Monthly Archives: March 2014
84.WHAT IS MARSHMALLOW?
The marshmallow you eat today as candy has nothing to do with the marshmallow! At one time, this candy was actually made from a plant called a marshmallow, which is how it got its name.
Today, marshmallows are made by whipping a combination of sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, flavors, and egg whites. Marshmallows have a light, fluffy texture. The most popular kind is white marshmallow which has been covered with sugar. But there are also marshmallow “peanuts,” marshmallow “bananas,” and marshmallow “eggs.” Some kinds are made by coating the marshmallow with toasted coconut and chocolate.
83.WHAT IS GRAFTING?
Can one kind of tree produce the fruit of another kind of tree?—Yes! Grafting makes it possible. If a bud from a twig of a pear tree is carefully inserted in slit made in the bark of a quince bush, a pear twig will grow. The quince bush win bear both pears and quinces!
In the same way, an almond tree can be made to produce both peaches and almonds. Or a crab apple tree can be made to bear a crop of fine cultivated apples. Sometimes grafting is used to produce freak trees and bushes, but it has nevertheless an important place in agriculture.
82.WHAT IS FORESTRY?
Anyone who travels across our country sees so many forests everywhere that he might well wonder why we have to worry about protecting them. Don’t we have too many forests with too many trees right now?
Actually, about a third of all the land area in the United States is forest land. That’s more than 250,000,000 hectares. One of the most important things we can do for the future of our country is to see that our forests are properly cared for! This is being done in Britain and elsewhere.
