Tree Sap in Winter

Tree Sap in Winter Time BY DELBERT W. PARRATT

Thad's big brother is named Vaughn Wisemar. Yesterday he had occasion to spend a few minutes in Thad's room at school. Just at the close of the reading recitation the principal of the school came in and called attention to the barren trees standing outside near the windows. The trees, against the white snow, appeared almost black they were leafless and to all indications were totally ;

dead. "Now, boys and girls," smilingly asked the principal, "where is the sap of those trees during this time of the year ?" As quick as a flash, nearly all the pupils were ready with an answer. What do you think they said ? Everybody gave the — same reply that all the sap goes to the roots in the winter and stays there till spring. "Are you sure that all the sap of the entire trees is now in their roots?" responded the principal.

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"Yes, sir," came the reply, unhesitatingly from the whole class. No expression whatever of satisfaction or disappointment could be seen in the principal's countenance, as he said, "Thank you that will do," and left the room. ;

Mr. Wisemar felt quite sure the teacher of the boys and girls was delighted with the hearty response on the part of her pupils. He knew he was well pleased with the way in which Thad and the other little folks answered. The incident was apparently forgotten when all the room delved into fraction-problems for the arithmetic lesson. But the principal didn't forget it. In a few minutes a shy little girl tip- toed into the room with a sheet of paper for the teacher. The arithmetic lesson was soon over, and then the lady in charge reminded the boys and girls that a number of trees were then being cut down, near the school building. She asked her pupils to examine the exposed ends for sap. Could someone bring a cross-section of one of the trees to school? Two or three volun- teered to do so. Could somebody else dig up a good-sized root and bring a pieces of it to school also ? Others agreed to do this. "I suppose," said the good teacher, "you are wondering what these are for. Well, Principal Looksum has just sent us some questions to answer for nature study this week. Here are the questions

1. What does tree sap look like? Whe're does it come from and of what is it made?.

   Is there more sap in the tree trunk now than there is in the 3. summer, or is there less, or is there about the same? 4. Then is the sap stored in the trunk in the winter time? Why- do you think so? 5. If all the sap of the entire tree is in the roots, in the winter, would they now be inflated with sap? Why? Examine a root to see if you are right.

6. Does the root have more sap in it now than it has in the sum- mer, or has it less, or has it about the same?
   7. Then where is the sap in the winter time?

These questions seemed to electrify the whole class. The pu- pils could hardly wait to examine winter trunks and roots, in search of sap. Some showed doubt about their first "positive answer" regarding the sap, and wanted to satisfy themselves on the point. Vaughn Wisemar began to feel about as they did. On leav- ing the school he made for one of the cut-down trees. He exam- ined for sap, and to his surprise found that, the tree contained just about the same amount now that it did in summer. Like the pu- pils, he supposed it was in the roots and therefore expected to find the trunk pretty dry. But not so, there was the sap, and lots

352 IMPROVEMENT ERA of it, perhaps not quite so much as in the summer time, but not far from it. This aroused his curiosity still further, so, upon reaching home he dug up a tree root about as big around as a broom stick. With a pocket knife he made a clean cut through it and examined again for sap. Once more he met with a surprise, for instead of the root being inflated it had perhaps less than the ordinary amount in it. These simple observations readily convinced him that he and also all the pupils in the school-room were mistaken, for anyone who would take the trouble to look could easily see that the whole amount of a tree's sap is not stored in the roots for the winter, but that most of it remains right in the branches, in the trunk, and in the roots just as in the summer. Some, however, may have evap- orated and thus escaped into the air, leaving, very likely, a little less in branches, trunk, and roots than in the warm, growing sea- sons. Regarding the color of sap, Mr. Wisemar soon learned that, in the main, it is colorless, like water, but when some kinds are exposed to the air they change to different tints and colors. The sap from a black walnut tree is a glaring example of this. Tree sap is composed mostly of water with a little mineral salts, some sugar, and other plant food carried in solution. All the water of the sap, together with the mineral salts, are taken from the ground, and get into the tree through the tip ends of the roots. This may not surprise you, but it did Thad's big brother, for he had been led to believe that much of the water in a tree was absorbed through the leaves during rainy weather. Consider- able of the water parses out from the tree through the leaves, but it all gets into the tree through the root tips.

Mr. Wisemar learned something by being in school only a short time, and he is now satisfied the boys and girls of that room :ire no longer sure that all the sap of the entire tree sinks down into the roots, where it is stored during the cold winter months awaiting the warm days of spring to draw it once more up into the trunk and branches. At any rate, he knows one pupil whose ideas on the subject have undergone considerable change since the question was sprung yesterday morning. He became certain of this when Thad reached home from school this afternoon.