Tárogató, 1944-1945 (7. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1944-07-01 / 1-2. szám
16 T Á R O G A TŐ alike provide vivid examples. The world of men has been starving for want of faith. The most evident symptom of this lack in spiritual nutrition has been the eclipse of hope. And without hope men cannot continue to live. When the moral energies of men are denied an opportunity for rational self-expression, they engage themselves with fanatical emotions that enclose the mind with its own enraged sense of defeat- Project that situation into international life and you have a terrifying explanation of the ruthless violence that now threatens the continuance of civilized existence. Let us not therefore neglect the need for spiritual reconstruction. Ideals must be related to practical projects. Faith cannot operate in a vacuum—without works, it is dead- But on the other hand, we shall need more than political wisdom to infuse the required moral energy into the plans for reconstruction. If we are to emerge from contemporary chaos, the spiritual neutralities of our time must be driven out by profound convictions, rationally presented and intelligently held, about the basic character of life itself. (Rev. Dr. J. S. Thomson in the League of Nations News Bulletin.) MOUNTAIN PLOVER IN CANADA In 1939, the first mountain plover ever recorded in Canada was seen near Bracken, Saskatchewan. Since then, a few of the birds have been identified in the prairie provinces. A plain, pale-coloured bird smaller than the killdeer, the mountain plover lacks the dark neck ring of many plovers. Its plumage above is light greyish brown, and the underparts are spotless white. If you ever see one of these birds in Canada, the Department of Mines and Resources at Ottawa will be glad to hear about it- —“Onward”. A STUDY IN FRUIT RIPENING It is generally accepted that the slow or rapid ripening of the different fruits depends upon the weather, but, according to the observations of Dr. Tukey, of the New York Experimental Station at Geneva, N.Y., this is not the case. For many years, he has carefully measured the time elapsing between full bloom and ripening of one hundred and sixtyrTffiÉri-'áritr uLir mmmm six varieties of fruit, and he found that the period was a constant one, and did not vary with the seasons. Apples, pears and peaches were the varieties studied. —“Onward”. TONS OF DEHYDRATED FOOD PRODUCTS In a recent report by the Agricultural Supplies Board seven Canadian plants have processed vegetables from the 1942 crop which have been delivered to the armed forces in Canada and shipped to Britain in the following quantities, dried weight—potatoes, 1,158 tons; cabbage, 76 tons; carrots, 78 tons; onions 43 tons, and turnips, 46 tons, in addition to about 300 tons (dried weight) of onions dehydrated at one plant under direct contract with the British Ministry of Food. Canadian egg powder to the amount of 12,861,641 pounds was shipped by the Special Products Board to the British Ministry of Food during the year ended March 31, 1943. Since January 1, 1943, the official bacteriological analysis of all egg powder being exported to Britain has been, and is, the responsibility of the Division of Bacteriology and Dairy Research, Dominion Department of Agriculture. —“Onward.” BEAUTY Wonderful is the way in which beauty breaks through. It breaks through not only at a few highly organized points, it breaks through almost everywhere. Even the minutest things reveal it as well as the sublimest things, like the stars. Whatever one sees through the microscope, a bit of mould foe example, is charged with beauty. Everything, from a dew-drop to a mountain, is the bearer of beauty. And yet beauty has no function, no utility. Its value is intrinsic, not extrinsic. It is its own excuse for being. It greases no wheels, it bakes no puddings. It is a gift of sheer grace, a gratuitous largess. It must imply behind things a Spirit that enjoys beauty for its own sake and that foods the world everywhere with it. Wherever it can. break through it does break through, and our joy in it shows that we are in some sense kindred to the Giver and Revealer of it. —Rufus M. Jones.
