ARBORICULTURE 



325 



How Did It Happen? 



There is what seems to be a great 

 mystery in the occurrence of many 

 trees in certain localities while they 

 are not found in others ; and when a 

 forest of one variety is removed other 

 species come in to take its place. 



The white pine occurs over a large 

 area of country, yet does not exist in 

 other regions of much greater area. 



Hemlock is found in a score of our 

 states, while it is not found in other 

 states. 



Walnut is common throughout the 

 middle and southern states, but not in 

 New England. 



The giant Sequoias occup}^ a re- 

 markably small territory in the higher 

 Sierra Nevada mountains, in California, 

 only ten small groves in all the world. 



Its relative, the redwood, (sequoia 

 sempervirens) is confined to a narrow 

 strip about twenty miles wide along 

 the Pacific Coast north of Santa Cruz, 

 California. 



The Monterey Cypress was only 

 found in a little group at ^Monterey, 

 California. 



And thus with a large number of 

 tree species originally found in re- 

 stricted localities in various portions of 

 the world. 



As the pine has been removed birch, 

 oaks, and various species of so-called 

 hardwoods succeed the pine. Why 

 does this happen? 



In case of these trees when they are 

 removed to other localities or the seed 

 distributed, they succeed in their new 

 homes, if surrounded with suitable 

 environments. 



The walnut grows in New England 

 as well as in Indiana. The Sequois 

 Gigantea finds it convenient to become 

 a large tree even in localities many 

 thousands of miles distant, and upon 

 other continents. 



The Monterey Cypress has become a 

 weed in many places. 



The experience of the United 

 States authorities at the Botanic 

 Gardens in Washington, and, in fact, 

 all botanic gardens of the world ; yes, 

 and of every prominent nursery of 

 the whole world, demonstrates that 

 ten thousand species of trees unknown 

 in their localities have been success- 

 fully adopted, and it is probable there 

 is no tree or plant but which may be 

 grown in other localities, provided it 

 be given proper care and supplied with 

 nearly similar conditions to which it 

 has been accustomed. 



In the American system of total de- 

 struction of native forests, in the craze 

 for the almighty dollar which takes 

 possession of lumbermen, all seed 

 trees being removed. Nature supplies 

 what is most convenient, either the 

 edible berries and nuts which may 

 be distributed by birds and small ani- 

 mals, or the light winged seeds of 

 birch, willow, poplars, etc., which the 

 wind can send for long distances. Pine 

 is too heavy for the wind and is sel- 

 dom taken very far by birds or ani- 

 mals ; thus the succeeding forest is of 

 different character. 



Likewise the Catalpa Speciosa. orig- 

 inally confined to a few square miles 

 along the Wabash river in Indiana 

 and Illinois, could only be transported 

 by flowing water for very short dis- 

 tances before the film covering of the 

 seed should become water-soaked and . 

 sink, to be quickly destroyed. 



Nature, however, gave this tree a 

 very beautiful flower, which, in its ap- 

 peal to the human heart, has caused its 

 distribution to the most distant lands 

 throvighout the world. Thus has a. 

 most valuable timber tree of greatest 

 economical importance been saved, 

 from total destruction. 



Indian children gathered walnuts; 

 and hickory nuts, and also chestnuts,, 

 some of which were dropped at the 



