trail and the trail let's plan for the day it leads us to the subject of weeds. Most everybody calls weeds. One of our worst enemies. If you have worked a garden and I hope that you have. You attack the weeds with vengeance with blood in your eye.

So most everyone is apt to think a person a sort of a crackpot who praises weeds even in a mild sort of way. But the Creator gave us a lot of weeds and he quipped these wild plants with such good qualities of stick to it Ignace and our business that weeds must have been intended to stay with us all is that they must have some place in the scheme of nature. And let's see now what those put those places may be in the first place. You should know that we have struggled for their lives down through the ages in the struggle weeds have developed an ability to have an abundance of seeds. Clever devices for carrying these seeds over the land like parachutes. Stick tights and burgers but better yet for their survival. They have developed roots that go

deep into the soil for food in moisture. Most of our domestic plants like wheat in carne and the rest feed on the upper few inches of the saw oil. The farmer prepares these up are a few inches by cultivation and fertilization. These weeds these crops domestic crops a great many of them have lost the ability to dive deep into the soil for food in mice and they are the pampered children of the soil. They would disappear from the face of the earth and without man's care. Now take a look at the root of the pig weed pictured in your manual. It has a sturdy straw Taproot that dives deep into the under saw oil for food and moisture. It is common to see sweet clover roots and sweet clover is a weed extend down to

the three feet into the subsoil. It is the vigorous root system of many of our weeds that does the valuable work. Now let's see what this valuable work is that is performed by these tap roots in the first place. These strong tap root systems by diving deep into the subsoil open up this hard soil. Break it up and allow our agents or other agents like moles and bacteria fungi to move down and make real fertile soil. And this under soil in the next place. When these roots die the decay. Decomposed roots leave fibers and humus in the hard under soil. So all these roots help make new soil from below. These tap roots do more than that. They bring up material. The mineral air from the subsoil to the topsoil

just as the earthworms do. And when the weeds die they leave this food and for our domestic crops when they die they leave their remains as a humorous in which unseen plants and animals or that microscopic plant that microscopic life lives bacteria molds and fungi. It is these microscopic plants and animals that make the food for plants. But these tablets do more than that they carry water. Into the subsoil. And have reservoirs there. The rains in the melting snow go down deep into the earth. Now this water comes up along the surface of the roots and up to the surface silent furnishes water to crops that feed on the surface soil. Of course they take a great

deal of the water themselves these weeds do. Actually we have noticed many instances where crops stand the dry weather better where there is a mixture of the right kinds of weeds. I know of many and many instances where farmers have allowed nature to improve the fertility and the conditions of their sorrow by allowing weeds to take possession. Nature wastes nothing you know and weeds are nature's soil improvers. I have heard of good gardeners who plant lambs quarter and weed next to their tomato plants. They claim that the roots of the tomato plants follow the taproot of the Lambs quarter into the earth. And find more food and moisture and actually yield better. They even claim that this weed actually keeps away to me to blight and insects.

Have I praised weeds too highly. I think not and nothing has been said about how they prevent soil erosion and provide food and shelter for wildlife. All Ranger Mark wants you to know is that nature would not have provided all of these wild plants without having some great purpose. And so as time goes on I am sure that we are going to discover greater uses for them. Until next week maybe you will be bright may be gay as you meet the tasks of each day and so may the Great Spirit put sunshine in your heart today and forever more. Heap much. The familiar Indian farewell brings us to the end of another trip afield with Ranger Mack. He'll be back again next week at the same time to be your guide for another rodeo trip down the nature trail. This is the Wisconsin School of the air.