180 Wisconsin State Hoeticultueal Society. 



large swales all over the state and you find the same class of 

 plants, or those nearly related, in each one. So on the uplands, 

 with a given character of soil you find the vegetation is identical. 

 On the white clay lands you find the White oak, on the sandy 

 lauds the Black oak, and on the openings the Burr oak. Each 

 has its own peculiar conditions. The climate may, and doubt- 

 less does, have some influence on the growth and development, 

 but it seemed to him that the main cause lay in the character of 

 the soil. 



Mr. Xewton, of Dakota, inquired, how shall we account for 

 the second growth of Black oak which has sprung up all over 

 this country within the last thirty years. When the country was 

 first settled Burr oaks had full possession of the openings; there 

 were not enough Black oaks in the whole country to raise suffi- 

 cient acorns to seed the country as has been done. The timber 

 now growing is almost entirely Black oak. The Burr and White 

 oak are nearly run out. 



Mr. Ford replied that the gentleman doubtless stated the case 

 stronger than the facts would warrant, but there could be no 

 doubt that where the Black oak comes in and takes the place of 

 the Burr oak, there must be some change in the conditions of 

 the soil that favors the one and is unfavorable to the other. 

 Where the fires are kept out these Black oaks start up some- 

 times very thick, so as to shade the ground. As a rule the Black 

 oak grows best where the ground is shaded and the surface 

 moisture is retained, and these conditions are not favorable to 

 the Burr oak. 



Mr. Bonghton wanted to know, if there was no such thing as 

 spontaneous generation, where the seed came from. 



Mr. B. F. Adams, of Madison, said while he could not explain 

 satisfactorily why the Black oak follows and supplants the Burr 

 oak, he could easily account for the scattering of the seeds by 

 means of the squirrels and other wild animals, in the same way 

 as the birds carry seeds from place to place. 



Mr. J. X. Ames, of Oregon, inquired how we could account 

 for the widespread growth of the poplar trees. When the coun- 



