14 JOURNAL OF THE 



that in all sta<jfes of its reproduction and g-rowth it is 

 more severely and continuously attacked by a greater 

 variety of enemies than any other. Besides the natural 

 drawbacks to its development from the peculiar manner 

 of forming- several of its parts, and the fact that these 

 parts when destroyed are not replaced, its larg-e and 

 sweet seed are eaten in larg'e quantities by fowls of 

 various kinds, rats, squirrels, and by swine, which pre- 

 fer them to all other kinds of mast, and when there is 

 enough long leaf pine mast become very fat on it. If 

 the destruction caused by swine ceased here there 

 would doubtless still be sufficient seed left to repro- 

 duce some parts of the forests as the mature trees are 

 gradually thinned out, for one year old seedlings 

 are common 12 months after heavy masts. No sooner, 

 however, has the young pine gotten a foot high and its 

 root an inch in diameter than the hog attacks it, this 

 time eating the roots, which until two inches in diame- 

 ter, are ver}^ tender, juicy, pleasantly flavored and free 

 of resinous matter. In the loose sandy soil the piny 

 woods hog or "rooter" finds little difficulty in follow- 

 ini>* and devouring these tender roots to their smallest 

 ends. Many small trees are destroyed in this way ; 

 and cattle, furthermore, are said to frequently bite off 

 the tops of the small plants, and with it the terminal 

 bud, in the early spring. This is doubtless done while 

 grazing, more accidentally than otherwise. 



Fires often destroy all the young pines that escape 

 the hogs. They kill the small pines by burning the 

 highly inflammable bracts around the bud and so stop its 

 growth, or in high grass frequently burn all the leaves. 

 Larger trees, even until they are three or four inches 

 through, are easily killed in spring, when the sap is 

 rising and the outer layer of wood is growing rap- 



