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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 11, 1960)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1960 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, ORE. 1 3 'TV Shop and Save at Central Point's Most Complete Shopping Center! ATTCWIr TUP f JtV Worlds Around r By Lynn M. Watkins J 1 TSril I Illy GIANT SIZE IT J$M 4- H p w Ik'?. Ever Heard of Lichen? It Reduces Rock to Dust The crust-like patches of gray, greenish, brown or yel low material found on rocks, old stumps, evenon pieces of old concrete left undisturbed for a time, is a form of lichen. And it is not just sitting there idly doing nothing, it is working. It is one of the agen cies of Nature. Slowly, silent ly, but with a dedicated pur pose, these lowly plants are reducing the solid rock to dust. There are thousands of kinds of lichens. They are found growing in the cold of the Arctic, on rocks baked by the desert sun, in shady wood lands, in dark jungles, and in your own back yard. Algae and Fungus The lichen is half plant al gae and half fungus. Any rock that has been undisturbed will usually have growing on it one or more kinds of lichen. A tiny algae which is only a stemless, leafless, flowerless plant lands on the surface of the old rock. Here, if for tune smiles on it, a spore of some fungus carried by the wind or shaken from the fea thers of a bird lands alongside the tiny algae plant. Fungus threads and algae have an af finity for one another, and they join. There is enough moisture in the fungus to en courage growth in the algae. The algae will eventually manufacture enough "food" for them both. They grow to gether and are lichens. Now they are in peculiar scablike clusters, grayish green rosettes. Let a rain fall and they become gloriously green; the algae within them shows through. Now, too, they begin the work for which Na ture intended them to accom plish, that of reducing the rock to dust, preparing the way for higher type plants. Tiny Factory Each lichen colony is a tiny factory: By the chemical ac tion of its growth it dissolves the mineral salts of the rock. At the same time, tiny thread like roots probe and burrow into the crevices of the rock, constantly expanding and pushing. One lichen clump grows un til it touches its neighbor. The wind another agency of erosion-heaps dust and debris and more fungus spores on the colony. Moss spores come; de cay enriches the material; higher forms of plant life find the place comfortable. Event ually great forest trees will grow where once the lichens paved the way. And all this time, liny flakes of rock-dust, loosened by the lichens, break away from the mother rock. Winds breathe across the old stone; dust spores and fun gas are carried to other wood lots, to other rocks; the age less process goes on into the infinity of ageless time. Such has been, and is, the purpose in Nature's complex plan, of the little grayish green or yellowish crust-like irregular growths that embel lish the bare rocks; these are the lichens, the tools by which Nature reduces rocks to dust; a process that has continued without interruption, for hun dreds of millions of years. (Released by The Register and Tribune Syndicate, I960) Herbert Hoover Praised in Senate Washington - IUPD - Former President Herbert Hoover, who is celebrating his 86th birthday, got praise in the Sen ate Wednesday from Demo crats and Republicans alike. Democrats, led by Sen. Lyn don B. Johnson, Tex.), joined in paying tribute to the Re publican president and hailing his long years of service. Democratic Whip Mike Mansfield (M o n t.) recalled that Hoover "was a favorite target of the Democrats in other days, but is now a re vered elder statesman." Republican leader Everett M. Dirksen (111.), who started the tributes, said "the Ameri can people can symbolically arise as they contemplate his fruitful existence and 'hail to the chief.' " Dog Honored for Saving Young Girl Chicago - IUPD - A majestic looking German shepherd named Keg was cited Wednes day night as the most heroic dog of 196U. Keg rescued 22-month-old Karen McMannis after she had stumbled into Kelly creek near Bozeman, Mont. The dog jumped in after the tot, clamped his powerful jaws into her shoulder blades and towed her to safety. 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