Notes on some of our Native Plants. 23 



The position of such roots in sunken and sphagnous spots, 

 may throw some light on the origin of the coals, such as 

 bituminous and anthracite. Centuries may be requisite to 

 convert these woody structures into such coals ; and yet some 

 sudden cataclysms, such as doubtless often occurred in the 

 larger coal regions, producing immense pressure which these 

 vegetable masses would sustain, by the sinking of the soil 

 or overwhelming of it by a change in its position, might so 

 modify beds of sunken vegetable matter as to convert them 

 into combustible coals, in which the original structure would 

 yet be preserved. Delicate sections of our American coals, 

 submitted to the microscope, have indicated the organic struc- 

 ture of the Conifcrm ; and at this moment there may be 

 existing around us, the "Vestiges of Creation" of similar 

 processes as were in existence when paroxysmal upheavings 

 of the earth's surface changed the aspect of this continent. 



The white pine grows with exceeding rapidity when we 

 consider its great value. Transplanted, as I have already 

 stated, it flourishes with remarkable vigor. The best season 

 of the year for doing this, is from the middle of April to the 

 first of June. At this time, the young shoots for the next 

 year's development are pushing; and even when these are 

 two or three inches long, they can be safely transplanted. I 

 have seen plantations of hundreds made in this way, with 

 scarcely a failure, and lately heard of a similar one with 

 equal success. 



In some years, the seeds are produced in great abundance. 

 These are contained in long, slender, cylindrical, and rather 

 curved cones, made up of numerous loose scales. A seedling 

 pine attains, the first year, to the height of two or three 

 inches. Numerous specimens of such infant trees may be 

 found under any old trees, few of which, however, arrive at 

 maturity, or attain to any size, unless at some distance from 

 the parent stem. The seeds may be loosened from the cones 

 by spreading the latter in some warm, suimy place, free from 

 mice, where they will spontaneously open and the seed will 

 fall out. Each seed is furnished with a thin, chafly vane or 

 wing, which needs rubbing off, before sowing. Artificially 

 sown from seed, they may be drilled thinly in rows where 

 destined to remain, or more closely for subsequent thinning 



