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<br />BALANCE, DEVELOPMENT, HARMONY
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<br />the fact that he is a cannibal of smaller fish with a natural hatch-
<br />ing record of only 5 %. Thus limited in population under natur-
<br />ally ideal conditions, he has little chance to survive when ero-
<br />sion causes mud to clog his delicate gills and destroy the deli-
<br />cate plants on which he feeds. Too often he is replaced by the
<br />scavenger fish.
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<br />In the lake further down the valley we find a dozen differ-
<br />ent types of fish and life. Each type depending on the other.
<br />These different types can be compared to a sectional book case
<br />filled with books, each section resting on the one below. All
<br />thrive, prosper and increase as long as all are in the lake undis-
<br />turbed. If excessive muddy water, mineral slag from factory or
<br />mine, or sewerage from cities flow into the lake the aquatic
<br />plants perish, the balance of the fish life is destroyed and the
<br />lake is taken over by scanvenger fish. Spending public funds
<br />to replenish fish in the above lake, even if undesirable fish
<br />were seined, would evidently be a waste of funds.
<br />
<br />The speed with which the naked prehistoric earth was
<br />covered by vegetation is illustrated by the, amazing, rapid re-
<br />covery, in appearance at 'least, after our recent area drought and
<br />dust devastation. Perhaps the tendency of a plant to seed heavily
<br />after a period of hardship was a partial factor. The pioneer grass
<br />plants are annuals. The seed is light, abundant and spreads
<br />easily and rapidly by wind and water. They root shallow, ma-
<br />ture quickly and require little plant food. The perennials then
<br />take over gradually with their deeper roots and longer growing
<br />season, producing seed that may be dormant for years. All varie-
<br />ties of wheat grass are gluttons for nitrogen, and will grow in
<br />harmony with the wild deeper rooted legumes that have the
<br />ability to absorb and store nitrogen from the air. Thus the area
<br />was covered by a carpet of grass and supported a dense popula-
<br />tion of herb eating animals who in turn were kept in balance
<br />by disease, winter, and the flesh-eating cousins.
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<br />The balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide is another
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