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Show TREES HEAL THEIR WOUNDS Provision of - Nature That Assures Preservation of the Forests for the Benefit of Mankind. When a bullet or any foreign body penetrates a tree not sufficiently to kill it, the wound cicatrizes almost In ex-nctiy ex-nctiy the same way as a wound on the human body heals. If It did not, destructive de-structive microbes would enter and causa decay of the tissues. "Trees.' writes Henri Coupln In La Nature, ' are very well equipped for healing their wounds, and. more fortunate for-tunate man we, an antiseptic dressing dress-ing is almost automatically applied. As soon us the lesion has taken place the vegetable reacts to the wounded spot: its breathing at this point is quickened and at the same time protein pro-tein matters are rushed to the scene. "Many plants are provided with se-ereting se-ereting canals filled with more or less gummy substanc es which are Instantly poured out over the wounded surface and protect it. This is true especially of the conifers pines, firs, etc. of which the resin makes a swift and Inj-permeable Inj-permeable antiseptic dressing." In trees that have little or no resin the wounded part turns brown. This is due to the appearance of a juice that seems to be a mixture of gums and tannin. And the cells of the tree start Into activity, proliferating and filling up the cavity with new cells. If the wound be large these take the form of vegetable cicatrical tissue, which makes a plug and remains as a scar. In the event that the wound be confined con-fined to one of the limbs of the tree It not infrequently happens that the limb becomes dead and drops off, the wound healing and leaving the tree In no wise the worse for the loss of the absent member. |