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Show Plants as Historians and Prophets "Plants are proving to be true prophets of the future and competent compe-tent historians of the past," according accord-ing to Dr. Walter P. Gottam, professor pro-fessor of botany at Brigham Young university. "The character of the vegetation in any area may indicate indi-cate overgrazing and thereby form the basis for the prediction of disastrous dis-astrous floods such as have visited Utah during the present year," Dr. Gottam believes. "Plants especially excel as historians histor-ians of the past," Professor Gottam avers. "Analysis of the rings in a tree will show precisely the nature of the climate of oygone ages before be-fore any records were kept. A nar row ring signifies poor frowing conditions, con-ditions, such as cold or drouth. Cases in the United States Supreme Su-preme Court have been decided on the basis of testimony submitted by trees." The Big Tree in Provo Canyon, the largest of its kind in the world and which Professor Gottam was instrumental in having enrolled in the Hall of Fame lor Trees, recently recent-ly fell a victim to windstorm. Tr. Cottam had a section sawed from the tree in order to study the rings and interpret the records which those rings recorded. The rings, according to Proessor Cottam show ed the yj-jivs in WaXh fires occured and also other lean and fat years experienced by this giant of lhe f oi est. The section of the historic Lixe will be preserved in the B. Y U. Museum of Natural history. |