﻿A study of pasture trees and shrubbery 



Some years ago my attention was called to the peculiarly 

 regular form of the thorn trees in the pastures of northeastern 

 Ohio. These peculiar shapes are taken by the trees i 

 the constant pruning to which they 

 are subjected by the cattle. A very 

 short study revealed the fact that 

 other species are as characteristic- 

 ally affected as the thorns; this is 

 especially true of wild apples, oaks 

 and elms. Further, the behavior of 

 each of the different types has feat- 

 ures peculiar to itself. Many kinds 

 of trees are not able to withstand 

 the constant browsing to which 

 they are subjected when growing in 

 closely cropped pastures and so 

 quickly disappear. On the other 

 hand several species are not mo- 

 lested at all by the cattle. The 

 "immunity "which is enjoyed by 

 most nut-bearing trees seems to 

 depend upon a taste or texture 

 which is repugnant to the cattle. 

 Whether or not this explanation 

 is of wider application I do not " 



There is of course considerable , 



variation in the relative abundance ' 



of the different species in the dif- . 



ferent pastures. But considering 



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