HOW BIG TREES GROW 47 



plentiful supply of seed was scattered upon these open 

 fields year after year. Of course countless thousands 

 of the seeds never produced any seedlings. They may 

 have been eaten by squirrels or field mice or they may 

 have been parched by the sun or like the seed in the 

 Biblical parable they may have fallen upon stony 

 ground which the little roots could not penetrate. 



After the course of four or five years numerous seed- 

 lings could be seen scattered about the open field, nest- 

 ling in among the grass and weeds. They were rather 

 far apart but these gaps were soon filled in during later 

 bountiful seed years. At first each seedling had plenty 

 of ' ' elbow room, ' ' for growth above ground is not rapid 

 during the first three or four years. The sensible little 

 trees are developing a mass of fibrous roots under- 

 ground, wisely preparing for future drought and lean 

 years. After four or five years the seedlings seem to 

 strike their gait, and commence to grow. The leader, 

 as the terminal shoot is called, may be eight to ten inches 

 high at the end of the growing season, while in favor- 

 able years white pines on good soil may grow thirty 

 to thirty-five inches. 



The side branches have also been growing and grad- 

 ually the crowns of the little trees meet, the side 

 branches interlace and the forest canopy is formed. 

 From that time on the competition is extremely sharp 

 and the race is assuredly very keen, for a tree that is 

 once overtopped and deprived of sunlight is almost 

 hopelessly outclassed. There is no handicap but each 

 tree must run the race on its own merits. 



When the lower branches become intwined they 

 naturally receive little light. They shed their leaves 

 which fall to form the carpet of needles upon the forest 

 floor and later make the humus. The lower branches 



