﻿Scott: A Study of Pasture Trees and Shrubbery 461 



3. When the tree is able to withstand the cropping for a long 

 period it has good chances of reaching the natural size of the 

 species. This is attained in different ways by the different species : 



(a) The oaks throw the stress of growth into a single series 

 of buds and so prolong the main axis at the expense of the lateral 

 branches that the tip of this axis may be lifted beyond the reach of 

 the cattle in comparatively few years. 



(b) The haws and apples put out a large number of approx- 

 imately equal branches forming a close network about the center 

 of the tree, which is finally so far removed from the attacks of the 

 cattle that it may grow unmolested . This is a much slower method 

 than the one adopted by the oaks but seems to be somewhat surer 

 as judged by the number of successful individuals. 



(c) The elms have given up the attempt to reach independence 

 without the help of some other plant but because of their per- 

 sistence many of them are in time given the necessary protection. 



4. While thorns are undoubtedly a factor in the escape of 

 some species from the cattle their importance may easily be over- 

 estimated ; the apples are apparently quite as successful as are the 

 haws but are not provided with this £ 



Kerner has described similar observations on the oak and 

 beech but especially on the larch, as browsed by goats. Doubt- 

 less many others have observed related phenomena in pastural j 



