ARBORICULTURE 



395 



trees, such as palms, oaks, etc. Here, 

 the seeds germinate, send out long 

 thread-like roots, which in time reach 

 the ground, when they rapidly enlarge 

 and embrace the trees to which they 

 have become attached, using it as a 

 support, the rubber tree becoming the 

 principal trunk above the point of at- 

 tachment. 



It is plain that the ficus in this man- 

 ner cannot increase very rapidly or 

 form a characteristic forest. 



If all the seeds of a single Cotton- 

 wood tree should grovs^, scattered as 

 they are so broadly by the wind, as the 

 light cottony appendage to each seed 

 insures it a distant flight, this one tree 

 w^ould forest the continent in a dozen 

 years. 



On the other hand, the w^alnut drops 

 its seeds directly beneath the tree, 

 w^here animals, including man, gather 

 them for food. Occasionally, a nut is 

 dropped w^hich becomes a tree in some 

 other locality. 



The hickory also falls directly be- 

 neath the tree, bounding a^vay and rol- 

 ling down the hillsides, if on a slope. 

 But as the hickory nuts are more palat- 

 able than the walnut, and the husk 

 breaks open w^ith the fall, releasing the 

 clean shelled nuts, they are more at- 

 tractive to the squirrels than are w^al- 

 nuts, and thus have greater distribution. 



Yet, as a rule, hickories are not found 

 in large forests, but are grouped among 

 other trees. 



The meaty, triangular nut of the 

 Beech is a favorite food for both birds 

 and squirrels. Very large quantities of 

 them are stored av/ay in cavities in the 

 tree trunks, underneath decaying 

 stumps, beneath rocks and in similiar 

 hiding places. From its smaller size, 

 thin shell and delicious meat, it receives 

 much greater distribution and frequent- 

 ly occurs in distinct forests. 



The Butternut is seldom found alone, 

 usually the trees are quite scarce, never 

 in solid forests. The bitter husk, very 

 rough edges of the sculptured inner 

 shell, cutting the animal's mouth, quite 

 effectually protects the buttery meat, 

 comprising the edible nut, hence its 

 distribution is very limited. 



The Cocoanut of the Tropics increas- 

 es very slow^ly because of the great size 

 of the nuts and comparatively small 

 number produced. The light outer 

 husk buoys it upon the w^ater, w^hence 

 it is w^ashed upon the shores often quite 

 distant. 



Acorns are edible for birds and ani- 

 mals, hence they are scattered in all 

 directions, and being produced by 

 myriads, feed the w^ood folks amply 

 and form large forests in w^hich other 

 tree species occur only as accidentals. 



Willow^s, like the populus family, are 

 provided with dow^ny seed appendages 

 and are carried by the wind every- 

 w^here, but only in moist locations and 

 where the seeds are not unheld by rank 

 vegetation, can the seed germinate, 

 thus they are confined to w^ater courses. 



Catalpa speciosa produces sufficient 

 seed, but it is not so readily distributed 

 nor does it form a distinct forest. The 

 seeds are winged but are seldom 

 carried by the wind. Mice and birds 

 are fond of the seed but destroy it in 

 the process of eating, so they are not 

 voided by these animals as are the 

 seeds of cherries, juniper, blackberry 

 etc. 



The seed and pods falling upon the 

 earth, are destroyed unless the soil is in 

 condition for their speedy germination. 

 While if they fall in the stream, soon 

 become water soaked, sink and are cov- 

 ered deeply with mud. A few are cast 

 upon the shore and become trees. 



Other varieties of catalpa having 

 much lighter seeds than speciosa, fare 



