THE BEGINNINCt OF A FOREST CROP. 



49 



HOW IHE CROP BEGINS. 



Let us imagine an abundant crop of tree seeds lying 

 on the ground in the forest. (See PI. XXVI.) How 

 they came there does not interest us at present; we 

 do not care to know whether they were carried by the 

 wind, as often happens with the winged seeds of many 

 trees, such as Pines and Maples, or whether the squir- 



FlG. 46.— Seedlings of Western Hemlock growing thickly on a fallen log. 



Western Washington. 



rels and birds dropped and planted some of them, as 

 they frequently do acorns and chestnuts, or whether the 

 old trees stood closely about and sowed the seed them- 

 selves. We will only suppose them to be all of one kind, 

 and to be scattered in a place where the soil, the mois- 

 ture, and the light are all just as they should be for 

 their successful germination, and afterwards for the 



